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Animal Sciences

Students study animal biology, genetics, nutrition, reproduction, and production systems for livestock including cattle, poultry, swine, and sheep. Graduates typically pursue careers in livestock management, animal nutrition, pharmaceutical sales, and as preparation for veterinary school. Strong demand exists across the meat, dairy, and animal health industries.

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Schools

Programs analyzed

Earnings

$33,901

Avg 1-yr grad earnings

Range $14,123–$44,956

Outlook

40/100

Avg DegreeOutlook Score

AI Risk

High

44% task exposure

Field Overview

What Animal Sciences graduates do

Your degree in Animal Sciences prepares you for a hands-on career managing the health and productivity of livestock and companion animals. Many graduates start as first-line supervisors on farms or ranches, directing teams on daily feeding, breeding, and care. Others begin as agricultural technicians, collecting blood samples, testing feed quality, or monitoring animal housing conditions. With experience, you can advance into a farm manager role, making high-level decisions about business operations, market strategy, and herd genetics.

While traditional farm management roles are numerous but face slight headwinds, technical and scientific paths are growing. Positions for agricultural technicians and animal scientists are expanding, driven by the need for data-backed improvements in efficiency and welfare. AI is a key factor here; it will automate significant chunks of routine work, like monitoring animal behavior or analyzing feed data. Your job isn't disappearing, but the day-to-day will change substantially. Adaptability is crucial, as your value will shift from performing repetitive tasks to interpreting AI-driven insights and making critical judgments.

Students weighing Animal Sciences often also consider Plant Sciences, Agricultural Production, and Food Science & Technology — compare earnings, ROI, and AI outlook side by side.

Career Trajectories

Where Animal Sciences graduates work

Common career paths for Animal Sciences graduates, with median salaries, projected growth, and AI exposure per role. Roughly 99,000 combined openings per year across these roles.

Role	Median Pay	Annual Openings	10-yr Growth	AI Exposure
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	$87,980 $68K–$115K	85,500	-1.3%	Moderate · 37%
Agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary	$86,350 $64K–$123K	800	+4.1%	High · 50%
Animal scientists	$79,120 $60K–$128K	200	+5.8%	High · 53%
First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers	$59,330 $48K–$77K	8,500	+2.5%	Low · 28%
Farm and home management educators	$58,120 $46K–$69K	1,100	-2.5%	Moderate · 37%
Agricultural technicians	$46,790 $38K–$59K	2,900	+4.3%	High · 50%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Top Institutions

Best schools for Animal Sciences

Schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score (earnings × AI resilience × ROI × job-market size). Top 10 of 81.

