Plant Sciences: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 46 college programs, at a typical net price.
The payoff is roughly break-even — the degree recovers its cost, but slowly.
What Plant Sciences pays
Career outlook for Plant Sciences graduates
The job market for the occupations Plant Sciences graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers | 836,100 | -1.3% | $87,980 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers | 65,400 | +2.5% | $59,330 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Conservation scientists | 28,500 | +3.4% | $67,950 | Bachelor's degree |
| Soil and plant scientists | 20,700 | +5.4% | $71,410 | Bachelor's degree |
| Agricultural technicians | 18,600 | +4.3% | $46,790 | Associate's degree |
| Farm and home management educators | 12,400 | -2.5% | $58,120 | Master's degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Plant Sciences vs similar majors
How Plant Sciences stacks up against the closest fields in Agriculture & Related Sciences on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Plant Sciences Agriculture & Related Sciences · this major | Veterinary Medicine | Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences | Agricultural and Food Products Processing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 36 D | 80 A | 76 B | 75 B |
| ROI verdict | Break-even | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $54,791 | $120,579 | $84,630 | $71,906 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $44,183 | $100,829 | $55,544 | $76,052 |
| ROI vs cost | +25% | +460% | +343% | +234% |
| Typical debt | $17,551 | $172,552 | $47,703 | $23,250 |
| Colleges offering it | 46 | 28 | 6 | 2 |
Plant Sciences earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Plant Sciences
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA | Associate's | $78,715 | $11,731 | +1,745% | Strong return |
| 2 | California State University-Chico Chico, CA | Associate's | $70,548 | $13,826 | +651% | Strong return |
| 3 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA | Associate's | $74,094 | $15,000 | +650% | Strong return |
| 4 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL | Associate's | $67,313 | $15,750 | +548% | Strong return |
| 5 | University of Minnesota-Crookston Crookston, MN | Associate's | $62,594 | $19,763 | +456% | Strong return |
| 6 | Iowa State University Ames, IA | Certificate | $85,118 | — | +440% | Strong return |
| 7 | University of Wisconsin-Platteville Platteville, WI | Associate's | $63,694 | $15,250 | +397% | Strong return |
| 8 | South Dakota State University Brookings, SD | Associate's | $67,485 | $22,125 | +371% | Strong return |
| 9 | University of California-Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA | Associate's | $61,102 | — | +350% | Strong return |
| 10 | Utah State University Logan, UT | Associate's | $58,237 | — | +343% | Strong return |
| 11 | Southeast Missouri State University Cape Girardeau, MO | Associate's | $59,143 | $17,355 | +271% | Strong return |
| 12 | University of Idaho Moscow, ID | Associate's | $55,865 | — | +266% | Strong return |
| 13 | Kansas State University Manhattan, KS | Associate's | $61,678 | $21,500 | +258% | Strong return |
| 14 | Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, MO | Associate's | $59,315 | $21,500 | +255% | Strong return |
| 15 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE | Associate's | $58,512 | $18,875 | +219% | Strong return |
| 16 | University of Wyoming Laramie, WY | Associate's | $53,411 | — | +209% | Strong return |
| 17 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville Kingsville, TX | Associate's | $54,535 | $19,408 | +205% | Strong return |
| 18 | University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO | Associate's | $58,941 | $17,924 | +196% | Strong return |
| 19 | Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH | Certificate | $50,793 | $11,717 | +168% | Strong return |
| 20 | Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute Wooster, OH | Certificate | $50,793 | $11,717 | +162% | Strong return |
| 21 | Delaware Valley University Doylestown, PA | Associate's | $58,557 | — | +140% | Strong return |
| 22 | University of Wisconsin-River Falls River Falls, WI | Associate's | $53,374 | $19,000 | +139% | Strong return |
| 23 | Auburn University Auburn, AL | Associate's | $57,885 | $17,750 | +134% | Strong return |
| 24 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA | Associate's | $51,269 | $11,375 | +130% | Strong return |
| 25 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt Arcata, CA | Associate's | $50,661 | — | +115% | Strong return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.