Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science graduates earn $65,543 four years out. Related careers are growing at up to 24.2%, one of the stronger demand signals across all fields. Medical & Health Services Manager is among the highest-growth roles in the field.
This page covers Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Agriculture and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.
Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science is a focused area of study within Agriculture. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $65,543 four years out, a solid return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 41 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 700 students complete it each year, most walking away with a bachelor's. Training is practical and skills-based, with a fast path from classroom to job site.
Four years after finishing Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science, a typical graduate earns $65,543, above the national median for college graduates. Half of earners land somewhere between $46,023 and $83,774, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Do not judge the field on a starting paycheck alone: pay tends to jump in the first few years, climbing from $43,601 at one year out to $65,543 by year four. Source: College Scorecard.
What that figure means in practice depends on what the degree cost to get, which is a matter of lifetime earnings against total outlay.
Starting salaries only. Earnings in this field grow substantially in the first 3 to 5 years.
Above the national median for college graduates.
Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.
Not every Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out widely, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Region and union membership drive the gap more than any other factor. Union jobs in high-cost metros pay significantly more than non-union positions elsewhere.
Strong ROI. At median 4-year earnings of $65,543 against an estimated $48,260 four-year net cost, most graduates break even against baseline wages in under two years.
Based on outcomes from 15 schools. Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.
Of the 700 students who complete Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science programs each year, the majority (60%) earn a bachelor's degree. The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
This degree does not lock you into one job. Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science graduates show up in 8 different occupations, and Veterinarian pays the most at $130,100/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.
The best-paid of these is what a Veterinarian earns and how fast the role is growing, though entry requirements vary across the list.
Not sure where to study Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science? These 20 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.
Ranked by score, that list starts with the cost and outcomes at Murray State University, and the rest follow the same measures.
| # | College | Graduates | Acceptance | Net Price/yr | Earnings 10yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Murray State University Murray, KY · Public | 205 | 85.7% | $9,096 | $44,737 |
| 2 | Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH · Public | 71 | 60.6% | $17,339 | $60,409 |
| 3 | Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Tifton, GA · Public | 70 | 75.7% | $6,842 | $34,996 |
| 4 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE · Public | 69 | 87.5% | $17,747 | $56,887 |
| 5 | Morehead State University Morehead, KY · Public | 46 | 77.2% | $9,793 | $43,197 |
| 6 | Northern Oklahoma College Tonkawa, OK · Public | 41 | Open | $5,625 | $37,566 |
| 7 | College of Micronesia-FSM Pohnpei, FM · Public | 30 | 87.1% | $6,789 | $24,651 |
| 8 | Arkansas State University-Newport Newport, AR · Public | 18 | Open | $8,444 | $41,524 |
| 9 | University of Kentucky Lexington, KY · Public | 17 | 92.9% | $18,851 | $59,025 |
| 10 | NorthWest Arkansas Community College Bentonville, AR · Public | 15 | Open | $7,196 | $43,505 |
| 11 | University of Arizona Tucson, AZ · Public | 13 | 86.1% | $16,674 | $59,979 |
| 12 | Northern Michigan University Marquette, MI · Public | 13 | 84% | $14,085 | $47,107 |
| 13 | Delta College University Center, MI · Public | 9 | Open | $4,547 | $37,781 |
| 14 | California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA · Public | 8 | 95.3% | $7,000 | $61,244 |
| 15 | Rider University Lawrenceville, NJ · Nonprofit | 7 | 78.6% | $24,792 | $62,208 |
| 16 | Clemson University Clemson, SC · Public | 6 | 38.3% | $22,253 | $71,513 |
| 17 | Holmes Community College Goodman, MS · Public | 6 | Open | $5,643 | $32,922 |
| 18 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL · Public | 5 | 24.2% | $6,541 | $71,588 |
| 19 | University of California-Davis Davis, CA · Public | 5 | 41.8% | $14,741 | $80,838 |
| 20 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC · Public | 5 | 41.7% | $17,303 | $68,758 |
Ranked by Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats. Read our methodology →
Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of an Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find schools that match your profile.
See if an Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science degree pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings its graduates actually see.
Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.
Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.
Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.
Strong earnings and positive career growth make Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science a solid option. The 4 strengths and 2 trade-offs below are data-sourced from College Scorecard, BLS, and IPEDS.
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