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2026 Best Value Animal Science Schools in Colorado

[Animal Science](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/animal-science/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong animal science education at a price that pays off.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for animal science students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Animal Science Schools in Colorado

2026 Best Value Animal Science Schools in Colorado

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in animal science, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Animal Science Schools

1

Northeastern Junior College
Sterling, CO

$5,730 In-State Tuition & Fees

$13,156 Avg Student Debt

$39,893 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is Northeastern Junior College, our #1 best value for animal science in Colorado. Set in the town of Sterling, Northeastern Junior College is a small public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,730, compared with $8,267 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for animal science graduates is $13,156. Animal Science graduates of Northeastern Junior College earn a median of $38,543 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.

2

Colorado State University Fort Collins
Fort Collins, CO

$13,373 In-State Tuition & Fees

$22,045 Avg Student Debt

$60,543 Median Earnings (10yr)

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Colorado State University Fort Collins earned it the #2 place for animal science. Set in the city of Fort Collins, Colorado State University Fort Collins is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,373, while out-of-state students pay about $35,061. Students borrow a median of $22,045 to complete the animal science program here. Early-career animal science graduates make about $36,111. That is a strong return on a $22,045 median debt. The acceptance rate is 88%.

View All Animal Science Rankings >

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 · 7 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.