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Agriculture · Plant Sciences Rank #22 of 50

Plant Sciencesat Mississippi State University

Graduates earn $45,994/yr in their first year — about 8.0% above the national Plant Sciences average. Base-case 10-year earnings $485K; scenarios range from $456K to $484K depending on AI disruption.

Mississippi State, MS Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
48 AVERAGE
49
Optimistic
42
Pessimistic
Earnings
$45,994
1-year post-graduation
ROI
11.0x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$485K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
46% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Mississippi State University

Graduates earn $45,994/yr, edging above the $42,710 national average for Plant Sciences — a modest premium that suggests solid regional demand.

The 12.3x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 45% task exposure — and the 6% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

At $19,500 in median debt against $45,994 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.

Ranked #22 out of 50 programs, Mississippi State University's Plant Sciences offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.

Earnings growth is modest: $45,994 to $47,207 over five years (3% gain). This field may have a lower salary ceiling than high-growth professions.

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
$456K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score42/100
Earnings Multiple11.6x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$485K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score48/100
Earnings Multiple12.3x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$484K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score49/100
Earnings Multiple12.3x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

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

Career Paths

Where Plant Sciences 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
Forestry and conservation science teachers, postsecondary
+4.0% 10-yr growth · 100 openings/yr
$100,830/yr
Moderate
2
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
-1.3% 10-yr growth · 85,500 openings/yr
$87,980/yr
Moderate
3
Agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary
+4.1% 10-yr growth · 800 openings/yr
$86,350/yr
High
4
Animal scientists
+5.8% 10-yr growth · 200 openings/yr
$79,120/yr
High
5
Soil and plant scientists
+5.4% 10-yr growth · 1,700 openings/yr
$71,410/yr
Moderate
6
Conservation scientists
+3.4% 10-yr growth · 2,500 openings/yr
$67,950/yr
High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Plant Sciences

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

Highest earnings
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
CA · Public
65
DW Score
$63K
1-yr earn
15.7x
ROI
Top score
California State University-Fresno
CA · Public
68
DW Score
$60K
1-yr earn
27.2x
ROI
South Dakota State University
SD · Public
63
DW Score
$59K
1-yr earn
17.1x
ROI
University of Minnesota-Crookston
MN · Public
57
DW Score
$58K
1-yr earn
10.9x
ROI
Kansas State University
KS · Public
57
DW Score
$50K
1-yr earn
13.1x
ROI
Also at Mississippi State University

Other top programs at Mississippi State University

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

Consider the trade route

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

Compare Plant Sciences trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Plant Sciences at Mississippi State University

How does Mississippi State University's Plant Sciences program score?

This program scores 48/100 — on the lower end for Plant Sciences. Prospective students should carefully weigh costs against likely earnings.

How vulnerable is Plant Sciences to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Plant Sciences careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 45% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.