2026 Best Value General Agriculture Schools in Missouri
[General Agriculture](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/general-agriculture/) 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 9 schools to find the best return on investment for general agriculture students.
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2026 Best Value General Agriculture Schools in Missouri
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general agriculture, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Agriculture Schools
Our analysis ranked Ozarks Technical Community College the best value for a degree in general agriculture in Missouri. 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. Students borrow a median of $15,866 to complete the general agriculture program here. General Agriculture graduates of Ozarks Technical Community College earn a median of $36,644 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in general agriculture will find it at Missouri State University West Plains, which ranked #2. 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, while out-of-state students pay about $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. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Truman State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general agriculture, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the town of Kirksville, Truman State University is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,838, with out-of-state students paying around $18,566. Typical student debt for general agriculture graduates is $19,500. Early-career general agriculture graduates make about $36,853. Set against $19,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in general agriculture will find it at Lincoln University Missouri, which ranked #4. Lincoln University Missouri is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Jefferson City. Students from in state pay about $9,796 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $17,692. Typical student debt for general agriculture graduates is $32,831. General Agriculture graduates of Lincoln University Missouri earn a median of $37,449 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $32,831 median debt.
A rank of #5 makes Northwest Missouri State University one of the best values for general agriculture. Northwest Missouri State University is a large public school located in the town of Maryville. Students from in state pay about $10,611 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $17,324. Typical student debt for general agriculture graduates is $18,250. Soon after graduation, general agriculture degree recipients from Northwest Missouri State University generally make around $38,678. That is a strong return on a $18,250 median debt. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Missouri State University Springfield earned the #6 position for value in general agriculture this year. Set in the city of Springfield, Missouri State University Springfield is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $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. Soon after graduation, general agriculture degree recipients from Missouri State University Springfield generally make around $35,737. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 90%.
University Of Missouri Columbia landed the #7 spot for general agriculture value this year. University Of Missouri Columbia is a very large public school located in the city of Columbia. Students from in state pay about $14,837 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $36,056. Students borrow a median of $21,818 to complete the general agriculture program here. General Agriculture graduates of University Of Missouri Columbia earn a median of $42,145 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Missouri Columbia admits about 78% of applicants.
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 · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
