Agricultural Public Services Degree
Students study agricultural extension, outreach methods, rural community development, and how to communicate scientific advances to farmers and the public. Graduates typically pursue careers as agricultural extension agents, USDA program coordinators, and rural development specialists. This major is ideal for those who want to serve farming communities through education and public programs.
What Agricultural Public Services Graduates Do
Your degree prepares you to be a storyteller and educator for the agricultural world. You might find yourself on the ground as a journalist, investigating the impact of new water rights policies on local farms or reporting on breakthroughs in crop science. Or, you could be behind the camera as an audio/video technician, producing documentaries on rural life or creating podcasts that connect farmers with consumers. Another path is direct community engagement as a farm and home management educator, where you’ll work one-on-one with families to improve their financial planning and adopt sustainable practices.
Career progression often involves moving from production tasks to strategic leadership—from editing footage to directing a series, or from assisting with workshops to managing a regional extension program. While technical media roles see modest growth, be aware that traditional journalism and educator positions face significant headwinds.
AI's impact varies greatly. For journalists, it's a disruptive force; AI handles routine data analysis and drafting, shrinking entry-level tasks. Your value will shift to expert verification and investigative judgment. In media, AI will automate technical work, demanding you adapt to new tools. The hands-on, trust-based role of an educator, however, remains largely insulated, a key advantage in an automated world.
Common Career Paths
Where Agricultural Public Services graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 12,500 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Salary Range | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| News analysts, reporters, and journalists | 4,100 | -3.9% | 65% | |
| Farm and home management educators | 1,100 | -2.5% | 37% | |
| Audio and video technicians | 7,300 | +3.3% | 44% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).
Best Schools for Agricultural Public Services
10 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.
| # | School | DW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI |
52 43–52 |
$48,092/yr | 14.4x |
| 2 | University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR |
45 36–45 |
$50,123/yr | 12.1x |
| 3 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA |
43 36–44 |
$54,583/yr | 11.3x |
| 4 | Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX |
42 33–43 |
$44,232/yr | 9.8x |
| 5 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus Stillwater, OK |
42 34–43 |
$41,043/yr | 12.4x |
| 6 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL |
38 29–38 |
$48,643/yr | 6.6x |
| 7 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN |
38 29–39 |
$43,324/yr | 8.6x |
| 8 | Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX |
37 29–38 |
$36,134/yr | 10.5x |
| 9 | University of Kentucky Lexington, KY |
28 20–29 |
$34,495/yr | 7.4x |
| 10 | Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH |
19 15–20 |
$23,221/yr | 3.5x |
Highest Earning Agricultural Public Services Programs
Schools where Agricultural Public Services graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.
| School | 1-Year Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | $54,583/yr | 43 |
| University of Arkansas | $50,123/yr | 45 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | $48,643/yr | 38 |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | $48,092/yr | 52 |
| Texas A & M University-College Station | $44,232/yr | 42 |
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | $43,324/yr | 38 |
| Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | $41,043/yr | 42 |
| Texas Tech University | $36,134/yr | 37 |
| University of Kentucky | $34,495/yr | 28 |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus | $23,221/yr | 19 |
Best ROI for Agricultural Public Services
Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Agricultural Public Services.
| School | ROI Multiple | Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | 14.4x | $48,092/yr | 52 |
| Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | 12.4x | $41,043/yr | 42 |
| University of Arkansas | 12.1x | $50,123/yr | 45 |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | 11.3x | $54,583/yr | 43 |
| Texas Tech University | 10.5x | $36,134/yr | 37 |
| Texas A & M University-College Station | 9.8x | $44,232/yr | 42 |
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 8.6x | $43,324/yr | 38 |
| University of Kentucky | 7.4x | $34,495/yr | 28 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 6.6x | $48,643/yr | 38 |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus | 3.5x | $23,221/yr | 19 |
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