2026 Best Value General Agriculture Schools in California
[General Agriculture](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/general-agriculture/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general agriculture education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 26 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general agriculture students.
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2026 Best Value General Agriculture Schools in California
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general agriculture degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Agriculture Schools
California State University Stanislaus earned the #1 spot for value among general agriculture schools in California. Set in the suburb of Turlock, California State University Stanislaus is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,242, compared with $20,842 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $14,813 to complete the general agriculture program here. General Agriculture graduates of California State University Stanislaus earn a median of $43,101 early in their careers. Set against $14,813 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. California State University Stanislaus admits about 98% of applicants.
California State University Fresno came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value general agriculture schools. California State University Fresno is a very large public school located in the city of Fresno. Students from in state pay about $7,341 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $19,941. Typical student debt for general agriculture graduates is $15,598. Early-career general agriculture graduates make about $49,502. Set against $15,598 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. California State University Fresno admits about 95% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in general agriculture will find it at California State Polytechnic University Pomona, which ranked #3. California State Polytechnic University Pomona is a very large public school located in the suburb of Pomona. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,781, compared with $20,381 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $17,226 to complete the general agriculture program here. General Agriculture graduates of California State Polytechnic University Pomona earn a median of $49,427 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $17,226 median debt. California State Polytechnic University Pomona admits about 75% of applicants.
California State University Chico is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general agriculture, landing the #4 spot this year. California State University Chico is a large public school located in the city of Chico. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,472, while out-of-state students pay about $21,072. General Agriculture graduates carry a median of $15,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general agriculture degree recipients from California State University Chico generally make around $45,591. That is a strong return on a $15,000 median debt. California State University Chico admits about 93% of applicants.
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value general agriculture schools. Set in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,161, while out-of-state students pay about $33,230. General Agriculture graduates carry a median of $21,903 in student loans. General Agriculture graduates of California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo earn a median of $64,786 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 31%.
More General Agriculture Rankings
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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 · 26 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
