2026 Best Value Crop Production Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Crop Production](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/agricultural-production/crop-production/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 13 schools to find the best return on investment for crop production students.
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2026 Best Value Crop Production Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in crop production, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Crop Production Schools
For return on investment in crop production, no school beat Lake Land College this year. Lake Land College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Mattoon. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,415, while out-of-state students pay about $14,301. Typical student debt for crop production graduates is $7,769. Soon after graduation, crop production degree recipients from Lake Land College generally make around $30,294. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in crop production will find it at Ivy Tech Community College, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Indianapolis, Ivy Tech Community College is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,154 in tuition and fees, compared with $9,935 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $11,889 to complete the crop production program here. Crop Production graduates of Ivy Tech Community College earn a median of $40,734 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $11,889 median debt.
Black Hawk College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in crop production, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Moline, Black Hawk College is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,920, with out-of-state students paying around $8,100. Typical student debt for crop production graduates is $11,340. Crop Production graduates of Black Hawk College earn a median of $44,286 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $11,340 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in crop production will find it at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College, which ranked #4. Set in the town of Rice Lake, Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. 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 crop production graduates is $11,384. Crop Production 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.
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value crop production schools. Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Fennimore. In-state tuition and fees average $4,904, while out-of-state students pay about $7,147. Students borrow a median of $12,112 to complete the crop production program here. Crop Production graduates of Southwest Wisconsin Technical College earn a median of $42,087 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $12,112 median debt.
Chippewa Valley Technical College came in at #6 for value in crop production this year. Located in the city of Eau Claire, Chippewa Valley Technical College is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,844, with out-of-state students paying around $7,087. Students borrow a median of $14,234 to complete the crop production program here. Soon after graduation, crop production degree recipients from Chippewa Valley Technical College generally make around $45,531. That is a strong return on a $14,234 median debt.
Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute landed the #7 spot for crop production value this year. Set in the town of Wooster, Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute is a small public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,584, while out-of-state students pay about $36,362. Typical student debt for crop production graduates is $12,000. Soon after graduation, crop production degree recipients from Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute generally make around $33,940. That is a strong return on a $12,000 median debt.
Michigan State University placed #8 among the best values for crop production. Set in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $18,079 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $44,850. Students borrow a median of $11,000 to complete the crop production program here. Soon after graduation, crop production degree recipients from Michigan State University generally make around $35,978. That is a strong return on a $11,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 85%.
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Notes and References
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 · 13 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.
