Whether you have aspirations of taking over the family farm or are simply looking to play one of the numerous roles involved in getting food from farm to fork, a degree in agriculture could be for you. For college-bound students with plans on pursuing an agriculture degree, we’ve pulled together a list of all the colleges that offer an agriculture major so you can get started creating your college list.
One of the best benefits of a degree in agriculture degree is that it offers access to one of the nation’s largest markets. Agriculture is a giant industry—a recent study by the American Farm Bureau Federation found jobs directly related to food and agriculture, including direct farming and ranching, manufacturing and wholesale, and retail functions, represented roughly 15% of all U.S. employment; that’s 22.8 million jobs! Those jobs generated $2.1 trillion in economic output and paid wages of 729 billion.
Not only is the agriculture industry massive, but it also needs qualified workers. A 2015 study by the United States Department of Agriculture predicted that the agriculture and food-science industries would need about 57,900 college grads a year, but the nation’s ag programs were only graduating about 35,400 qualified candidates a year. An aging workforce, fewer young people coming from ag backgrounds, and urbanization are creating further shortages in the workforce.
A student pursuing an agriculture degree is able to explore a multitude of fields, such as agtech, agribusiness, animal science, horticulture, soil science, and forestry. An ag degree can also be applied to work in related fields like conservation, consulting, rural development, food technology, and environmental science.
The job market is equally diverse for students with an ag degree. Some students will choose to work for themselves as a farmer or rancher, some may choose a research or operational role for an ag business, and some will choose from the dozens of others roles like feedlot manager, soil scientist, and arboriculturist.
If you didn’t grow up on a farm, don’t let that deter you; students pursuing ag majors come from a wide variety of backgrounds.
In general, students applying to a college with the intention of earning an agriculture degree are not required to submit anything beyond a general application. However, if your high school offers courses in agriculture or environmental science, completing them would look good on your application—so would having passed AP biology, chemistry, and calculus classes.
Academics will be one of the primary factors colleges consider when looking at a student’s application. Because of this, it’s vital that students maintain a strong GPA while taking a challenging course load (as mentioned previously, AP classes will stand out to admissions officials).
9th and 10th graders will benefit greatly from our Early Advising Program , where our specialists work with students to make sure they take the right classes and get the needed scores to gain acceptance into the agriculture program they desire.
In addition to academics, extracurriculars also play a role in the admissions process. There are a handful of fantastic clubs and groups that students can participate in to demonstrate their interest in agriculture. The Future Farmers of America (FFA) is one such group. Since the early 1900s, the FFA has been promoting leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education.
Another great group aspiring ag majors should consider is 4-H . 4-H was originally established, more than 100 years ago, to teach children skills that would be useful on the farm—and while the club has broadened its scope over the years to promote the overall development of young people, its connection with agriculture remains strong. Learn more about 4-H in our blog Beyond the Farm: An Introduction to Today’s 4-H Club
Knowing the schools that offer an agriculture degree will only limit your college search so much, as students will still have options spread across the country at every kind of institution. To narrow your college search down further, follow the three steps listed below or check out our College Strategy Program which can help you create a list and make school-specific tweaks to increase your odds of acceptance.