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Best Agricultural Business Schools by Graduate Salary & ROI (2026)

77 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score · Updated 2026

These are the top schools offering Agricultural Business, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Agricultural Business graduate earns $48,076/yr across 77 schools.

What do Agricultural Business graduates do? See career paths and salaries →

Why Cal Poly's "Learn by Doing" Mantra Dominates Agribusiness

Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo's #1 rank is no surprise; it’s a direct result of its "learn by doing" philosophy in the heart of California's agricultural hub. The university's 9,000-acre campus functions as a real-world laboratory, giving students hands-on management experience that regional ag-tech and food production giants crave. This practical training creates a direct career pipeline, explaining why its graduates earn a solid $52,778/yr and the program delivers a strong 20.0x return on investment.

The Real Story Isn't Cornell's Paycheck, It's BYU-Idaho's ROI

The most surprising result is Brigham Young University-Idaho at #3, outperforming famous flagships. The story here is pure value. With a stunning 35.6x ROI, BYU-Idaho leverages its rock-bottom tuition ($18,624) and location in a key agricultural region to launch graduates into well-paying jobs ($49,942/yr) with minimal debt. It proves that an elite financial outcome in this field doesn't require an Ivy League price tag or a big-name public university.

The Land-Grant Legacy: Why Public Universities Own This Field

The dominance of public schools—18 of the top 20—is rooted in history. Many of these institutions, like the University of Illinois (#5) and Purdue (#12), are land-grant universities founded specifically to teach agriculture. This legacy provides them with unmatched infrastructure, from vast research farms to deep-rooted industry partnerships. For students, this translates into more hands-on opportunities and a powerful, state-supported pipeline directly into regional agribusiness careers.

AI Won't Take Your Job, But It Will Change It

A 50% AI risk score means the job is evolving, not disappearing. For agribusiness graduates, AI is automating routine office work like scheduling sales calls and generating leads. This makes uniquely human skills more valuable: negotiating complex contracts, managing farm crews, and making high-stakes strategic decisions on the ground. Your degree is becoming less about administrative support and more about high-touch management, making hands-on supervisory experience a more resilient and valuable career path.

Programs Ranked

Avg Earnings

$48,076/yr

Avg DW Score

62/100

AI Risk

High

50% task exposure

All Agricultural Business Programs Ranked

Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.

