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Agriculture · Agricultural Business Rank #10 of 77

Agricultural Businessat Cornell University

Graduates earn $92,163/yr in their first year — about 92.0% above the national Agricultural Business average. Base-case 10-year earnings $830K; scenarios range from $721K to $869K depending on AI disruption.

Ithaca, NY Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
70 STRONG
71
Optimistic
66
Pessimistic
Earnings
$92,163
1-year post-graduation
ROI
3.9x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$830K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
50% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Cornell University

Don’t let the "Agricultural" title fool you; this is fundamentally a world-class business and applied economics degree. Cornell’s unique status as both an Ivy League institution and a land-grant university gives you access to two distinct worlds. You'll have Wall Street firms and major food conglomerates like Cargill and PepsiCo recruiting on campus for roles in commodity trading, supply chain management, and sustainable finance. At the same time, the program is deeply connected to New York's rich agricultural economy, providing a real-world laboratory for food tech and policy. While AI may automate routine analysis, your ability to blend quantitative rigor with deep industry knowledge will be the valuable skill. Your key action: from day one, use Cornell's vast alumni network to explore careers in both traditional agribusiness and the high-finance sectors that power the global food system.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$721K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score66/100
Earnings Multiple2.7x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$830K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score70/100
Earnings Multiple3.1x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$869K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score71/100
Earnings Multiple3.3x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Cornell University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Agricultural Business graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Economics teachers, postsecondary
+2.1% 10-yr growth · 1,200 openings/yr
$119,980/yr
Moderate
2
Economists
+1.2% 10-yr growth · 900 openings/yr
$115,440/yr
High
3
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
-1.3% 10-yr growth · 85,500 openings/yr
$87,980/yr
Moderate
4
Agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary
+4.1% 10-yr growth · 800 openings/yr
$86,350/yr
High
5
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
+0.3% 10-yr growth · 114,800 openings/yr
$66,780/yr
High
6
First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
-0.3% 10-yr growth · 144,500 openings/yr
$66,140/yr
Moderate
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Agricultural Business

How Cornell University stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
University of Nebraska at Kearney
NE · Public
71
DW Score
$61K
1-yr earn
17.9x
ROI
North Dakota State University-Main Campus
ND · Public
71
DW Score
$60K
1-yr earn
15.3x
ROI
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
IL · Public
71
DW Score
$56K
1-yr earn
12.8x
ROI
University of Arkansas
AR · Public
70
DW Score
$55K
1-yr earn
16.2x
ROI
University of Maryland-College Park
MD · Public
72
DW Score
$53K
1-yr earn
17.0x
ROI
Also at Cornell University

Other top programs at Cornell University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Cornell University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

Consider the trade route

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

Compare Agricultural Business trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Agricultural Business at Cornell University

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Agricultural Business at Cornell University?

This program scores 70/100 — placing it among the stronger programs for Agricultural Business nationally. The score reflects above-average earnings, manageable AI risk, and solid financial return.

Will AI replace Agricultural Business careers?

With 48% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $721,411 in decade earnings vs $868,860 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.

What makes Cornell University's Agricultural Business program stand out?

Ranked #10 of 77 programs nationally, Cornell University lands in the top 25%. The ranking reflects a combination of graduate earnings, return on investment, and job market alignment.

Is Cornell University a hidden gem for Agricultural Business?

After financial aid, the average student pays $129,348 over four years — 51% below the $264,056 sticker price. That gap makes the ROI significantly better than published tuition suggests.