2026 Best Value Horticultural Science Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
[Horticultural Science](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/plant-sciences/horticultural-science/) 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.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for horticultural science students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Horticultural Science Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in horticultural science, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Horticultural Science Schools
For return on investment in horticultural science, no school beat Utah State University this year. Set in the city of Logan, Utah State University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,560, compared with $24,993 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for horticultural science graduates is $16,191. Soon after graduation, horticultural science degree recipients from Utah State University generally make around $28,091. That is a strong return on a $16,191 median debt. The acceptance rate is 92%.
University Of Idaho is a great value for students pursuing a degree in horticultural science, landing the #2 spot this year. University Of Idaho is a large public school located in the town of Moscow. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,084, compared with $28,320 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for horticultural science graduates is $23,844. Early-career horticultural science graduates make about $44,559. That is a strong return on a $23,844 median debt. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
Colorado State University Fort Collins came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value horticultural science schools. Located in the city of Fort Collins, Colorado State University Fort Collins is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $13,373, while out-of-state students pay about $35,061. Students borrow a median of $20,750 to complete the horticultural science program here. Early-career horticultural science graduates make about $36,980. Set against $20,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Narrow Horticultural Science Schools by State
More Horticultural Science Rankings
View All Horticultural Science Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
