2026 Best Value Agronomy & Crop Science Schools in the Southwest Region
[Agronomy & Crop Science](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/plant-sciences/agronomy-and-crop-science/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. 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 agronomy & crop science students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Agronomy & Crop Science Schools in the Southwest Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in agronomy & crop science, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Agronomy & Crop Science Schools
Leading the list is New Mexico State University Main Campus, our #1 best value for agronomy & crop science in the Southwest Region. Set in the suburb of Las Cruces, New Mexico State University Main Campus is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,183, compared with $25,307 for out-of-state students. Agronomy & Crop Science graduates carry a median of $19,026 in student loans. Soon after graduation, agronomy & crop science degree recipients from New Mexico State University Main Campus generally make around $41,860. Set against $19,026 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Texas A And M University Kingsville one of the best values for agronomy & crop science. Set in the town of Kingsville, Texas A And M University Kingsville is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,892 in tuition and fees, compared with $25,746 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for agronomy & crop science graduates is $21,000. Soon after graduation, agronomy & crop science degree recipients from Texas A And M University Kingsville generally make around $43,099. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 91%.
Students looking for strong value in agronomy & crop science will find it at Oklahoma State University Main Campus, which ranked #3. Located in the town of Stillwater, Oklahoma State University Main Campus is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,110, while out-of-state students pay about $25,630. Students borrow a median of $22,337 to complete the agronomy & crop science program here. Early-career agronomy & crop science graduates make about $50,993. That is a strong return on a $22,337 median debt. Oklahoma State University Main Campus admits about 75% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in agronomy & crop science will find it at Texas Tech University, which ranked #4. Texas Tech University is a very large public school located in the city of Lubbock. Students from in state pay about $11,852 in tuition and fees, compared with $24,157 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,271 to complete the agronomy & crop science program here. Soon after graduation, agronomy & crop science degree recipients from Texas Tech University generally make around $50,332. That is a strong return on a $24,271 median debt. Texas Tech University admits about 73% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at West Texas A And M University earned it the #5 place for agronomy & crop science. West Texas A And M University is a large public school located in the town of Canyon. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,101, compared with $10,996 for out-of-state students. Agronomy & Crop Science graduates carry a median of $22,333 in student loans. Soon after graduation, agronomy & crop science degree recipients from West Texas A And M University generally make around $43,515. Set against $22,333 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 99%.
Texas A And M University College Station ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value agronomy & crop science schools. Set in the city of College Station, Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,995, with out-of-state students paying around $40,124. Typical student debt for agronomy & crop science graduates is $21,654. Agronomy & Crop Science graduates of Texas A And M University College Station earn a median of $45,163 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 57%.
Narrow Agronomy & Crop Science Schools by State
More Agronomy & Crop Science Rankings
View All Agronomy & Crop Science Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.
