2026 Best Value Agricultural Production Operations Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Agricultural Production Operations](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/agricultural-production/agricultural-production-operations-general/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 16 schools to find the best return on investment for agricultural production operations students.
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2026 Best Value Agricultural Production Operations Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in agricultural production operations, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Agricultural Production Operations Schools
Lake Land College tops our 2026 list of the best value agricultural production operations schools in the Great Lakes Region. Lake Land College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Mattoon. Students from in state pay about $4,415 in tuition and fees, compared with $14,301 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for agricultural production operations graduates is $7,769. Soon after graduation, agricultural production operations degree recipients from Lake Land College generally make around $30,294. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Highland Community College Freeport is a great value for students pursuing a degree in agricultural production operations, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the rural area of Freeport, Highland Community College Freeport is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,936, with out-of-state students paying around $7,360. Students borrow a median of $13,783 to complete the agricultural production operations program here. Soon after graduation, agricultural production operations degree recipients from Highland Community College Freeport generally make around $46,384. Set against $13,783 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Joliet Junior College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in agricultural production operations, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Joliet, Joliet Junior College is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,530, while out-of-state students pay about $13,800. Agricultural Production Operations graduates carry a median of $11,995 in student loans. Soon after graduation, agricultural production operations degree recipients from Joliet Junior College generally make around $40,118. That is a strong return on a $11,995 median debt.
Black Hawk College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value agricultural production operations schools. Black Hawk College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Moline. Students from in state pay about $4,920 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $8,100. Typical student debt for agricultural production operations graduates is $11,340. Early-career agricultural production operations graduates make about $44,286. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #5 makes Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College one of the best values for agricultural production operations. Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Rice Lake. Students from in state pay about $4,926 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $7,169. Typical student debt for agricultural production operations graduates is $11,384. Agricultural Production Operations graduates of Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College earn a median of $35,981 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Illinois Eastern Community Colleges Olney Central College came in at #6 for value in agricultural production operations this year. Located in the town of Olney, Illinois Eastern Community Colleges Olney Central College is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,260, compared with $12,460 for out-of-state students. Agricultural Production Operations graduates carry a median of $9,434 in student loans. Early-career agricultural production operations graduates make about $38,331. That is a strong return on a $9,434 median debt.
Fox Valley Technical College ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value agricultural production operations schools. Fox Valley Technical College is a large public school located in the suburb of Appleton. Students from in state pay about $5,040 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $7,283. Students borrow a median of $13,319 to complete the agricultural production operations program here. Early-career agricultural production operations graduates make about $44,020. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Chippewa Valley Technical College came in at #8 for value in agricultural production operations this year. Set in the city of Eau Claire, Chippewa Valley Technical College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,844, while out-of-state students pay about $7,087. Students borrow a median of $14,234 to complete the agricultural production operations program here. Early-career agricultural production operations graduates make about $45,531. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Michigan State University earned the #9 position for value in agricultural production operations this year. Set in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,079, while out-of-state students pay about $44,850. Agricultural Production Operations graduates carry a median of $11,000 in student loans. Early-career agricultural production operations graduates make about $35,978. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 85%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 16 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
