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Agribusiness & Economics

Colleges offering this major Rankings Trends

What you'll do in college

These majors bring economics, business, and policy to the food and farming system. Coursework mixes agricultural economics, finance, marketing, and management with classes on rural sociology, policy, and international development. Expect to analyze commodity markets, study land-use decisions, and grapple with how subsidies, trade, and climate policy shape what ends up on the dinner table.

Land-grant universities are the natural home for these programs, and many students pair them with internships at cooperatives, agribusinesses, commodity traders, or USDA offices. Senior capstones often involve real farm business plans or policy analyses.

What you'll do after college

Graduates work as commodity analysts, farm managers, agricultural lenders, policy staffers, and extension agents. Roles span agribusinesses like Cargill and John Deere, cooperatives, government (USDA, state departments of agriculture), and nonprofits focused on food security and rural development.

Demand is steady because the food system is huge and every decision from seed to shelf has an economic dimension. Pay is moderate but cost of living in agricultural regions is often lower, and many grads eventually run family operations or start their own ventures.

Famous graduates

  • Earl Butz — Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture; B.S.A. in Agriculture from Purdue University

Selectivity vs. earnings

By acceptance rate

$62,195
751
100–85%
$66,383
1,797
85–65%
$74,518
1,745
65–48%
$70,777
780
47–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings

By SAT median

$60,009
675
400–1090
$66,598
1,538
1090–1270
$75,291
1,572
1280–1380
$76,203
678
1380–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings

