by our College Data Analytics Team
[Crop Production](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/agricultural-production/crop-production/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong crop production education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 28 schools to find the best return on investment for crop production students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in crop production, balancing cost against outcomes.
Leading the list is College Of The Sequoias, our #1 best value for crop production in California. Set in the city of Visalia, College Of The Sequoias is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $1,394, with out-of-state students paying around $9,038. Typical student debt for crop production graduates is $10,288. Early-career crop production graduates make about $37,749. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Reedley College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in crop production, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the town of Reedley, Reedley College is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $1,378, with out-of-state students paying around $8,638. Typical student debt for crop production graduates is $6,500. Soon after graduation, crop production degree recipients from Reedley College generally make around $30,520. That is a strong return on a $6,500 median debt.
Mt San Antonio College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value crop production schools. Set in the suburb of Walnut, Mt San Antonio College is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $1,364, compared with $10,464 for out-of-state students. Crop Production graduates carry a median of $9,384 in student loans. Crop Production graduates of Mt San Antonio College earn a median of $44,391 early in their careers. Set against $9,384 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Hartnell College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value crop production schools. Set in the city of Salinas, Hartnell College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $1,404, compared with $10,398 for out-of-state students. Crop Production graduates carry a median of $6,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, crop production degree recipients from Hartnell College generally make around $35,080. Set against $6,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Victor Valley College earned it the #5 place for crop production. Victor Valley College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Victorville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $1,425, while out-of-state students pay about $10,125. Students borrow a median of $7,995 to complete the crop production program here. Soon after graduation, crop production degree recipients from Victor Valley College generally make around $37,755. Set against $7,995 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
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Merced College came in at #6 for value in crop production this year. Set in the city of Merced, Merced College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $1,200, while out-of-state students pay about $8,520. Students borrow a median of $9,024 to complete the crop production program here. Soon after graduation, crop production degree recipients from Merced College generally make around $45,032. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Bakersfield College came in at #7 for value in crop production this year. Bakersfield College is a very large public school located in the city of Bakersfield. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $1,430, compared with $11,300 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for crop production graduates is $9,419. Crop Production graduates of Bakersfield College earn a median of $86,312 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
West Hills College Coalinga came in at #8 for value in crop production this year. Located in the town of Coalinga, West Hills College Coalinga is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $1,384, while out-of-state students pay about $10,954. Crop Production graduates carry a median of $9,920 in student loans. Soon after graduation, crop production degree recipients from West Hills College Coalinga generally make around $41,726. That is a strong return on a $9,920 median debt.
Modesto Junior College landed the #9 spot for crop production value this year. Located in the city of Modesto, Modesto Junior College is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $1,282, compared with $9,264 for out-of-state students. Crop Production graduates carry a median of $8,575 in student loans. Crop Production graduates of Modesto Junior College earn a median of $36,525 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
College Of The Desert earned the #10 position for value in crop production this year. Set in the city of Palm Desert, College Of The Desert is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $1,326, while out-of-state students pay about $10,174. Typical student debt for crop production graduates is $7,826. Crop Production graduates of College Of The Desert earn a median of $41,295 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The ranking above is published 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 · 28 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.