2026 Best Value Agricultural & Food Products Processing Schools in the The Plains States Region

[Agricultural & Food Products Processing](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/food-processing/agricultural-and-food-products-processing/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for agricultural & food products processing students.
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2026 Best Value Agricultural & Food Products Processing Schools in the The Plains States Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the agricultural & food products processing degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Agricultural & Food Products Processing Schools
Leading the list is Garden City Community College, our #1 best value for agricultural & food products processing in the The Plains States Region. Located in the town of Garden City, Garden City Community College is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $3,690 in tuition and fees, compared with $4,320 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $11,084 to complete the agricultural & food products processing program here. Agricultural & Food Products Processing graduates of Garden City Community College earn a median of $35,476 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #2 makes Kansas State University one of the best values for agricultural & food products processing. Located in the city of Manhattan, Kansas State University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,221, with out-of-state students paying around $28,568. Agricultural & Food Products Processing graduates carry a median of $23,250 in student loans. Early-career agricultural & food products processing graduates make about $76,052. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 82%.
Morningside College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value agricultural & food products processing schools. Set in the city of Sioux City, Morningside College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $39,519. Agricultural & Food Products Processing graduates carry a median of $26,969 in student loans. Agricultural & Food Products Processing graduates of Morningside College earn a median of $48,505 early in their careers. Set against $26,969 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 71%.
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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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.