Agricultural Production Operations: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Agricultural Production Operations graduates earn a median $53,588 four years after finishing — $5,228/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 12.9 years. Federal data pools 58 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 533 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Agricultural Production Operations ranks #145 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 29% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota State University-Main Campus | ND | $83,779 |
| 2 | Purdue University-Main Campus | IN | $71,868 |
| 3 | Washington State University | WA | $69,708 |
| 4 | Mississippi State University | MS | $69,160 |
| 5 | Utah State University | UT | $61,639 |
| 6 | University of California-Davis | CA | $58,236 |
| 7 | Eastern Kentucky University | KY | $53,450 |
| 8 | Clemson University | SC | $51,582 |
| 9 | Delaware Valley University | PA | $49,746 |
| 10 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | NH | $47,528 |
| 11 | University of Kentucky | KY | $46,843 |
| 12 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | MA | $42,520 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.