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Plant & Agricultural Systems

Colleges offering this major Rankings Trends

What you'll do in college

These majors study the crops and the ground they grow in. Coursework covers plant biology, genetics, and breeding; soil chemistry and physics; agronomy, horticulture, and integrated pest management; and increasingly precision agriculture and climate-smart farming. Expect a mix of greenhouse, field, and lab work, often on university-owned research farms.

Students can specialize in turf management, viticulture, sustainable agriculture, or crop genetics. Summer jobs and internships at seed companies, research stations, and cooperative extension services are standard, and senior projects often involve running actual field trials.

What you'll do after college

Graduates become agronomists, crop consultants, plant breeders, extension agents, and researchers at seed and chemical companies like Corteva, Bayer, and Syngenta. Others go into vineyard management, golf course and sports turf management, or sustainable agriculture nonprofits.

Demand is strong as agriculture adapts to climate change and precision technology reshapes how fields are managed. Pay is moderate; advancement often means specializing (e.g., becoming a certified crop adviser) or going to graduate school for plant breeding or soil science research.

Famous graduates

  • Norman Borlaug — Nobel Peace Prize winner and father of the Green Revolution; Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from University of Minnesota
  • Luther Burbank — Pioneering American botanist and horticulturist who developed over 800 plant varieties

Selectivity vs. earnings

By acceptance rate

$55,568
907
100–85%
$54,029
2,079
85–72%
$55,518
2,143
72–42%
$58,033
915
42–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings

By SAT median

$48,308
704
400–1060
$54,008
1,665
1060–1200
$57,199
1,700
1200–1360
$54,998
677
1360–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings

