# Agricultural Engineering

> A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of systems, equipment and facilities for production, processing, storage, handling, distribution and use of food, feed, and fiber. Includes applications to aquaculture, forestry, human and natural resources.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/programs/agricultural-engineering
- CIP code: 14.03 (Engineering)
- Colleges offering it: 35 at its most common degree level
- Value ranking: https://www.collegesref.com/best-colleges/engineering

## Outcomes by degree level (College Scorecard, 2025)

| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings 1 yr | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median federal debt |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Certificate | 1 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Associate's | 4 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Bachelor's | 35 | $72,739 | $85,141 | $21,625 |
| Master's | 31 | $118,852 | $87,824 | not reported |
| Doctoral | 27 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 4 | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Colleges whose graduates earn the most (Bachelor's)

Only programs with at least 10 graduates are listed.

| College | Location | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: |
| [University of Maryland-College Park](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-maryland-college-park-main-campus-2949) | College Park, MD | $93,440 | $21,500 |
| [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo-slo-360) | San Luis Obispo, CA | $92,603 | $25,000 |
| [University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-illinois-at-urbana-champaign-main-campus-2927) | Champaign, IL | $89,400 | $18,361 |
| [Iowa State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/iowa-state-university-1305) | Ames, IA | $88,576 | $18,750 |
| [Clemson University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/clemson-university-572) | Clemson, SC | $88,338 | $22,875 |
| [Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university-3134) | Blacksburg, VA | $88,315 | $27,000 |
| [Michigan State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/michigan-state-university-1677) | East Lansing, MI | $86,498 | $24,276 |
| [Purdue University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/purdue-university-main-campus-2163) | West Lafayette, IN | $86,306 | $22,153 |
| [Texas A & M University-College Station](https://www.collegesref.com/college/texas-a-m-university-college-station-2694) | College Station, TX | $85,393 | $21,750 |
| [The University of Tennessee-Knoxville](https://www.collegesref.com/college/the-university-of-tennessee-knoxville-main-campus-2761) | Knoxville, TN | $85,141 | not reported |

## Related careers (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk)

- [Architectural and Engineering Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/architectural-and-engineering-managers): $171,270 median pay
- [Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/biofuels-biodiesel-technology-and-product-development-managers): $171,270 median pay
- [Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/engineering-teachers-postsecondary): $109,270 median pay
- [Agricultural Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/agricultural-engineers): $98,590 median pay

## More in Engineering

- [Engineering, General](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/engineering-general): 452 colleges
- [Mechanical Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/mechanical-engineering): 395 colleges
- [Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/electrical-electronics-and-communications-engineering): 387 colleges
- [Computer Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/computer-engineering): 367 colleges
- [Civil Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/civil-engineering): 300 colleges
- [Biomedical/Medical Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/biomedical-medical-engineering): 200 colleges
- [Chemical Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/chemical-engineering): 182 colleges
- [Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/environmental-environmental-health-engineering): 130 colleges

## Guides on this field

- [How to Compare Colleges by Major: Engineering, STEM, Pre-Med, and Business](https://www.collegesref.com/blog/how-to-compare-colleges-by-major)

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/