# Animal Sciences

> A general program that focuses on the scientific principles that underlie the breeding and husbandry of agricultural animals, and the production, processing, and distribution of agricultural animal products. Includes instruction in the animal sciences, animal husbandry and production, and agricultural and food products processing.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/programs/animal-sciences
- CIP code: 01.09 (Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields)
- Colleges offering it: 99 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 | 42 | $29,017 | $27,324 | $12,125 |
| Associate's | 53 | $37,433 | $42,663 | $12,000 |
| Bachelor's | 99 | $37,494 | $49,656 | $19,500 |
| Master's | 57 | $62,470 | $82,704 | $26,000 |
| Doctoral | 41 | $88,882 | not reported | not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 11 | 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 Georgia](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-georgia-2912) | Athens, GA | $61,176 | $20,000 |
| [University of Massachusetts-Amherst](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-massachusetts-amherst-umass-main-campus-2950) | Amherst, MA | $59,543 | $21,500 |
| [University of Wisconsin-Madison](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-wisconsin-madison-main-campus-3084) | Madison, WI | $57,605 | $18,869 |
| [Texas A & M University-College Station](https://www.collegesref.com/college/texas-a-m-university-college-station-2694) | College Station, TX | $57,324 | $15,000 |
| [University of Maryland-College Park](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-maryland-college-park-main-campus-2949) | College Park, MD | $56,248 | $18,419 |
| [University of Arkansas](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-arkansas-main-campus-2868) | Fayetteville, AR | $56,136 | $19,196 |
| [Texas Tech University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/texas-tech-university-2710) | Lubbock, TX | $55,753 | $20,326 |
| [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 | $54,805 | $15,000 |
| [Michigan State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/michigan-state-university-1677) | East Lansing, MI | $54,751 | $20,954 |
| [Rutgers University-New Brunswick](https://www.collegesref.com/college/rutgers-university-new-brunswick-main-campus-2279) | New Brunswick, NJ | $54,509 | $20,034 |

## Related careers (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk)

- [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
- [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
- [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
- [Agriculture, General](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/agriculture-general): 111 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/