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UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE OR DIPLOMA · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 0103

Agricultural Production Operations: is this undergraduate certificate or diploma worth it?

National picture across 4 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$46,904 in median year-4 earnings

A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.

$46,904Median year-4 earnings

$13,700Average institution net-price context

$11,000Median federal debt

Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$46,904Median reported earnings · year 4

Not availableAverage reported earnings · year 5

$11,000Median federal debt

42thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

4Reporting programs

4With 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.

CURRENT VIEW

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings: $46,904
Federal debt: $11,000
Reporting programs: 4

4 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $41,868
Federal debt: $11,629
Reporting programs: 18

18 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $52,516
Federal debt: $22,123
Reporting programs: 19

14 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $52,419
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 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$35,265National median$46,90475th percentile$47,199

4 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Ridgewater College$56,311 2Northeast Iowa Community College$47,199 3Northeastern Junior College$46,609 4Michigan State University$35,265

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.

Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural ManagersSOC 11-9013 · 9 crosswalk linksFirst-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry WorkersSOC 45-1011 · 9 crosswalk linksAgricultural Sciences Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1041 · 7 crosswalk linksFarm and Home Management EducatorsSOC 25-9021 · 5 crosswalk linksAnimal BreedersSOC 45-2021 · 3 crosswalk linksAnimal ScientistsSOC 19-1011 · 1 crosswalk linksConservation ScientistsSOC 19-1031 · 1 crosswalk linksFarmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural AnimalsSOC 45-2093 · 1 crosswalk linksForestry and Conservation Science Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1043 · 1 crosswalk linksSoil and Plant ScientistsSOC 19-1013 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION OPERATIONS

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	ROI status	Cost context
1	Ridgewater CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Willmar, MN	$56,311	Not available	Baseline needed	$10,046
2	Northeast Iowa Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Calmar, IA	$47,199	Not available	Baseline needed	$11,272
3	Northeastern Junior CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Sterling, CO	$46,609	Not available	Baseline needed	$13,801
4	Michigan State UniversityUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	East Lansing, MI	$35,265	$11,000	Baseline needed	$19,680

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.