2026 Best Value Agricultural & Horticultural Plant Breeding Schools
[Agricultural & Horticultural Plant Breeding](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/plant-sciences/agricultural-and-horticultural-plant-breeding/) 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 7 schools to find the best return on investment for agricultural & horticultural plant breeding students.
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Finding the Best Value Agricultural & Horticultural Plant Breeding School for You
The right agricultural & horticultural plant breeding school can pay off for years to come. That is why we developed our Best Value Agricultural & Horticultural Plant Breeding Schools ranking. It weighs the cost of a degree against the outcomes graduates go on to achieve, so you can find the strongest return on your investment.
Read more about our methodology
One Size Does Not Fit All
We offer a number of rankings, including this Best Value Agricultural & Horticultural Plant Breeding Schools list, to help you decide. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we have developed a unique tool called College Combat that lets you compare schools on the factors that matter most to you.
See how we build our rankings
2026 Best Value Agricultural & Horticultural Plant Breeding Schools in the United States
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the agricultural & horticultural plant breeding degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Agricultural & Horticultural Plant Breeding Schools
For return on investment in agricultural & horticultural plant breeding, no school beat University Of Georgia this year. Located in the city of Athens, University Of Georgia is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,450, compared with $31,688 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,792 to complete the agricultural & horticultural plant breeding program here. Soon after graduation, agricultural & horticultural plant breeding degree recipients from University Of Georgia generally make around $47,698. Set against $21,792 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 38%.
Washington State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in agricultural & horticultural plant breeding, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the town of Pullman, Washington State University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,391, while out-of-state students pay about $29,950. Agricultural & Horticultural Plant Breeding graduates carry a median of $17,539 in student loans. Soon after graduation, agricultural & horticultural plant breeding degree recipients from Washington State University generally make around $47,531. That is a strong return on a $17,539 median debt. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
Iowa State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in agricultural & horticultural plant breeding, landing the #3 spot this year. Iowa State University is a very large public school located in the city of Ames. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,787, with out-of-state students paying around $28,881. Typical student debt for agricultural & horticultural plant breeding graduates is $20,500. Early-career agricultural & horticultural plant breeding graduates make about $61,550. Set against $20,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 89%.
Students looking for strong value in agricultural & horticultural plant breeding will find it at Montana State University, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Bozeman, Montana State University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $8,460 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $33,287. Agricultural & Horticultural Plant Breeding graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans. Agricultural & Horticultural Plant Breeding graduates of Montana State University earn a median of $47,703 early in their careers. Set against $20,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in agricultural & horticultural plant breeding will find it at Texas A And M University College Station, which ranked #5. Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public school located in the city of College Station. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,995, while out-of-state students pay about $40,124. Agricultural & Horticultural Plant Breeding graduates carry a median of $21,654 in student loans. Agricultural & Horticultural Plant Breeding graduates of Texas A And M University College Station earn a median of $45,163 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,654 median debt. Roughly 57% of applicants are accepted.
Cornell University earned the #6 position for value in agricultural & horticultural plant breeding this year. Cornell University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Ithaca. In-state tuition and fees average $69,314. Students borrow a median of $15,990 to complete the agricultural & horticultural plant breeding program here. Soon after graduation, agricultural & horticultural plant breeding degree recipients from Cornell University generally make around $32,236. That is a strong return on a $15,990 median debt. The acceptance rate is 9%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 7 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.
