# Agriculture, General

> A program that focuses on the general principles and practice of agricultural research and production and that may prepare individuals to apply this knowledge to the solution of practical agricultural problems. Includes instruction in basic animal, plant, and soil science; animal husbandry and plant cultivation; soil conservation; and agricultural operations such as farming, ranching, and agricultural business.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/programs/agriculture-general
- CIP code: 01.00 (Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields)
- Colleges offering it: 111 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 | 35 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Associate's | 111 | $39,695 | $46,205 | $11,000 |
| Bachelor's | 79 | $44,432 | $52,676 | $19,228 |
| Master's | 33 | $54,335 | $62,078 | $30,117 |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Doctoral | 5 | 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 |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: |
| [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 | $84,412 | not reported |
| [Texas State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/texas-state-university-2709) | San Marcos, TX | $71,237 | $20,715 |
| [Cornell University-New York](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cornell-university-new-york-710) | Ithaca, NY | $67,954 | $10,500 |
| [California State University-Stanislaus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-university-stanislaus-378) | Turlock, CA | $64,669 | not reported |
| [Illinois State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/illinois-state-university-1264) | Normal, IL | $63,600 | $14,000 |
| [California State University-Chico](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-university-chico-366) | Chico, CA | $61,369 | $17,094 |
| [South Dakota State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/south-dakota-state-university-2445) | Brookings, SD | $61,132 | $15,000 |
| [Sam Houston State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/sam-houston-state-university-2333) | Huntsville, TX | $60,598 | $20,125 |
| [Texas A & M University-College Station](https://www.collegesref.com/college/texas-a-m-university-college-station-2694) | College Station, TX | $59,213 | $15,597 |
| [Western Illinois University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/western-illinois-university-3228) | Macomb, IL | $58,333 | $15,001 |

## Related careers (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk)

- [Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/agricultural-sciences-teachers-postsecondary): $98,700 median pay
- [Food Scientists and Technologists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/food-scientists-and-technologists): $88,720 median pay
- [Soil and Plant Scientists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/soil-and-plant-scientists): $78,850 median pay
- [Animal Scientists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/animal-scientists): $68,940 median pay
- [Agricultural Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/agricultural-technicians): $49,630 median pay
- [Precision Agriculture Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/precision-agriculture-technicians): $49,630 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
- [Agricultural Production Operations](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/agricultural-production-operations): 187 colleges
- [Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/veterinary-animal-health-technologies-technicians): 183 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/