The List of All U.S Colleges With an Agriculture Major

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.

Why Study Agriculture in College?

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.

How Can You Increase Your Chances of Acceptance?

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

How Do You Choose Your College List?

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.  

• Determine where your primary interest lies. With so many different tracks available to agriculture majors, deciding which a student prefers will help to narrow their search and provide a clearer idea of what they’re looking for. For example, do you want to work in the field? Be in a lab? Do you see yourself in operations?

• Determine your level of experience. Students with more exposure to agriculture or those with a clear idea of the path they want to pursue may want to choose a more focused institution while other students might want to choose a college or university with more options—allowing them to choose a specific track while attending college.

• Determine your preferred program or college size. This is the easiest of the three steps, but it’s also the one capable of narrowing your list the most. Do you want to go to school in state or are you looking to attend a school out of state? Do you want to attend a private school or university? Is a school with a larger student body appealing or would you prefer a smaller more intimate campus? Are you 100% sure an agriculture degree is for you? If not, you might be better served at a university or liberal arts school that allows you to explore a variety of subjects.

Which Colleges Have an Agriculture Major?

Abilene Christian University | ACU

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College | ABAC

Adams State University

Alcorn State University

Alfred State College

Andrews University

Appalachian State University

Arkansas State University | A–State

Arkansas Tech University | ATU

Auburn University

Austin Peay State University | APSU

Bismarck State College | BSC

California Polytechnic State University | Cal Poly

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona | Cal Poly Pomona

California State University, Bakersfield | CSU Bakersfield

California State University, Chico | CSU Chico

California State University, Fresno | CSU Fresno

California State University, Stanislaus | Stanislaus State

Cameron University

Cedarville University

Central State University

Chadron State College | CSC

Clemson University

College of Central Florida

College of the Ozarks

Colorado State University | CSU

Columbia Basin College | CBC

Concordia College (Minnesota)

Concordia University Nebraska

Concordia University Wisconsin | CUW

Corban University

Cornell University

Delaware State University | Del State

Delaware Valley University | DelVal

Dickinson State University | DSU

Dordt College

Eastern Kentucky University | EKU

Eastern New Mexico University | ENMU

Emmanuel College (Georgia)

Evergreen State College

Ferrum College

Florida A&M University | FAMU

Fort Hays State University | FHSU

Fort Valley State University | FVSU

Grace College & Seminary

Green Mountain College

Gulf Coast State College | GCSC

Hastings College

Huntington University

Illinois State University | ISU

Jackson College

Kentucky State University | KSU

Langston University | LU

Lincoln University (Missouri)

McNeese State University

Michigan State University

Middle Tennessee State University | MTSU

Mississippi State University | MSU

Missouri State University | MSU

Montana State University | MSU

Montana State University–Northern | MSU–Northern

Morningside College

Murray State University | MSU

New Jersey Institute of Technology | NJIT

New York University | NYU

North Carolina A&T State University | N.C. A&T

North Carolina State University | NC State

Northcentral University

Northern Arizona University | NAU

Northwest Missouri State University

Northwestern Michigan College | NMC

Northwestern Oklahoma State University | NWOSU

Oklahoma Panhandle State University | OPSU

Oklahoma State University–Oklahoma City | OSU–OKC

Pace University

Peninsula College

Pennsylvania State University | PSU

Pensacola State College

Prairie View A&M University | PVAMU

Purdue University

Quincy University

Rutgers University–New Brunswick | Rutgers

Sam Houston State University | SHSU

Seminole State College of Florida

Snow College

South Carolina State University | SCSU

South Dakota State University

South Florida State College | SFSC

Southeast Missouri State University | SEMO

Southern Arkansas University | SAU

Southern Illinois University Carbondale | SIU

Southern University and A&M College | SUBR

Southern Utah University | SUU

Southwest Minnesota State University | SMSU

State University of New York at Canton | SUNY Canton

State University of New York at Cobleskill | SUNY Cobleskill

State University of New York at Morrisville | SUNY Morrisville

Stephen F. Austin State University | SFA

Tennessee State University | TSU

Tennessee Technological University | Tennessee Tech

Texas A&M University–Kingsville

Texas State University

Texas Tech University | TTU

The Ohio State University | OSU

Truman State University | TSU

Unity College

University of Arkansas

University of Arkansas at Monticello | UAM

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff | UAPB

University of California, Davis | UC Davis

University of Central Missouri | UCM

University of Delaware

University of Florida

University of Georgia

University of Hawaii at Hilo | UH Hilo

University of Hawaii at Manoa | UH Manoa

University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign | UIUC

University of Kentucky

University of Maine

University of Maryland Eastern Shore | UMES

University of Maryland, College Park | Maryland

University of Minnesota Crookston | UMC

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities | Minnesota

University of Missouri | Mizzou

University of Mount Olive

University of Nebraska at Kearney | UNK

University of Nebraska Omaha | UNO

University of Nebraska–Lincoln | UNL

University of New Hampshire | UNH

University of Northwestern Ohio | UNOH

University of Rhode Island | URI

University of Tennessee

University of Tennessee at Martin | UTM

University of Vermont | UVM

University of Wisconsin-Madison | Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin–Platteville | UW–Platteville

University of Wisconsin–River Falls | UW–River Falls

Utah State University

Vermont Technical College

Virginia State University | VSU

Virginia Tech

Washington State University | WSU

Wayne State College

West Texas A&M University | WTAMU

West Virginia University | WVU

West Virginia University at Parkersburg

Western Illinois University | WIU

Western Kentucky University | WKU

Williams Baptist University

Wilmington College

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the search for the right-for-you college or want to make sure you nail the application to your dream school, CollegeVine can help! Our College Applications Program will pair you with an applications specialist to help you build a school list matching your interests and preferences. Using our Chancing Engine, students can then gain insight into their odds of being accepted based on their profile and preferences. Once a college list is created, we’ll walk you through the application process, keeping you on track and helping you build a profile that stands out.