Plant Sciencesat University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Graduates earn $45,411/yr in their first year — about 6.0% above the national Plant Sciences average. Base-case 10-year earnings $594K; scenarios range from $540K to $605K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at UIUC
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Plant Sciences graduates start at $45,411/yr — above the $42,710 national average, though not by a wide margin.
A 9.3x earnings multiple over ten years puts this program in solid financial territory. Tuition is well-justified by projected earnings.
The 11% difference between AI scenarios reflects partial automation exposure. Some Plant Sciences career paths face displacement, but others in the field are more insulated.
Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $15,750 in median debt clears quickly against $45,411 in annual earnings.
A #15 ranking among 50 Plant Sciences programs places University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the middle-to-upper range. Solid, not exceptional.
A 48% earnings increase from $45,411 to $67,313 over five years is solid — not a moonshot, but evidence of normal career advancement.
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.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to UIUC's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
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.
Peer schools offering Plant Sciences
How UIUC stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at UIUC
Other highest-scoring programs offered at UIUC, 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 →Frequently asked about Plant Sciences at UIUC
What does a 53/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Plant Sciences at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
At 53/100, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Plant Sciences program delivers middling returns. School cost and personal fit become important decision factors.
Should I worry about AI if I study Plant Sciences at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
The 45% AI task exposure score is above average. Our model shows this affecting job availability more than salaries — graduates may face stiffer competition for fewer positions.