2026 Best Value General Agriculture Schools in the The Plains States Region
[General Agriculture](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/general-agriculture/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 32 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general agriculture students.
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2026 Best Value General Agriculture Schools in the The Plains States Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general agriculture, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Agriculture Schools
For return on investment in general agriculture, no school beat Northeast Community College this year. Set in the town of Norfolk, Northeast Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,840, compared with $5,130 for out-of-state students. General Agriculture graduates carry a median of $11,937 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general agriculture degree recipients from Northeast Community College generally make around $40,568. Set against $11,937 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in general agriculture will find it at Ozarks Technical Community College, which ranked #2. Ozarks Technical Community College is a large public school located in the city of Springfield. Students from in state pay about $4,256 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $7,040. General Agriculture graduates carry a median of $15,866 in student loans. Early-career general agriculture graduates make about $36,644. That is a strong return on a $15,866 median debt.
A rank of #3 makes Missouri State University West Plains one of the best values for general agriculture. Missouri State University West Plains is a mid-sized public school located in the town of West Plains. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,936, with out-of-state students paying around $8,106. Students borrow a median of $11,250 to complete the general agriculture program here. General Agriculture graduates of Missouri State University West Plains earn a median of $42,523 early in their careers. Set against $11,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Ellsworth Community College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value general agriculture schools. Located in the town of Iowa Falls, Ellsworth Community College is a small public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,496, with out-of-state students paying around $6,504. Typical student debt for general agriculture graduates is $17,062. Early-career general agriculture graduates make about $40,503. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in general agriculture will find it at Northwest Iowa Community College, which ranked #5. Located in the town of Sheldon, Northwest Iowa Community College is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $7,350 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $7,650. Typical student debt for general agriculture graduates is $12,271. Early-career general agriculture graduates make about $54,373. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Truman State University came in at #6 for value in general agriculture this year. Located in the town of Kirksville, Truman State University is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,838, while out-of-state students pay about $18,566. General Agriculture graduates carry a median of $19,500 in student loans. General Agriculture graduates of Truman State University earn a median of $36,853 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $19,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 84%.
Northland Community And Technical College earned the #7 position for value in general agriculture this year. Northland Community And Technical College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Thief River Falls. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,289. Typical student debt for general agriculture graduates is $18,550. Soon after graduation, general agriculture degree recipients from Northland Community And Technical College generally make around $46,528. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Lincoln University Missouri landed the #8 spot for general agriculture value this year. Located in the city of Jefferson City, Lincoln University Missouri is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,796, while out-of-state students pay about $17,692. Students borrow a median of $32,831 to complete the general agriculture program here. Early-career general agriculture graduates make about $37,449. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Fort Hays State University placed #9 among the best values for general agriculture. Set in the town of Hays, Fort Hays State University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,923, while out-of-state students pay about $17,741. Typical student debt for general agriculture graduates is $20,340. Soon after graduation, general agriculture degree recipients from Fort Hays State University generally make around $48,048. Set against $20,340 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
Northwest Missouri State University ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value general agriculture schools. Northwest Missouri State University is a large public school located in the town of Maryville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,611, with out-of-state students paying around $17,324. Students borrow a median of $18,250 to complete the general agriculture program here. General Agriculture graduates of Northwest Missouri State University earn a median of $38,678 early in their careers. Set against $18,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Dickinson State University placed #11 among the best values for general agriculture. Set in the town of Dickinson, Dickinson State University is a small public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,118 in tuition and fees. General Agriculture graduates carry a median of $27,266 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general agriculture degree recipients from Dickinson State University generally make around $42,583. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 37%.
Butler Community College ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best value general agriculture schools. Butler Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of El Dorado. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,541, with out-of-state students paying around $6,271. General Agriculture graduates carry a median of $16,670 in student loans. Early-career general agriculture graduates make about $39,404. Set against $16,670 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
University Of Nebraska Lincoln came in at #13 for value in general agriculture this year. Located in the city of Lincoln, University Of Nebraska Lincoln is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $10,434 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $28,584. General Agriculture graduates carry a median of $22,386 in student loans. General Agriculture graduates of University Of Nebraska Lincoln earn a median of $47,282 early in their careers. Set against $22,386 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 88%.
South Dakota State University earned the #14 position for value in general agriculture this year. South Dakota State University is a large public school located in the town of Brookings. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,299, with out-of-state students paying around $12,809. Students borrow a median of $20,000 to complete the general agriculture program here. Soon after graduation, general agriculture degree recipients from South Dakota State University generally make around $49,781. Set against $20,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. South Dakota State University admits about 98% of applicants.
Missouri State University Springfield earned the #15 position for value in general agriculture this year. Located in the city of Springfield, Missouri State University Springfield is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,502, with out-of-state students paying around $18,770. Students borrow a median of $20,625 to complete the general agriculture program here. General Agriculture graduates of Missouri State University Springfield earn a median of $35,737 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 90%.
University Of Missouri Columbia ranked #16 on our 2026 list of the best value general agriculture schools. Located in the city of Columbia, University Of Missouri Columbia is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,837, with out-of-state students paying around $36,056. Students borrow a median of $21,818 to complete the general agriculture program here. Soon after graduation, general agriculture degree recipients from University Of Missouri Columbia generally make around $42,145. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Missouri Columbia admits about 78% of applicants.
Concordia University Seward earned the #17 position for value in general agriculture this year. Set in the town of Seward, Concordia University Seward is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $40,640. General Agriculture graduates carry a median of $26,726 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general agriculture degree recipients from Concordia University Seward generally make around $51,046. That is a strong return on a $26,726 median debt. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 32 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 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.