#	School	DW Score	Earnings	ROI
1	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA · Public	75 67–75	$52,778/yr	20.0x
2	California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA · Public	72 64–72	$50,100/yr	24.0x
3	Brigham Young University-Idaho Rexburg, ID · Private nonprofit	72 65–73	$49,942/yr	35.6x
4	University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD · Public	72 65–73	$53,081/yr	17.0x
5	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL · Public	71 64–71	$55,934/yr	12.8x
6	University of Nebraska at Kearney Kearney, NE · Public	71 64–72	$61,152/yr	17.9x
7	North Dakota State University-Main Campus Fargo, ND · Public	71 64–72	$59,953/yr	15.3x
8	University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR · Public	70 63–70	$54,783/yr	16.2x
9	University of Florida Gainesville, FL · Public	70 63–71	$49,371/yr	23.9x
10	Cornell University Ithaca, NY · Private nonprofit	70 66–71	$92,163/yr	3.9x
11	Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX · Public	70 63–71	$50,509/yr	15.7x
12	Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN · Public	70 63–71	$52,804/yr	16.8x
13	California State University-Chico Chico, CA · Public	69 62–70	$47,937/yr	20.1x
14	Iowa State University Ames, IA · Public	69 62–70	$53,967/yr	15.4x
15	Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX · Public	69 62–70	$47,907/yr	18.0x
16	University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI · Public	69 62–70	$49,868/yr	15.7x
17	University of Georgia Athens, GA · Public	68 61–69	$49,611/yr	15.1x
18	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN · Public	68 61–69	$53,160/yr	11.4x
19	South Dakota State University Brookings, SD · Public	68 60–68	$51,222/yr	15.9x
20	Oregon State University-Cascades Campus Bend, OR · Public	68 61–68	$52,031/yr	13.2x
21	University of Arizona Tucson, AZ · Public	67 59–67	$48,800/yr	12.7x
22	Michigan State University East Lansing, MI · Public	67 60–68	$57,023/yr	10.6x
23	University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO · Public	67 60–67	$58,335/yr	11.2x
24	North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC · Public	67 60–68	$46,849/yr	17.4x
25	Oregon State University Corvallis, OR · Public	67 60–68	$52,031/yr	12.3x
26	Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX · Public	67 60–68	$50,509/yr	12.8x
27	Utah State University Logan, UT · Public	67 59–68	$45,583/yr	17.0x
28	University of Idaho Moscow, ID · Public	66 59–67	$48,338/yr	16.2x
29	Kansas State University Manhattan, KS · Public	66 59–66	$53,751/yr	12.9x
30	University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE · Public	66 59–67	$53,229/yr	13.9x
31	Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH · Public	66 58–66	$50,565/yr	12.2x
32	Arkansas State University Jonesboro, AR · Public	65 57–65	$43,804/yr	18.0x
33	Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, MO · Public	65 58–66	$48,302/yr	14.2x
34	Southeast Missouri State University Cape Girardeau, MO · Public	65 58–66	$44,418/yr	16.0x
35	Clemson University Clemson, SC · Public	65 58–66	$49,714/yr	10.7x
36	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA · Public	65 57–65	$48,557/yr	10.9x
37	Auburn University Auburn, AL · Public	64 57–64	$50,936/yr	11.5x
38	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA · Public	64 56–65	$38,272/yr	21.1x
39	Fort Hays State University Hays, KS · Public	64 56–64	$47,012/yr	21.0x
40	Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS · Public	64 57–65	$45,821/yr	14.6x
41	Montana State University Bozeman, MT · Public	64 57–65	$50,876/yr	15.5x
42	West Texas A & M University Canyon, TX · Public	64 57–65	$52,749/yr	14.0x
43	Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO · Public	63 56–64	$51,292/yr	11.1x
44	Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Tifton, GA · Public	63 56–64	$47,519/yr	36.2x
45	Alcorn State University Alcorn State, MS · Public	63 55–64	$44,330/yr	15.7x
46	Tarleton State University Stephenville, TX · Public	63 56–64	$45,097/yr	16.7x
47	University of Wisconsin-River Falls River Falls, WI · Public	63 56–64	$53,911/yr	14.0x
48	Southwest Minnesota State University Marshall, MN · Public	62 55–63	$49,521/yr	12.4x
49	Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN · Public	62 54–62	$50,013/yr	12.9x
50	University of Wisconsin-Platteville Platteville, WI · Public	62 55–63	$54,473/yr	15.4x
51	Oklahoma State University-Main Campus Stillwater, OK · Public	60 52–61	$45,095/yr	12.4x
52	West Virginia University Morgantown, WV · Public	60 52–60	$37,779/yr	14.8x
53	Arkansas Tech University Russellville, AR · Public	59 51–60	$44,810/yr	13.8x
54	University of Kentucky Lexington, KY · Public	59 51–59	$41,508/yr	10.7x
55	Missouri State University-Springfield Springfield, MO · Public	59 51–60	$43,585/yr	13.5x
56	University of Wyoming Laramie, WY · Public	59 52–60	$35,431/yr	19.4x
57	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL · Public	58 50–58	$40,194/yr	10.6x
58	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, CT · Public	58 50–58	$45,435/yr	7.9x
59	University of Connecticut-Avery Point Groton, CT · Public	58 50–58	$45,435/yr	7.9x
60	University of Connecticut-Stamford Stamford, CT · Public	58 50–58	$45,435/yr	7.9x
61	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus Hartford, CT · Public	58 50–58	$45,435/yr	7.9x
62	University of Connecticut Storrs, CT · Public	56 49–57	$45,435/yr	6.6x
63	University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MO · Public	56 49–57	$38,998/yr	12.8x
64	Texas State University San Marcos, TX · Public	56 48–56	$37,574/yr	11.5x
65	University of Louisiana at Monroe Monroe, LA · Public	55 47–55	$43,834/yr	10.9x
66	University of Delaware Newark, DE · Public	54 46–54	$49,885/yr	6.8x
67	University of Arkansas at Monticello Monticello, AR · Public	53 46–54	$36,543/yr	13.0x
68	University of Minnesota-Crookston Crookston, MN · Public	53 46–54	$46,845/yr	7.9x
69	Southern Arkansas University Main Campus Magnolia, AR · Public	52 44–53	$41,325/yr	9.5x
70	New Mexico State University-Main Campus Las Cruces, NM · Public	52 45–53	$41,268/yr	12.0x
71	Dordt University Sioux Center, IA · Private nonprofit	49 42–50	$49,230/yr	2.4x
72	College of the Ozarks Point Lookout, MO · Private nonprofit	48 40–48	$41,729/yr	4.8x
73	Delaware Valley University Doylestown, PA · Private nonprofit	48 40–48	$47,802/yr	1.8x
74	Wilmington College Wilmington, OH · Private nonprofit	47 40–48	$41,957/yr	3.4x
75	The University of Tennessee-Martin Martin, TN · Public	47 40–48	$36,242/yr	7.9x
76	University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Pine Bluff, AR · Public	44 37–44	$31,868/yr	7.8x
77	SUNY Morrisville Morrisville, NY · Public	43 37–44	$31,268/yr	7.9x

Scores calculated using College Scorecard, BLS, and AI task-exposure data. See full methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Agricultural Business?

Based on our DegreeOutlook Score, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ranks #1 for Agricultural Business with a score of 75/100 and graduate earnings of $52,778/yr.

How much do Agricultural Business graduates earn?

Across 77 schools, Agricultural Business graduates earn an average of $48,076/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $92,163/yr.

Is Agricultural Business a good major for AI resistance?

Agricultural Business has an average AI task exposure of 50%, rated "High". This field has moderate AI exposure — some career paths are more resilient than others.