Earnings vs. selectivity rank

$43,564p10 $63,734p90 Arts Work College Liberal Arts Public University Religious University Private University Public University 1–25 Private University 1–20 Johnson & Wales University - Providence · $44,486 College of the Ozarks · $43,564 Berea College · $41,799 Warren Wilson College · $41,891 Pitzer College · $53,073 University of the South · $61,091 Dordt University · $53,800 Buena Vista University · $51,340 Ferrum College · $47,351 Huntington University · $45,953 Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo · $72,090 Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University · $42,263 Eastern New Mexico University · $45,825 Alabama A&M University · $45,433 Alcorn State University · $54,768 Cal Poly - Pomona · $51,269 Clemson University · $49,276 Delaware State University · $47,478 North Carolina A&T State University · $46,050 Southern University and A&M College · $44,667 University of California, Davis · $65,282 University of Minnesota - Crookston · $61,815 Fort Valley State University · $40,252 University of Connecticut · $55,245 Pennsylvania State University · $56,961 New Mexico State University · $39,983 Tarleton State University · $51,938 Central State University · $41,643 Illinois State University · $64,041 Mississippi State University · $55,736 University of Massachusetts - Amherst · $40,650 Truman State University · $47,343 Arkansas State University · $49,310 Fresno State · $78,715 Kentucky State University · $45,821 SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry · $56,511 University of Hawaii at Hilo · $43,214 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities · $53,428 Louisiana Tech University · $64,622 Austin Peay State University · $44,104 Oklahoma State University · $55,062 University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff · $43,070 McNeese State University · $52,104 Texas Tech University · $49,070 Tennessee State University · $43,651 Texas State University · $61,972 Louisiana State University · $55,938 Northern Michigan University · $51,833 Missouri State University - Springfield · $42,852 Morehead State University · $45,905 Murray State University · $45,641 Northwest Missouri State University · $60,272 Southern Illinois University - Carbondale · $52,686 Temple University · $35,013 Texas A&M University - Kingsville · $55,479 University of Delaware · $56,845 University of Texas Rio Grande Valley · $49,260 Western Illinois University · $58,204 Farmingdale State College · $53,011 University of California, Santa Cruz · $60,550 University of Vermont · $42,316 Michigan Technological University · $61,635 Oregon State University · $51,802 University of Arkansas · $46,326 University of Idaho · $57,736 University of Tennessee, Martin · $52,293 Washington State University · $64,379 University of Rhode Island · $48,759 Prairie View A&M University · $45,073 University of Missouri · $58,896 Angelo State University · $50,848 Chico State · $67,018 Eastern Kentucky University · $49,633 Middle Tennessee State University · $54,688 Northern Arizona University · $61,641 University of New Hampshire · $50,204 Southeast Missouri State University · $59,143 Tennessee Technological University · $57,554 University of Nebraska, Lincoln · $59,475 Cal Poly - Humboldt · $61,195 Colorado State University - Fort Collins · $48,471 University of Maryland Eastern Shore · $48,009 Michigan State University · $54,351 Stephen F. Austin State University · $53,302 Cal State Stanislaus · $63,376 Fort Hays State University · $47,873 Iowa State University · $56,284 South Dakota State University · $53,011 Southern Utah University · $57,314 University of Arizona · $58,588 University of Cincinnati · $51,827 University of Maine · $54,210 University of Nevada, Reno · $52,447 West Virginia University · $41,825 Western Kentucky University · $45,055 University of Wisconsin - River Falls · $53,357 University of Hawaii at Manoa · $45,777 University of Wisconsin - Platteville · $63,694 University of Kentucky · $55,433 University of Montana · $48,255 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point · $59,681 Southwest Minnesota State University · $52,108 North Dakota State University · $70,263 Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg · $59,627 Utah State University · $58,748 Kansas State University · $64,226 Sul Ross State University · $42,867 University of Wyoming · $53,191 Virginia State University · $47,802 Sam Houston State University · $64,068 West Texas A&M University · $55,483 Dickinson State University · $51,478 Montana State University · $46,106 Cameron University · $42,686 Chadron State College · $47,267 Langston University · $50,069 New Mexico Highlands University · $48,117 University of Arkansas at Monticello · $47,586 University of Maine at Presque Isle · $49,564 Brigham Young University · $62,334 Warner University · $55,300 Andrews University · $53,854 Concordia University - Nebraska · $49,845 Morningside University · $65,041 Loyola University Chicago · $56,277 Emmanuel University · $50,508 University of Mount Olive · $50,349 Brigham Young University - Idaho · $53,857 Delaware Valley