2026 Best Value Ornamental Horticulture Schools in the Great Lakes Region

[Ornamental Horticulture](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/horticulture/ornamental-horticulture/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for ornamental horticulture students.
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2026 Best Value Ornamental Horticulture Schools in the Great Lakes Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the ornamental horticulture degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Ornamental Horticulture Schools
Our analysis ranked College Of Dupage the best value for a degree in ornamental horticulture in the Great Lakes Region. College Of Dupage is a very large public school located in the suburb of Glen Ellyn. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,560, with out-of-state students paying around $12,750. Typical student debt for ornamental horticulture graduates is $12,492. Ornamental Horticulture graduates of College Of Dupage earn a median of $43,025 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $12,492 median debt.
Ivy Tech Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in ornamental horticulture, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Indianapolis, Ivy Tech Community College is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $5,154 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $9,935. Ornamental Horticulture graduates carry a median of $11,889 in student loans. Early-career ornamental horticulture graduates make about $40,734. Set against $11,889 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #3 makes Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute one of the best values for ornamental horticulture. Located in the town of Wooster, Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute is a small public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,584, compared with $36,362 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for ornamental horticulture graduates is $12,000. Early-career ornamental horticulture graduates make about $34,190. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.