ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a associate's degree in Animal Sciences worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 13 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$146,502 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.
Not availableTime to earn back the modeled cost
−119%Estimated return after 10 years
$42,663Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$113,370
$8,000Annual price−$129,370
$16,000Current college-wide context−$145,370
$17,000Current college-wide context−$147,370
$24,000Annual price−$161,370
$32,000Annual price−$177,370
$40,000Annual price−$193,370
Outcomes at a glance
$42,663Typical earnings four years after completion
$45,873Average earnings five years after completion
$12,000Typical federal student debt
33thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
7College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 0 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Animal Sciences
How much do Animal Sciences associate's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $42,663 four years after completion across reportable associate's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $12,000. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Animal Sciences?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $34,888 to $46,282 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Animal Sciences?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 6 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $27,324
- Federal debt
- $17,480
- Programs in the comparison
- 4
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $42,663
- Federal debt
- $12,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 13
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $49,193
- Federal debt
- $22,250
- Programs in the comparison
- 83
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $82,704
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 4
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$34,888National median$42,66375th percentile$46,282
7 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Highest observed earnings
Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute
$47,995 four years after completionWooster, OH · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtOhio State University-Main Campus
$12,000 among completer borrowersColumbus, OH · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classSanta Fe College
23 reported awards in 2024–25Gainesville, FL · inspect the full program →PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$47,995Observed year-4 earnings$31,072
Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute$17,809 price · $47,995 earningsOhio State University-Main Campus$17,339 price · $47,995 earningsNorthcentral Technical College$10,303 price · $46,282 earningsSUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill$18,701 price · $42,663 earningsNortheast Community College$8,544 price · $38,907 earningsSanta Fe College$11,098 price · $34,888 earningsUniversity of New Hampshire-Main Campus$23,805 price · $31,072 earnings
$8,544Annual college-wide average net price$18,701
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
13 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 13 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute$47,9952Ohio State University-Main Campus$47,9953Northcentral Technical College$46,2824SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill$42,6635Northeast Community College$38,9076Santa Fe College$34,8887University of New Hampshire-Main Campus$31,0728University of ConnecticutNot available9University of Connecticut-Waterbury CampusNot available10University of Connecticut-Avery PointNot availableObserved year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary$98,700 median wage8,920 jobs nationwide+2.9% projected growth through 2035 · 800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$50,870–$163,150 typical wage rangeFarmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers$89,900 median wage6,500 jobs nationwide-3.4% projected growth through 2035 · 70,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$54,320–$160,020 typical wage rangeAnimal Scientists$68,940 median wage3,100 jobs nationwide+5.8% projected growth through 2035 · 200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$44,350–$166,000 typical wage rangeFarm and Home Management Educators$60,220 median wage8,220 jobs nationwide-3.2% projected growth through 2035 · 800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$37,650–$85,060 typical wage rangeFirst-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers$59,320 median wage27,960 jobs nationwide+3.8% projected growth through 2035 · 7,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$38,990–$91,770 typical wage rangeAgricultural Technicians$49,630 median wage15,130 jobs nationwide+5.4% projected growth through 2035 · 2,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$35,980–$76,480 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
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.