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Engineering · Agricultural Engineering Rank #17 of 21

Agricultural Engineeringat Kansas State University

Graduates earn $64,644/yr in their first year — about 1.0% below the national Agricultural Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $662K; scenarios range from $596K to $675K depending on AI disruption.

Manhattan, KS Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
55 SOLID
56
Optimistic
53
Pessimistic
Earnings
$64,644
1-year post-graduation
ROI
13.8x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$662K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
51% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Kansas State University

First-year earnings of $64,644 track close to the $64,972 national median for Agricultural Engineering programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.

Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 15.1x in decade earnings — an exceptional ratio that places this among the highest-ROI Agricultural Engineering programs nationally.

Some AI exposure exists in Agricultural Engineering's typical career paths, with 45% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 12% gap from the optimistic case.

At $18,757 in median debt against $64,644 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.

Ranked #17 of 21 Agricultural Engineering programs, Kansas State University falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.

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
$596K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score53/100
Earnings Multiple13.6x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$662K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score55/100
Earnings Multiple15.1x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$675K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score56/100
Earnings Multiple15.4x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

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

Career Paths

Where Agricultural Engineering 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
Architectural and engineering managers
+3.8% 10-yr growth · 14,500 openings/yr
$167,740/yr
Moderate
2
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
+8.1% 10-yr growth · 4,100 openings/yr
$106,120/yr
High
3
Agricultural engineers
+5.9% 10-yr growth · 100 openings/yr
$84,630/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 Engineering

How Kansas State University stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
VA · Public
65
DW Score
$75K
1-yr earn
12.0x
ROI
Texas A & M University-College Station
TX · Public
67
DW Score
$75K
1-yr earn
14.5x
ROI
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
CA · Public
70
DW Score
$73K
1-yr earn
19.3x
ROI
Iowa State University
IA · Public
68
DW Score
$72K
1-yr earn
17.5x
ROI
Purdue University-Main Campus
IN · Public
70
DW Score
$72K
1-yr earn
20.4x
ROI
Also at Kansas State University

Other top programs at Kansas State University

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

FAQ

Frequently asked about Agricultural Engineering at Kansas State University

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Agricultural Engineering at Kansas State University?

This program scores 55/100 — a respectable number in isolation, but it ranks in the bottom half of Agricultural Engineering programs nationally. The field is competitive, and stronger options exist.

Will AI replace Agricultural Engineering careers?

With 45% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $596,143 in decade earnings vs $674,695 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.