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Agriculture · Agricultural Business Rank #12 of 77

Agricultural Businessat Purdue University-Main Campus

Graduates earn $52,804/yr in their first year — about 10.0% above the national Agricultural Business average. Base-case 10-year earnings $589K; scenarios range from $535K to $600K depending on AI disruption.

West Lafayette, IN Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
70 STRONG
71
Optimistic
63
Pessimistic
Earnings
$52,804
1-year post-graduation
ROI
16.8x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$589K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
50% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Purdue University

At $52,804 per year, Agricultural Business graduates from Purdue University-Main Campus earn slightly above the $48,075 national median. The premium is real but not dramatic.

The 14.7x 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 — 48% task exposure — and the 11% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

The median debt load of $15,753 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.

Ranked #12 out of 77 programs, Purdue University-Main Campus's Agricultural Business program lands in the top 5% — a strong signal of graduate success.

The five-year earnings trajectory from $52,804 to $71,087 shows 35% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.

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
$535K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score63/100
Earnings Multiple13.4x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$589K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score70/100
Earnings Multiple14.7x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$600K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score71/100
Earnings Multiple15.0x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Purdue 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 Purdue University stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Cornell University
NY · Private nonprofit
70
DW Score
$92K
1-yr earn
3.9x
ROI
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
Also at Purdue University

Other top programs at Purdue University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Purdue 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 Purdue University

How does Purdue University-Main Campus's Agricultural Business program score?

A score of 70/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. Purdue University-Main Campus's Agricultural Business graduates fare well on earnings, job market size, and return on investment.

How vulnerable is Agricultural Business to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Agricultural Business careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 48% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.

Why does Purdue University-Main Campus rank so high for Agricultural Business?

The #12 ranking out of 77 programs is driven by strong financial outcomes — graduates earn well, debt is manageable relative to income, and the job market supports the field.