Rank #1 · DegreeOutlook Score 57

Mississippi State University

Mississippi State, MS · Public

$41,464 1-yr earnings

17.2x ROI multiple

High AI risk

California State University-Fresno

Fresno, CA · #2

$40,311/yr · 20.0x ROI

South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD · #3

$44,844/yr · 14.2x ROI

University of Wisconsin-Platteville

Platteville, WI · #4

$44,956/yr · 14.4x ROI

#	School	DW Score	1-yr Earnings	ROI
5	University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI · Public	51	$44,354	11.7x
6	Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN · Public	51	$35,318	15.7x
7	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA · Public	50	$37,349	17.8x
8	University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD · Public	48	$40,209	11.3x
9	Iowa State University Ames, IA · Public	48	$39,567	12.3x
10	North Dakota State University-Main Campus Fargo, ND · Public	48	$39,290	11.9x
11	University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE · Public	48	$39,064	12.6x
12	University of Wisconsin-River Falls River Falls, WI · Public	47	$37,852	13.9x
13	Auburn University Auburn, AL · Public	47	$34,980	12.2x
14	California State University-Chico Chico, CA · Public	47	$33,387	16.6x
15	Michigan State University East Lansing, MI · Public	46	$41,292	8.3x
16	Oklahoma State University-Main Campus Stillwater, OK · Public	46	$36,235	12.6x
17	North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC · Public	46	$35,686	17.0x
18	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA · Public	46	$33,879	13.0x
19	Utah State University Logan, UT · Public	46	$30,774	16.5x
20	University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA · Public	45	$40,008	7.6x
21	Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX · Public	45	$35,582	10.7x
22	Kansas State University Manhattan, KS · Public	44	$38,868	10.8x
23	University of Georgia Athens, GA · Public	44	$31,769	12.7x
24	University of Florida Gainesville, FL · Public	44	$31,294	19.2x
25	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, CT · Public	43	$37,712	7.7x
26	University of Connecticut-Avery Point Groton, CT · Public	43	$37,712	7.7x
27	University of Connecticut-Stamford Stamford, CT · Public	43	$37,712	7.7x
28	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus Hartford, CT · Public	43	$37,712	7.7x
29	Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO · Public	43	$36,111	9.9x
30	University of Wyoming Laramie, WY · Public	43	$34,875	15.4x
31	North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC · Public	43	$33,332	13.8x
32	University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR · Public	43	$32,417	13.5x
33	University of Connecticut Storrs, CT · Public	42	$37,712	6.5x
34	SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill Cobleskill, NY · Public	42	$37,068	12.3x
35	Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX · Public	42	$34,933	10.4x
36	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA · Public	42	$29,793	12.0x
37	University of Idaho Moscow, ID · Public	41	$36,486	11.9x
38	University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO · Public	41	$34,678	9.2x
39	Missouri State University-Springfield Springfield, MO · Public	41	$33,675	12.7x
40	West Virginia University Morgantown, WV · Public	41	$31,103	13.2x
41	University of Maine Orono, ME · Public	40	$37,823	8.8x
42	University of Arizona Tucson, AZ · Public	40	$35,996	8.6x
43	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN · Public	40	$34,073	8.0x
44	Arkansas State University Jonesboro, AR · Public	40	$31,444	14.3x
45	University of Kentucky Lexington, KY · Public	40	$27,144	11.4x
46	University of Delaware Newark, DE · Public	39	$40,317	5.3x
47	University of Minnesota-Crookston Crookston, MN · Public	39	$35,072	8.8x
48	Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX · Public	39	$34,051	11.5x
49	Oregon State University-Cascades Campus Bend, OR · Public	39	$32,893	9.8x
50	Oregon State University Corvallis, OR · Public	38	$32,893	9.1x
51	Angelo State University San Angelo, TX · Public	38	$28,820	14.1x
52	Brigham Young University-Idaho Rexburg, ID · Private nonprofit	38	$25,661	23.3x
53	Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH · Public	37	$33,642	8.8x
54	Tarleton State University Stephenville, TX · Public	37	$30,695	13.5x
55	Texas A & M University-Kingsville Kingsville, TX · Public	37	$20,036	13.9x
56	Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, MO · Public	36	$34,876	7.6x
57	University of California-Davis Davis, CA · Public	36	$32,309	7.9x
58	Stephen F Austin State University Nacogdoches, TX · Public	36	$31,059	10.4x
59	University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI · Public	35	$35,520	6.1x
60	Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN · Public	35	$33,788	9.7x
61	Texas State University San Marcos, TX · Public	35	$33,358	9.0x
62	Montana State University Bozeman, MT · Public	35	$30,220	12.1x
63	Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ · Public	34	$33,926	6.3x
64	Washington State University Pullman, WA · Public	34	$31,911	8.1x
65	Clemson University Clemson, SC · Public	34	$28,942	7.9x
66	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL · Public	33	$30,187	7.3x
67	University of New Hampshire-Main Campus Durham, NH · Public	32	$33,213	3.3x
68	University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI · Public	32	$31,285	5.4x
69	New Mexico State University-Main Campus Las Cruces, NM · Public	32	$28,475	11.6x
70	Delaware Valley University Doylestown, PA · Private nonprofit	31	$38,378	2.0x
71	University of Vermont Burlington, VT · Public	31	$34,467	4.7x
72	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL · Public	31	$30,706	7.4x
73	Sul Ross State University Alpine, TX · Public	31	$28,002	8.2x
74	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN · Public	31	$26,515	8.4x
75	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA · Public	30	$28,729	7.0x
76	The University of Findlay Findlay, OH · Private nonprofit	28	$34,595	2.1x
77	Texas A & M University-Commerce Commerce, TX · Public	28	$27,101	5.8x
78	University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez Mayaguez, PR · Public	28	$14,123	14.8x
79	Cornell University Ithaca, NY · Private nonprofit	26	$36,204	1.0x
80	Louisiana Tech University Ruston, LA · Public	25	$21,958	4.4x
81	Tuskegee University Tuskegee, AL · Private nonprofit	23	$24,211	4.1x

Explore our Animal Sciences rankings across 81 schools nationwide →

Highest Earnings Top 5

University of Wisconsin-Platteville WI	$44,956
South Dakota State University SD	$44,844
University of Wisconsin-Madison WI	$44,354
Mississippi State University MS	$41,464
Michigan State University MI	$41,292

Best ROI Top 5

Brigham Young University-Idaho ID	23.3x
California State University-Fresno CA	20.0x
University of Florida FL	19.2x
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona CA	17.8x
Mississippi State University MS	17.2x

Related majors

Similar fields of study often offered alongside Animal Sciences.

Agricultural Business Plant Sciences Food Science and Technology Agriculture Agricultural Production Operations Agricultural Mechanization Agricultural Public Services Horticulture Veterinary Technology Soil Sciences Pre-Veterinary Studies Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Animal Sciences offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Animal Sciences trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →

FAQ

Frequently asked about Animal Sciences

What do Animal Sciences graduates make in their first year?

First-year earnings for Animal Sciences graduates average $33,901 annually, based on data from 81 programs. The range spans $14,123 at the low end to $44,956 at the top.

Will AI affect Animal Sciences careers?

Our analysis classifies Animal Sciences as "High" for AI risk — approximately 44% of typical job tasks overlap with current AI capabilities. That puts some of the daily work in the automation-sensitive category.

Which school has the best Animal Sciences program?

Mississippi State University leads all 81 programs with a DegreeOutlook Score of 57/100. Graduates earn $41,464/yr — the ranking weighs earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size equally.

What's the ROI on a Animal Sciences degree?

The average 10-year earnings multiple is 10.5x tuition. This is a strong return on investment. The spread between the best and worst programs is wide, so individual school selection has a major impact.