University · $62,122 Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science · $54,245 Trine University · $53,188 University of California, Berkeley · $79,031 University of Florida · $47,655 University of Georgia · $63,734 Purdue University · $65,438 University of Maryland, College Park · $63,325 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · $66,287 Rutgers University - New Brunswick · $53,826 University of Wisconsin - Madison · $56,048 Texas A&M University - College Station · $61,489 Auburn University · $59,541 University of Tennessee, Knoxville · $52,749 Virginia Tech · $59,422 Ohio State University · $52,534 North Carolina State University · $62,285 Cornell University · $55,231 Arts: mean $44,486 Work College: mean $42,418 Liberal Arts: mean $52,101 Public University: mean $52,735 Religious University: mean $55,263 Private University: mean $56,518 Public University 1–25: mean $60,240 Private University 1–20: mean $55,231 All colleges: p10 $43,564 All colleges: p90 $63,734
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees ▼ Male/Female Intl Earnings Employment
Plant & Agricultural Systems 149 6,044 52% / 48% 1% $55,071 95%
Agriculture 70 1,846 41% / 59% 1% $52,806 94%
Forestry 27 710 70% / 30% 0% $59,565 97%
Horticultural Science 25 431 42% / 58% 3% $51,472 94%
Agronomy and Crop Science 24 425 56% / 44% 1% $54,761 95%
Plant Science 21 377 54% / 46% 1% $53,009 93%
Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture 17 203 42% / 58% 3% $51,950 96%
Soil Science 12 165 53% / 47% 0% $58,464 96%
Horticulture 10 153 43% / 57% 2% $54,765 94%
Agricultural Science 2 138 41% / 59% 0% $45,773 98%
Agricultural Mechanization 9 121 89% / 11% 0% $65,151 96%
Forest Sciences and Biology 5 117 69% / 31% 0% $60,094 94%
Plant and Wildlife Sciences 1 111 48% / 52% 1% $60,660 90%
Plant Protection and Integrated Pest Management 3 96 69% / 31% 1% $57,059 93%
Range, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management 1 68 51% / 49% 0% $46,915 90%
Forest Resources and Conservation 1 66 53% / 47% 2% $48,054 95%
Forest Biomaterials 1 64 62% / 38% 0% $71,695 97%
Range Science and Management 7 54 46% / 54% 0% $51,384 90%
Landscape Management 2 50 22% / 78% 4% $56,466 84%
Forest Management/Forest Resources Management 3 48 77% / 23% 0% $53,071 97%
Crop Science 1 48 50% / 50% 0% $74,094 96%
Plant Sciences 3 42 38% / 62% 14% $63,872 100%
Applied Horticulture/Horticulture Operations 3 39 69% / 31% 3% $54,019 92%
Agricultural Production Operations 4 38 74% / 26% 0% $55,787 100%
Crop and Soil Sciences 2 38 58% / 42% 0% $51,592 97%
Agronomy 3 37 81% / 19% 5% $59,690 92%
Plant Pathology 2 37 54% / 46% 0% $51,623 98%
Plant and Soil Science 1 34 35% / 65% 0% $53,379
Agricultural Operations 1 33 27% / 73% 3% $74,662 100%
Urban Forestry 3 30 50% / 50% 0% $54,905
Sustainable Plant and Soil Systems 1 24 58% / 42% 0% $55,374 95%
Soil Chemistry and Physics 2 21 38% / 62% 0% $58,515 97%
Crop and Weed Sciences 1 21 48% / 52% 0% $72,312 98%
Forest Management 4 20 75% / 25% 0% $59,651 93%
Agricultural Sciences 2 20 75% / 25% 0% $55,795 94%
Turfgrass Science 3 18 100% / 0% 0% $57,314 93%
Range and Wildlife Management 1 18 67% / 33% 0% $53,009
Landscape Contracting 1 17 88% / 12% 0% $55,006 100%
Plant and Environmental Soil Science 1 17 76% / 24% 0% $65,183 98%
Sustainable Agriculture 3 16 81% / 19% 0% $59,046 98%
Forest Resources Management 2 15 80% / 20% 0% $57,200 93%
Landscaping and Groundskeeping 2 15 93% / 7% 0% $62,718 96%
Agroecology 1 15 33% / 67% 0% $33,979 88%
Crop and Soil Science 1 15 60% / 40% 0% $53,355 90%
Rangeland Ecology and Watershed Management 1 14 50% / 50% 0% $53,411 96%
Sustainable Food and Farming Systems 1 14 21% / 79% 0% $62,456
Applied Horticulture/Horticultural Business Services 2 13 62% / 38% 0% $53,849 86%
Ornamental Horticulture 1 12 42% / 58% 0% $42,399 84%
Rangeland Resources Science 1 12 42% / 58% 0% $50,661 94%
Soil Sciences 3 10 50% / 50% 0% $55,158
Agricultural Processing 1 10 70% / 30% 10% $65,041 100%
Integrated Agriculture Technologies 1 10 30% / 70% 0% $48,514 96%
Urban Horticulture 1 10 30% / 70% 0% $44,486
Turf and Turfgrass Management 3 9 100% / 0% 0% $65,228 95%
Forest Biology 2 8 62% / 38% 0% $55,378 94%
Agronomy and Soils 1 6 83% / 17% 0% $57,885 94%
Computer Science + Crop Sciences 1 5 0% / 0% 0% $64,040
Rangeland Ecology and Management 1 5 100% / 0% 0% $65,183 98%
Forest Operations 1 4 50% / 50% 0% $60,170 100%
Turfgrass Science and Management 1 4 100% / 0% 0% $56,726 93%
Agricultural and Horticultural Plant Breeding 1 3 67% / 33% 0% $68,920 100%
Crop Production 1 3 33% / 67% 0% $56,457
Golf Course Operation and Grounds Management 1 3 67% / 33% 0% $53,188
Integrated Science (Agriculture) 1 3 33% / 67% 67% $58,071
Turf Management and Science 1 3 100% / 0% 0% $63,023
Soil Science and Agronomy 2 2 0% / 100% 0% $60,758
Forest Science 1 2 50% / 50% 0% $53,040
Plant Nursery Operations and Management 1 2 100% / 0% 0% $62,512
Sustainable Plant Systems 1 2 0% / 100% 0% $41,301 94%
Turfgrass Management 1 2 100% / 0% 0% $59,660
Ecological Landscape Planning and Design 1 1 100% / 0% 0% $33,979 88%
Food Systems 1 1 100% / 0% 0% $37,468