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2026 Best Value Dairy Science Master’s Degree Schools

[Dairy Science](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/animal-science/dairy-science/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

College Factual analyzed 14 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value dairy science schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Master’s Degree Dairy Science Schools
• Other Degree Levels

2026 Best Value Dairy Science Schools in the United States

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the dairy science degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Dairy Science Schools

1

South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD

$9,299 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,162 Avg Student Debt

$55,070 Median Earnings (10yr)

South Dakota State University tops our 2026 list of the best value dairy science schools in the United States. Located in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,299, while out-of-state students pay about $12,809. Students borrow a median of $23,162 to complete the dairy science program here. Dairy Science graduates of South Dakota State University earn a median of $44,844 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,162 median debt. South Dakota State University admits about 98% of applicants.

2

Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University
Blacksburg, VA

$15,948 In-State Tuition & Fees

$22,631 Avg Student Debt

$81,698 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in dairy science will find it at Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,948, compared with $37,764 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for dairy science graduates is $22,631. Dairy Science graduates of Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University earn a median of $60,004 early in their careers. Set against $22,631 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University admits about 55% of applicants.

Other Dairy Science Degree Levels

Explore the best-value dairy science schools at other degree levels:

View All Dairy Science Rankings >

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 · 14 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.