2026 Best Value Agriculture & Agriculture Operations Schools in Florida

[Agriculture & Agriculture Operations](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/) 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 33 schools to find the best return on investment for agriculture & agriculture operations students.
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2026 Best Value Agriculture & Agriculture Operations Schools in Florida
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the agriculture & agriculture operations degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Agriculture & Agriculture Operations Schools
For return on investment in agriculture & agriculture operations, no school beat St Petersburg College this year. St Petersburg College is a very large public school located in the city of St. Petersburg. In-state tuition and fees average $2,682, compared with $9,286 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,961 to complete the agriculture & agriculture operations program here. Soon after graduation, agriculture & agriculture operations degree recipients from St Petersburg College generally make around $43,355. Set against $25,961 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Florida Gateway College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in agriculture & agriculture operations, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the town of Lake City, Florida Gateway College is a mid-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,100, while out-of-state students pay about $11,747. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates carry a median of $8,669 in student loans. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates of Florida Gateway College earn a median of $41,947 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in agriculture & agriculture operations will find it at Hillsborough Community College, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Tampa, Hillsborough Community College is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,491, compared with $9,088 for out-of-state students. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates carry a median of $16,142 in student loans. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates of Hillsborough Community College earn a median of $35,698 early in their careers. Set against $16,142 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
University Of Florida came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value agriculture & agriculture operations schools. Set in the city of Gainesville, University Of Florida is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $6,381, while out-of-state students pay about $28,659. Typical student debt for agriculture & agriculture operations graduates is $14,887. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates of University Of Florida earn a median of $51,136 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $14,887 median debt. The acceptance rate is 24%.
A rank of #5 makes Miami Dade College one of the best values for agriculture & agriculture operations. Located in the city of Miami, Miami Dade College is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $2,838 in tuition and fees, compared with $9,661 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for agriculture & agriculture operations graduates is $11,967. Soon after graduation, agriculture & agriculture operations degree recipients from Miami Dade College generally make around $41,076. That is a strong return on a $11,967 median debt.
Valencia College placed #6 among the best values for agriculture & agriculture operations. Located in the city of Orlando, Valencia College is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $2,664, with out-of-state students paying around $9,576. Typical student debt for agriculture & agriculture operations graduates is $14,413. Early-career agriculture & agriculture operations graduates make about $42,786. That is a strong return on a $14,413 median debt.
Merryfield School Of Pet Grooming came in at #7 for value in agriculture & agriculture operations this year. Set in the suburb of Oakland Park, Merryfield School Of Pet Grooming is a small private for-profit institution. Students borrow a median of $6,333 to complete the agriculture & agriculture operations program here. Soon after graduation, agriculture & agriculture operations degree recipients from Merryfield School Of Pet Grooming generally make around $24,819.
College Of Central Florida placed #8 among the best values for agriculture & agriculture operations. College Of Central Florida is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Ocala. Students from in state pay about $2,710 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $10,517. Students borrow a median of $18,934 to complete the agriculture & agriculture operations program here. Soon after graduation, agriculture & agriculture operations degree recipients from College Of Central Florida generally make around $48,055. Set against $18,934 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Santa Fe College earned the #9 position for value in agriculture & agriculture operations this year. Santa Fe College is a large public school located in the suburb of Gainesville. In-state tuition and fees average $2,563, compared with $9,189 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $19,890 to complete the agriculture & agriculture operations program here. Soon after graduation, agriculture & agriculture operations degree recipients from Santa Fe College generally make around $24,833. That is a strong return on a $19,890 median debt.
First Coast Technical College ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value agriculture & agriculture operations schools. Set in the suburb of Saint Augustine, First Coast Technical College is a small public institution. Graduates go on to earn a median of $33,784 ten years after entry.
Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University earned the #11 position for value in agriculture & agriculture operations this year. Set in the city of Tallahassee, Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,785, while out-of-state students pay about $17,725. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates carry a median of $16,750 in student loans. Soon after graduation, agriculture & agriculture operations degree recipients from Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University generally make around $26,677. That is a strong return on a $16,750 median debt. The acceptance rate is 21%.
Lorenzo Walker Technical College landed the #12 spot for agriculture & agriculture operations value this year. Set in the suburb of Naples, Lorenzo Walker Technical College is a small public institution. Soon after graduation, agriculture & agriculture operations degree recipients from Lorenzo Walker Technical College generally make around $36,815.
Lake Technical College earned the #13 position for value in agriculture & agriculture operations this year. Lake Technical College is a small public school located in the suburb of Eustis. Students borrow a median of $10,612 to complete the agriculture & agriculture operations program here. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates of Lake Technical College earn a median of $34,319 early in their careers. Set against $10,612 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Warner University earned the #14 position for value in agriculture & agriculture operations this year. Warner University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Lake Wales. Students from in state pay about $29,992 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for agriculture & agriculture operations graduates is $22,250. Soon after graduation, agriculture & agriculture operations degree recipients from Warner University generally make around $44,154. That is a strong return on a $22,250 median debt. Roughly 43% of applicants are accepted.
Orange Technical College Westside Campus ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the best value agriculture & agriculture operations schools. Located in the suburb of Ocoee, Orange Technical College Westside Campus is a small public university. Early-career agriculture & agriculture operations graduates make about $19,521.
Southern Technical College landed the #16 spot for agriculture & agriculture operations value this year. Set in the suburb of Orlando, Southern Technical College is a mid-sized private for-profit institution. Typical student debt for agriculture & agriculture operations graduates is $14,400. Soon after graduation, agriculture & agriculture operations degree recipients from Southern Technical College generally make around $28,675. That is a strong return on a $14,400 median debt.
Health Career Institute placed #17 among the best values for agriculture & agriculture operations. Health Career Institute is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of West Palm Beach. In-state tuition and fees average $19,350. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates carry a median of $36,251 in student loans. Soon after graduation, agriculture & agriculture operations degree recipients from Health Career Institute generally make around $65,647.
Southwest Florida College placed #18 among the best values for agriculture & agriculture operations. Set in the city of Fort Myers, Southwest Florida College is a small private for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $15,125. Typical student debt for agriculture & agriculture operations graduates is $23,641. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates of Southwest Florida College earn a median of $36,455 early in their careers. Set against $23,641 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
More Agriculture & Agriculture Operations Rankings
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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 · 33 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.