Plant Sciences at Chadron State College

Chadron State's Plant Sciences program sits in the middle of Nebraska's limited options for this field, but the earnings tell a concerning story. While graduates start $5,600 below the state median and nearly $6,200 below the national average, they're earning solidly more than Nebraska's typical early-career worker (around $32,000). The 40th percentile state ranking means you're essentially looking at the lower-performing of two Nebraska options—and that gap is substantial, with UNL graduates earning $11,000 more annually.

The silver lining is manageable debt at $16,000, well below both state and national medians for this field. That 0.44 debt-to-earnings ratio is reasonable, and the 15% earnings growth over four years suggests graduates aren't trapped in dead-end roles. For a family considering this against UNL, you're trading roughly $11,000 in annual earning potential for potentially lower tuition costs and a smaller campus environment.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could swing significantly year to year, making this a riskier bet than programs with more robust data. For students passionate about plant sciences who need to stay close to home or prefer Chadron's setting, this works as an affordable entry point—but those with flexibility should seriously compare the long-term earning potential at UNL against any tuition savings here.