BACHELOR'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 0104

Agricultural and Food Products Processing: is this bachelor's degree worth it?

National picture across 2 reporting college programs.

MODELED SCENARIO · Positive payoff

+$55,588 over 10 years

National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.

This is a positive modeled result. Price, time to finish and future earnings can still change the outcome.

8.4 yrsModeled economic break-even
+20%Modeled 10-year ROI
$78,704Observed earnings · year 4
Economic ROI includes direct price and earnings forgone during study · $45,000 comparison earnings · values held flat · see the formula
WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$78,704Median reported earnings · year 4
$83,856Average reported earnings · year 5
$25,110Median federal debt
72thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
2Reporting programs
2With year-4 earnings
COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

The same field can produce a different equation.

Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings
Not available
Federal debt
$21,000
Reporting programs
1
0 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$51,545
Federal debt
Not available
Reporting programs
2
2 report earnings →
CURRENT VIEW

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$78,704
Federal debt
$25,110
Reporting programs
2
2 report earnings →
COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median
25th percentile$66,368National median$78,70475th percentile$66,368
2 programs report year‑4 earnings.
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Kansas State University$91,0402Morningside University$66,368

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Agricultural InspectorsSOC 45-2011 · 1 crosswalk linksAgricultural Sciences Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1041 · 1 crosswalk linksFirst-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry WorkersSOC 45-1011 · 1 crosswalk linksFood Science TechniciansSOC 19-4013 · 1 crosswalk links
BEST COLLEGES FOR AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD PRODUCTS PROCESSING

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.

#CollegeLocationEarnings, year 4Federal debt10-year ROIVerdict
1Kansas State UniversityBachelor's DegreeManhattan, KS$91,040$23,250+79%Positive payoff
2Morningside UniversityBachelor's DegreeSioux City, IA$66,368$26,969-30%Negative payoff

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.