Earnings vs. selectivity rank

$55,142p10 $74,156p90 Work College Liberal Arts Public University Religious University Private University Public University 1–15 Private University 1–30 College of the Ozarks · $53,485 Florida Southern College · $59,841 Tabor College · $63,160 Dordt University · $66,932 Chatham University · $65,854 Buena Vista University · $62,552 Missouri Valley College · $61,858 Graceland University - Lamoni · $64,676 Illinois College · $62,128 Doane University · $62,963 Huntington University · $53,951 Greenville University · $50,884 Wilmington College · $58,098 Culver-Stockton College · $60,069 Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University · $52,274 Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo · $81,864 Alcorn State University · $65,524 Cal Poly - Pomona · $59,855 Clemson University · $76,017 University of Maryland, College Park · $77,616 University of California, Davis · $62,956 Auburn University · $66,989 University of Minnesota - Crookston · $57,546 University of Tennessee, Knoxville · $59,621 Ohio State University · $66,880 Texas A&M University - College Station · $76,410 Fort Valley State University · $52,608 University of Connecticut · $60,241 Virginia Tech · $75,047 Pennsylvania State University · $79,918 New Mexico State University · $46,849 Tarleton State University · $57,197 Northwestern Oklahoma State University · $48,776 Minnesota State University, Mankato · $64,704 Arkansas State University · $68,316 Southern Arkansas University · $62,840 University of Central Missouri · $56,682 Fresno State · $64,957 SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry · $62,386 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities · $81,217 University of Alaska - Fairbanks · $57,996 Oklahoma State University · $59,557 Texas Tech University · $80,070 Texas State University · $58,510 University of Louisiana at Monroe · $67,560 Louisiana State University · $66,587 Louisiana Tech University · $60,930 Missouri State University - Springfield · $56,741 Northwest Missouri State University · $65,698 Southern Illinois University - Carbondale · $65,147 Texas A&M University - Kingsville · $58,921 University of Delaware · $72,550 University of Nebraska at Kearney · $69,692 Oregon State University · $68,739 University of Arkansas · $72,397 University of Idaho · $58,579 University of Tennessee, Martin · $58,873 Washington State University · $64,007 University of Missouri · $68,377 Angelo State University · $58,480 Chico State · $63,457 Middle Tennessee State University · $55,750 Southeast Missouri State University · $70,631 Cal State Bakersfield · $57,927 University of Nebraska, Lincoln · $66,547 California State University, Monterey Bay · $56,826 Colorado State University - Fort Collins · $61,790 University of Maryland Eastern Shore · $56,342 Michigan State University · $72,292 Mississippi State University · $66,272 Arkansas Tech University · $56,268 Fort Hays State University · $55,142 Iowa State University · $72,671 South Dakota State University · $66,298 University of Arizona · $71,452 West Virginia University · $63,538 University of Wisconsin - River Falls · $52,920 South Carolina State University · $43,118 University of Wisconsin - Platteville · $68,550 University of Kentucky · $56,328 Southwest Minnesota State University · $56,042 North Dakota State University · $76,335 Kansas State University · $67,746 University of Wyoming · $59,345 Sam Houston State University · $74,151 West Texas A&M University · $56,024 Eastern Oregon University · $59,729 Montana State University · $54,161 Mayville State University · $64,803 Montana State University - Northern · $60,274 University of Arkansas at Monticello · $57,145 Corban University · $55,706 Texas Christian University · $69,146 Midland University · $61,016 Abilene Christian University · $60,443 Midway University · $57,048 University of Mount Olive · $58,171 Lubbock Christian University · $60,156 Brigham Young University - Idaho · $69,491 Tuskegee University · $59,756 Lake Erie College · $62,659 Delaware Valley University · $51,933 University of Florida · $59,484 University of Georgia · $72,489 Purdue University · $74,156 North Carolina State University · $66,986 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · $88,357 University of Wisconsin - Madison · $77,198 Cornell University · $70,425 Work College: mean $53,485 Liberal Arts: mean $60,997 Public University: mean $63,566 Religious University: mean $61,397 Private University: mean $58,116 Public University 1–15: mean $73,112 Private University 1–30: mean $70,425 All colleges: p10 $55,142 All colleges: p90 $74,156
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees ▼ Male/Female Intl Earnings Employment
Agribusiness & Economics 120 5,103 57% / 43% 2% $65,399 96%
Agribusiness 36 1,317 56% / 44% 1% $61,741 95%
Agricultural Business and Management 39 832 54% / 46% 3% $63,827 94%
Agricultural Economics 21 701 64% / 36% 2% $68,234 96%
Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations 15 486 56% / 44% 1% $60,685 95%
Agricultural Business 10 270 53% / 47% 1% $63,226 98%
Agribusiness Management 3 222 71% / 29% 3% $71,347 96%
Agricultural Education 17 213 18% / 82% 0% $56,324 96%
Agricultural and Consumer Economics 1 213 75% / 25% 4% $91,044 96%
Agricultural and Extension Education Services 5 103 37% / 63% 0% $63,683 96%
Agricultural and Applied Economics 3 99 58% / 42% 2% $78,285 97%
Farm and Ranch Management 1 94 60% / 40% 0% $74,816 97%
Food and Resource Economics 1 76 75% / 25% 7% $63,322 93%
Agricultural Public Services 2 61 49% / 51% 0% $53,890 97%
Agricultural Systems Technology 3 55 89% / 11% 0% $74,912 96%
Agricultural Business and Economics 1 47 70% / 30% 0% $66,989 96%
Agricultural Leadership and Development 1 44 75% / 25% 0% $76,410 94%
Agribusiness and Applied Economics 1 43 65% / 35% 2% $71,369 97%
Sustainable Agribusiness 1 43 60% / 40% 2% $56,826
Agricultural Systems Management 2 37 76% / 24% 0% $75,287 100%
Agricultural Business Management 1 18 50% / 50% 0% $77,198 95%
Agricultural Education, Leadership, and Communications 1 18 28% / 72% 0% $56,407 96%
Agriculture and Natural Resources 1 18 67% / 33% 0% $60,241 94%
International Agricultural Development 1 15 33% / 67% 13% $62,078 93%
Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership 1 13 38% / 62% 0% $52,032 97%
International Agriculture 4 12 33% / 67% 17% $61,730 92%
Farm/Farm and Ranch Management 3 10 40% / 60% 0% $58,410 91%
Farm Management 1 10 80% / 20% 0% $75,120 95%
Sustainability Management 1 9 33% / 67% 0% $62,386
Agricultural Production 1 7 29% / 71% 0% $63,817 100%
Agricultural and Extension Education 2 6 33% / 67% 0% $69,448
Agricultural Business Technology 1 5 80% / 20% 0% $69,491 90%
Rural Development 1 3 0% / 100% 0% $57,996
Ranch Management 1 2 100% / 0% 0% $69,146
Agricultural Retailing 2 1 0% / 100% 0% $60,304 100%