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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

$58,044
725
100–85%
$62,852
1,764
85–65%
$70,598
1,781
65–48%
$70,358
758
47–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings

By SAT median

$55,084
688
400–1090
$61,621
1,459
1090–1240
$70,019
1,458
1240–1370
$75,539
667
1380–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings

Earnings vs. selectivity rank

$51,617p10 $72,825p90 Work College Liberal Arts Public University Religious University Private University Public University 1–25 Private University 1–20 College of the Ozarks · $49,556 Florida Southern College · $58,594 Tabor College · $59,302 Dordt University · $60,928 Chatham University · $65,447 Buena Vista University · $57,204 Missouri Valley College · $56,731 Graceland University - Lamoni · $59,580 Illinois College · $58,120 Doane University · $56,169 Huntington University · $52,424 Greenville University · $48,644 Wilmington College · $54,845 Culver-Stockton College · $55,536 Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo · $89,784 Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University · $50,761 Alcorn State University · $57,006 Cal Poly - Pomona · $65,673 Clemson University · $72,980 University of California, Davis · $67,894 University of Minnesota - Crookston · $52,621 Fort Valley State University · $47,157 University of Connecticut · $62,175 Pennsylvania State University · $76,551 New Mexico State University · $42,214 Tarleton State University · $55,624 Northwestern Oklahoma State University · $45,604 Mississippi State University · $58,571 Minnesota State University, Mankato · $62,912 Arkansas State University · $59,051 Southern Arkansas University · $54,671 University of Central Missouri · $53,716 Fresno State · $69,880 SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry · $57,872 University of Alaska - Fairbanks · $54,047 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities · $81,821 Louisiana Tech University · $55,362 Oklahoma State University · $54,798 Texas Tech University · $75,856 Texas State University · $57,287 University of Louisiana at Monroe · $63,559 Louisiana State University · $62,992 Missouri State University - Springfield · $52,218 Northwest Missouri State University · $61,777 Southern Illinois University - Carbondale · $61,223 Texas A&M University - Kingsville · $56,405 University of Delaware · $73,114 University of Nebraska at Kearney · $62,723 Oregon State University · $71,577 University of Arkansas · $63,273 University of Idaho · $57,853 University of Tennessee, Martin · $52,551 Washington State University · $64,299 University of Missouri · $64,187 Angelo State University · $55,606 Chico State · $67,962 Middle Tennessee State University · $52,778 Southeast Missouri State University · $64,541 Cal State Bakersfield · $61,769 University of Nebraska, Lincoln · $60,418 California State University, Monterey Bay · $62,319 Colorado State University - Fort Collins · $62,394 University of Maryland Eastern Shore · $55,952 Michigan State University · $72,042 Arkansas Tech University · $49,307 Eastern Oregon University · $58,708 Fort Hays State University · $49,628 Iowa State University · $65,690 South Dakota State University · $61,012 University of Arizona · $72,825 West Virginia University · $61,123 University of Wisconsin - River Falls · $51,617 South Carolina State University · $42,267 University of Wisconsin - Platteville · $64,738 University of Kentucky · $53,916 Southwest Minnesota State University · $55,668 North Dakota State University · $68,383 Pennsylvania State University - Abington · $67,624 Utah State University · $66,583 Kansas State University · $61,026 Sul Ross State University · $47,302 University of Wyoming · $56,534 Sam Houston State University · $69,969 West Texas A&M University · $54,781 Montana State University · $53,351 Mayville State University · $57,178 Montana State University - Northern · $56,373 University of Arkansas at Monticello · $49,716 Corban University · $56,357 Texas Christian University · $72,275 Midland University · $55,093 Abilene Christian University · $58,166 Midway University · $52,684 Grace College and Theological Seminary · $53,106 University of Mount Olive · $54,878 Lubbock Christian University · $56,674 Brigham Young University - Idaho · $68,191 Tuskegee University · $53,235 Lake Erie College · $57,002 Delaware Valley University · $52,282 University of Florida · $59,648 University of Georgia · $68,932 Purdue University · $69,494 University of Maryland, College Park · $82,616 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · $85,993 University of Wisconsin - Madison · $74,752 Texas A&M University - College Station · $72,348 Auburn University · $62,519 University of Tennessee, Knoxville · $54,942 Virginia Tech · $73,750 Ohio State University · $61,565 North Carolina State University · $64,470 Cornell University · $73,320 Work College: mean $49,556 Liberal Arts: mean $57,194 Public University: mean $60,280 Religious University: mean $58,603 Private University: mean $54,173 Public University 1–25: mean $69,252 Private University 1–20: mean $73,320 All colleges: p10 $51,617 All colleges: p90 $72,825
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees ▼ Male/Female Intl Earnings Employment
Agribusiness & Economics 116 5,028 59% / 41% 2% $62,618 95%
Agribusiness 34 1,156 55% / 45% 1% $58,039 95%
Agricultural Business and Management 36 881 61% / 39% 6% $60,938 94%
Agricultural Economics 20 698 67% / 33% 1% $64,274 96%
Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations 15 521 59% / 41% 1% $59,209 95%
Agricultural and Consumer Economics 1 264 72% / 28% 4% $88,101 96%
Agricultural Education 17 235 20% / 80% 1% $53,121 96%
Agricultural Business 10 221 53% / 47% 0% $60,357 98%
Agribusiness Management 3 196 70% / 30% 3% $70,088 96%
Agricultural and Extension Education Services 5 111 29% / 71% 1% $60,830 96%
Farm and Ranch Management 1 103 75% / 25% 2% $68,687 97%
Agricultural and Applied Economics 3 87 70% / 30% 1% $75,230 97%
Food and Resource Economics 1 83 73% / 27% 2% $63,554 93%
Agricultural Public Services 2 58 55% / 45% 0% $49,569 97%
Agricultural Systems Technology 3 50 92% / 8% 2% $70,448 96%
Agricultural Business and Economics 1 50 72% / 28% 0% $62,519 96%
International Agriculture 4 35 20% / 80% 0% $59,976 92%
Agricultural Leadership and Development 1 35 74% / 26% 0% $72,348 94%
Agricultural Systems Management 2 34 79% / 21% 0% $74,914 100%
Agribusiness and Applied Economics 1 34 56% / 44% 0% $68,055 97%
Agriculture and Natural Resources 1 32 69% / 31% 3% $62,175 94%
Sustainable Agribusiness 1 32 62% / 38% 0% $62,319
Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership 1 18 22% / 78% 0% $49,306 97%
Agricultural Business Management 1 15 53% / 47% 7% $74,752 95%
Agricultural Education, Leadership, and Communications 1 11 36% / 64% 0% $49,074 96%
Agricultural and Extension Education 2 10 30% / 70% 0% $67,045
Agricultural Production 1 10 50% / 50% 0% $60,519 100%
Farm Management 1 10 90% / 10% 0% $71,087 95%
International Agricultural Development 1 10 20% / 80% 20% $68,183 93%
Sustainability Management 1 7 71% / 29% 0% $57,872
Rural Development 1 6 33% / 67% 0% $54,047
Agricultural Retailing 2 4 25% / 75% 0% $56,662 100%
Farm/Farm and Ranch Management 2 4 25% / 75% 0% $55,176 91%
Ranch Management 1 4 75% / 25% 0% $72,275
Agricultural Business Technology 1 3 100% / 0% 0% $68,191 90%