Agricultural Engineering: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 27 reporting college programs.
+$142,752 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.
Observed national outcomes
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.
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $63,815
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $84,995
- Federal debt
- $23,000
- Reporting programs
- 27
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $87,824
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
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.
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Cornell University$99,6002University of Nebraska-Lincoln$96,9083University of Maryland-College Park$93,4404California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo$92,6035University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign$89,4006Iowa State University$88,5767Clemson University$88,3388Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University$88,3159Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus$87,56410Michigan State University$86,498Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
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.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cornell UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ithaca, NY | $99,600 | $15,502 | +85% | Positive payoff |
| 2 | University of Nebraska-LincolnBachelor's Degree | Lincoln, NE | $96,908 | Not available | +107% | Strong payoff |
| 3 | University of Maryland-College ParkBachelor's Degree | College Park, MD | $93,440 | $22,500 | +100% | Positive payoff |
| 4 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoBachelor's Degree | San Luis Obispo, CA | $92,603 | $16,420 | +93% | Positive payoff |
| 5 | University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignBachelor's Degree | Champaign, IL | $89,400 | $21,350 | +87% | Positive payoff |
| 6 | Iowa State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ames, IA | $88,576 | $21,500 | +71% | Positive payoff |
| 7 | Clemson UniversityBachelor's Degree | Clemson, SC | $88,338 | Not available | +61% | Positive payoff |
| 8 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Blacksburg, VA | $88,315 | $26,625 | +55% | Positive payoff |
| 9 | Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | University Park, PA | $87,564 | $27,000 | +37% | Positive payoff |
| 10 | Michigan State UniversityBachelor's Degree | East Lansing, MI | $86,498 | $28,000 | +60% | Positive payoff |
| 11 | Purdue University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | West Lafayette, IN | $86,306 | $20,000 | +73% | Positive payoff |
| 12 | Texas A&M University-College StationBachelor's Degree | College Station, TX | $85,393 | $18,000 | +52% | Positive payoff |
| 13 | The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleBachelor's Degree | Knoxville, TN | $85,141 | Not available | +57% | Positive payoff |
| 14 | North Carolina State University at RaleighBachelor's Degree | Raleigh, NC | $84,848 | $25,000 | +60% | Positive payoff |
| 15 | North Dakota State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Fargo, ND | $84,529 | Not available | +63% | Positive payoff |
| 16 | Oklahoma State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Stillwater, OK | $83,517 | $16,500 | +54% | Positive payoff |
| 17 | University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesBachelor's Degree | Minneapolis, MN | $82,946 | $27,000 | +54% | Positive payoff |
| 18 | Ohio State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Columbus, OH | $81,917 | $24,872 | +48% | Positive payoff |
| 19 | Oregon State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Corvallis, OR | $81,691 | $25,000 | +42% | Positive payoff |
| 20 | Oregon State University-Cascades CampusBachelor's Degree | Bend, OR | $81,691 | $25,000 | +45% | Positive payoff |
| 21 | Kansas State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Manhattan, KS | $81,376 | $22,873 | +41% | Positive payoff |
| 22 | South Dakota State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Brookings, SD | $79,322 | Not available | +32% | Positive payoff |
| 23 | University of Wisconsin-MadisonBachelor's Degree | Madison, WI | $78,368 | $23,500 | +34% | Positive payoff |
| 24 | University of Wisconsin-River FallsBachelor's Degree | River Falls, WI | $71,715 | $23,000 | +13% | Positive payoff |
| 25 | University of KentuckyBachelor's Degree | Lexington, KY | $68,605 | $19,500 | -8% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at CobleskillBachelor's Degree | Cobleskill, NY | $66,694 | Not available | -15% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | Rutgers University-New BrunswickBachelor's Degree | New Brunswick, NJ | Not available | $27,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $24,406 |
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.