2026 Best Value Horse Husbandry/Equine Science & Management Schools in the The Plains States Region

[Horse Husbandry/Equine Science & Management](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/agricultural-production/horse-husbandry-equine-science-and-management/) 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 9 schools to find the best return on investment for horse husbandry/equine science & management students.
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2026 Best Value Horse Husbandry/Equine Science & Management Schools in the The Plains States Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in horse husbandry/equine science & management, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Horse Husbandry/Equine Science & Management Schools
Leading the list is University Of Minnesota Crookston, our #1 best value for horse husbandry/equine science & management in the The Plains States Region. University Of Minnesota Crookston is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Crookston. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,288. Students borrow a median of $26,661 to complete the horse husbandry/equine science & management program here. Early-career horse husbandry/equine science & management graduates make about $48,840. Set against $26,661 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Ellsworth Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in horse husbandry/equine science & management, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the town of Iowa Falls, Ellsworth Community College is a small public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,496, compared with $6,504 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $17,062 to complete the horse husbandry/equine science & management program here. Soon after graduation, horse husbandry/equine science & management degree recipients from Ellsworth Community College generally make around $40,503. That is a strong return on a $17,062 median debt.
A rank of #3 makes Kansas State University one of the best values for horse husbandry/equine science & management. Kansas State University is a very large public school located in the city of Manhattan. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,221, while out-of-state students pay about $28,568. Horse Husbandry/equine Science & Management graduates carry a median of $23,546 in student loans. Soon after graduation, horse husbandry/equine science & management degree recipients from Kansas State University generally make around $51,543. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
Iowa State University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value horse husbandry/equine science & management schools. Iowa State University is a very large public school located in the city of Ames. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,787, with out-of-state students paying around $28,881. Typical student debt for horse husbandry/equine science & management graduates is $23,495. Soon after graduation, horse husbandry/equine science & management degree recipients from Iowa State University generally make around $53,900. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Iowa State University admits about 89% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 9 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.