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2026 Best Value Soil Sciences Schools in the The Plains States Region

[Soil Sciences](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/soil-sciences/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong soil sciences education at a price that pays off.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for soil sciences students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Soil Sciences Schools in the The Plains States Region

2026 Best Value Soil Sciences Schools in the The Plains States Region

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the soil sciences degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Soil Sciences Schools

1

University Of Nebraska Lincoln
Lincoln, NE

$10,434 In-State Tuition & Fees

$22,386 Avg Student Debt

$56,887 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in soil sciences, no school beat University Of Nebraska Lincoln this year. University Of Nebraska Lincoln is a very large public school located in the city of Lincoln. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,434, with out-of-state students paying around $28,584. Students borrow a median of $22,386 to complete the soil sciences program here. Soon after graduation, soil sciences degree recipients from University Of Nebraska Lincoln generally make around $49,755. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.

2

Iowa State University
Ames, IA

$10,787 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,495 Avg Student Debt

$63,386 Median Earnings (10yr)

Iowa State University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value soil sciences schools. Set in the city of Ames, Iowa State University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,787, while out-of-state students pay about $28,881. Students borrow a median of $23,495 to complete the soil sciences program here. Soil Sciences graduates of Iowa State University earn a median of $53,900 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.

View All Soil Sciences Rankings >

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 · 6 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.