# Agricultural Production Operations

> A program that focuses on the general planning, economics, and use of facilities, natural resources, equipment, labor, and capital to produce plant and animal products, and that may prepare individuals for work in farming, ranching, and agribusiness.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/programs/agricultural-production-operations
- CIP code: 01.03 (Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields)
- Colleges offering it: 187 at its most common degree level

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

| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings 1 yr | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median federal debt |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Certificate | 187 | $34,611 | $46,904 | $18,625 |
| Associate's | 173 | $40,547 | $43,361 | $12,000 |
| Bachelor's | 63 | $42,350 | $52,516 | $21,250 |
| Master's | 25 | not reported | $52,419 | not reported |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 2 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Doctoral | 10 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 16 | 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 |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: |
| [North Dakota State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/north-dakota-state-university-main-campus-1896) | Fargo, ND | $83,779 | $23,246 |
| [Purdue University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/purdue-university-main-campus-2163) | West Lafayette, IN | $71,868 | not reported |
| [Washington State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/washington-state-university-3171) | Pullman, WA | $69,708 | not reported |
| [Mississippi State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/mississippi-state-university-1732) | Mississippi State, MS | $69,160 | $20,375 |
| [Utah State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/utah-state-university-3102) | Logan, UT | $61,639 | not reported |
| [University of California-Davis](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-davis-2882) | Davis, CA | $58,236 | $10,265 |
| [Eastern Kentucky University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/eastern-kentucky-university-866) | Richmond, KY | $53,450 | $19,000 |
| [Clemson University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/clemson-university-572) | Clemson, SC | $51,582 | $21,500 |
| [Delaware Valley University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/delaware-valley-university-787) | Doylestown, PA | $49,746 | $25,197 |
| [University of New Hampshire](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-new-hampshire-main-campus-2980) | Durham, NH | $47,528 | $27,000 |

## Related careers (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk)

- [Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/forestry-and-conservation-science-teachers-postsecondary): $101,420 median pay
- [Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/agricultural-sciences-teachers-postsecondary): $98,700 median pay
- [Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/farmers-ranchers-and-other-agricultural-managers): $89,900 median pay
- [Soil and Plant Scientists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/soil-and-plant-scientists): $78,850 median pay
- [Conservation Scientists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/conservation-scientists): $73,010 median pay
- [Park Naturalists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/park-naturalists): $73,010 median pay
- [Range Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/range-managers): $73,010 median pay
- [Animal Scientists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/animal-scientists): $68,940 median pay
- [Farm and Home Management Educators](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/farm-and-home-management-educators): $60,220 median pay
- [First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/first-line-supervisors-of-farming-fishing-and-forestry-workers): $59,320 median pay
- [Animal Breeders](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/animal-breeders): $51,130 median pay
- [Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/farmworkers-farm-ranch-and-aquacultural-animals): $36,670 median pay

## More in Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields

- [Agricultural Business and Management](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/agricultural-business-and-management): 232 colleges
- [Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/applied-horticulture-and-horticultural-business-services): 229 colleges
- [Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/veterinary-animal-health-technologies-technicians): 183 colleges
- [Agriculture, General](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/agriculture-general): 111 colleges
- [Animal Sciences](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/animal-sciences): 99 colleges
- [Plant Sciences](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/plant-sciences): 85 colleges
- [Food Science and Technology](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/food-science-and-technology): 76 colleges
- [Agricultural Mechanization](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/agricultural-mechanization): 57 colleges

## 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/