by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools in the Plains States Region to determine which ones were the best for animal science students pursuing a bachelor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 943 bachelor's degrees in animal science to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
The animal science bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we consider a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a host of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your bachelor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for animal science students working on their bachelor's degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Animal Science Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in animal science.
It is hard to beat Iowa State University if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in animal science. Iowa State is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Ames.
Animal Science bachelor's degree recipients from Iowa State University get an earnings boost of around $2,166 above the typical income of animal science majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in animal science from Iowa State University
South Dakota State University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in animal science. Located in the remote town of Brookings, South Dakota State is a public university with a large student population.
Those animal science students who get their bachelor's degree from South Dakota State University make $7,443 more than the average animal science student.
More information about a bachelor’s in animal science from South Dakota State University
Kansas State University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in animal science. Located in the small city of Manhattan, K -State is a public university with a large student population.
After graduating, animal science bachelor's recipients generally earn around $38,868 in their early careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in animal science from Kansas State University
Any student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in animal science needs to look into University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. UMN Twin Cities is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Minneapolis.
Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the animal science program earn about $34,073 in the first couple years of their career.
More information about a bachelor’s in animal science from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Located in the city of Lincoln, UNL is a public university with a fairly large student population.
After graduation, animal science bachelor's recipients typically earn around $39,064 in their early careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in animal science from University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Located in the midsize city of Columbia, Mizzou is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Soon after graduation, animal science bachelor's recipients generally earn around $34,678 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a bachelor’s in animal science from University of Missouri - Columbia
Located in the medium-sized city of Fargo, North Dakota State University is a public university with a large student population.
Soon after graduation, animal science bachelor's recipients typically earn about $39,290 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a bachelor’s in animal science from North Dakota State University - Main Campus
Northwest is a moderately-sized public university located in the remote town of Maryville.
Soon after graduating, animal science bachelor's recipients usually make an average of $34,876 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in animal science from Northwest Missouri State University
Located in the town of Crookston, UMN Crookston is a public university with a small student population.
After graduating, animal science bachelor's recipients typically make an average of $35,072 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a bachelor’s in animal science from University of Minnesota - Crookston
Missouri State is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Springfield.
Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the animal science program earn around $33,675 for their early career.
More information about a bachelor’s in animal science from Missouri State University - SpringfieldExplore the best animal science colleges for a specific state in the Plains States Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri | 228 | 160 |
| Minnesota | 215 | 120 |
| Iowa | 197 | 219 |
| Kansas | 184 | 225 |
| Nebraska | 180 | 95 |
| North Dakota | 149 | 35 |
| South Dakota | 148 | 110 |
One of 18 majors within the Agriculture & Agriculture Operations area of study, Animal Science has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Animal Sciences, General | 925 |
| Dairy Science | 18 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Agricultural Economics & Business | 782 |
| Plant Sciences | 461 |
| General Agriculture | 250 |
| Food Science Technology | 126 |
| Agricultural Mechanization | 117 |
| Agricultural Production | 82 |
| Other Agriculture | 69 |
| Agricultural Public Services | 45 |
| Food Processing | 43 |
| Agriculture/Veterinary Preparatory Programs | 36 |
