[Soil Sciences](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/soil-sciences/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong soil sciences education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 42 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for soil sciences students.
DEBUG: offers_url is valid, proceeding to fetch data
DEBUG: No offers_data.offers found, showing generic ESYOH widget
Finding the Best Value Soil Sciences School for You
The right soil sciences school can pay off for years to come. That is why we developed our Best Value Soil Sciences 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.
We offer a number of rankings, including this Best Value Soil Sciences Schools list, to help you decide. Want schools in a particular part of the country? Narrow the 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.
University Of Florida earned the #1 spot for value among soil sciences schools in the United States. Set in the city of Gainesville, University Of Florida is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,381, with out-of-state students paying around $28,659. Students borrow a median of $17,669 to complete the soil sciences program here. Early-career soil sciences graduates make about $61,827. That is a strong return on a $17,669 median debt. University Of Florida admits about 24% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Brigham Young University Idaho earned it the #2 place for soil sciences. Located in the town of Rexburg, Brigham Young University Idaho is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,800. Soil Sciences graduates carry a median of $13,287 in student loans. Soil Sciences graduates of Brigham Young University Idaho earn a median of $43,853 early in their careers. Set against $13,287 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Hawaii At Manoa earned it the #3 place for soil sciences. Set in the city of Honolulu, University Of Hawaii At Manoa is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,186 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $34,218. Students borrow a median of $20,577 to complete the soil sciences program here. Early-career soil sciences graduates make about $48,181. Set against $20,577 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in soil sciences will find it at University Of Georgia, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Athens, University Of Georgia is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $11,450 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $31,688. Typical student debt for soil sciences graduates is $21,792. Early-career soil sciences graduates make about $53,546. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 38% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in soil sciences will find it at University Of Wisconsin Stevens Point, which ranked #5. Located in the town of Stevens Point, University Of Wisconsin Stevens Point is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,228, while out-of-state students pay about $18,248. Soil Sciences graduates carry a median of $22,989 in student loans. Soil Sciences graduates of University Of Wisconsin Stevens Point earn a median of $50,046 early in their careers. Set against $22,989 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 92% of applicants are accepted.
Brigham Young University Provo came in at #6 for value in soil sciences this year. Brigham Young University Provo is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Provo. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,688. Soil Sciences graduates carry a median of $12,184 in student loans. Soil Sciences graduates of Brigham Young University Provo earn a median of $54,507 early in their careers. Set against $12,184 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Brigham Young University Provo admits about 68% of applicants.
North Carolina State University At Raleigh placed #7 among the best values for soil sciences. North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a very large public school located in the city of Raleigh. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,799, compared with $32,847 for out-of-state students. Soil Sciences graduates carry a median of $22,113 in student loans. Early-career soil sciences graduates make about $59,622. That is a strong return on a $22,113 median debt. North Carolina State University At Raleigh admits about 42% of applicants.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale placed #8 among the best values for soil sciences. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public school located in the town of Carbondale. Students from in state pay about $13,334 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $23,730 to complete the soil sciences program here. Early-career soil sciences graduates make about $55,076. That is a strong return on a $23,730 median debt. The acceptance rate is 87%.
Oklahoma State University Main Campus landed the #9 spot for soil sciences value this year. Oklahoma State University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the town of Stillwater. Students from in state pay about $10,110 in tuition and fees, compared with $25,630 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for soil sciences graduates is $22,337. Early-career soil sciences graduates make about $43,421. Set against $22,337 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 75%.
University Of Nebraska Lincoln earned the #10 position for value in soil sciences this year. University Of Nebraska Lincoln is a very large public school located in the city of Lincoln. Students from in state pay about $10,434 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $28,584. Soil Sciences graduates carry a median of $22,386 in student loans. Soon after graduation, soil sciences degree recipients from University Of Nebraska Lincoln generally make around $49,755. That is a strong return on a $22,386 median debt. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Iowa State University came in at #11 for value in soil sciences this year. Iowa State University is a very large public school located in the city of Ames. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,787, with out-of-state students paying around $28,881. Typical student debt for soil sciences graduates is $23,495. Soon after graduation, soil sciences degree recipients from Iowa State University generally make around $53,900. Set against $23,495 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
The University Of Tennessee earned the #12 position for value in soil sciences this year. Set in the city of Knoxville, The University Of Tennessee is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,812, while out-of-state students pay about $33,256. Students borrow a median of $23,149 to complete the soil sciences program here. Soon after graduation, soil sciences degree recipients from The University Of Tennessee generally make around $55,322. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The University Of Tennessee admits about 42% of applicants.
Colorado State University Fort Collins came in at #13 for value in soil sciences this year. Set in the city of Fort Collins, Colorado State University Fort Collins is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,373, while out-of-state students pay about $35,061. Students borrow a median of $21,750 to complete the soil sciences program here. Soon after graduation, soil sciences degree recipients from Colorado State University Fort Collins generally make around $46,287. Set against $21,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Michigan State University landed the #14 spot for soil sciences value this year. Michigan State University is a very large public school located in the city of East Lansing. Students from in state pay about $18,079 in tuition and fees, compared with $44,850 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for soil sciences graduates is $21,859. Soil Sciences graduates of Michigan State University earn a median of $50,770 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Michigan State University admits about 85% of applicants.
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 · 42 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 12 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).
[Soil Sciences](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/soil-sciences/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong soil sciences education at a price that pays off.
