DegreeVerdict
ROI Calculator
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ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 0111

Plant Sciences: is this associate's degree worth it?

National picture across 2 reporting college programs.

MODELED SCENARIO · Positive payoff

+$44,562 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.

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

7.4 yrsModeled economic break-even
+36%Modeled 10-year ROI
$61,971Observed 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

$61,971Median reported earnings · year 4
$50,793Average reported earnings · year 5
$11,717Median federal debt
75thYear-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.

CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$61,971
Federal debt
$11,717
Reporting programs
2
2 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$56,265
Federal debt
$20,500
Reporting programs
49
45 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$72,129
Federal debt
Not available
Reporting programs
8
8 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$61,971National median$61,97175th percentile$61,971
2 programs report year‑4 earnings.
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute$61,9712Ohio State University-Main Campus$61,971

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 Sciences Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1041 · 7 crosswalk linksSoil and Plant ScientistsSOC 19-1013 · 7 crosswalk linksFarm and Home Management EducatorsSOC 25-9021 · 5 crosswalk linksFarmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural ManagersSOC 11-9013 · 5 crosswalk linksAgricultural TechniciansSOC 19-4012 · 2 crosswalk linksFirst-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry WorkersSOC 45-1011 · 2 crosswalk linksAnimal ScientistsSOC 19-1011 · 1 crosswalk linksConservation ScientistsSOC 19-1031 · 1 crosswalk linksForestry and Conservation Science Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1043 · 1 crosswalk links
COMPARE NEARBY FIELDS

Similar degrees in the same subject family

These alternatives share the same broad federal CIP family and credential level. Earnings and debt use the same definitions as this page.

Associate's Degree

Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians

Year-4 earnings
$43,115
Federal debt
$18,255
139 reporting programs →Associate's Degree

Agricultural Business and Management

Year-4 earnings
$48,565
Federal debt
$12,000
21 reporting programs →Associate's Degree

Agricultural Production Operations

Year-4 earnings
$41,868
Federal debt
$11,629
18 reporting programs →Associate's Degree

Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services

Year-4 earnings
$48,534
Federal debt
$12,000
13 reporting programs →
BEST COLLEGES FOR PLANT SCIENCES

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
1Ohio State University Agricultural Technical InstituteAssociate's DegreeWooster, OH$61,971$11,717+35%Positive payoff
2Ohio State University-Main CampusAssociate's DegreeColumbus, OH$61,971$11,717+36%Positive 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.