Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, at Ohio State University-Main Campus

Ohio State's agriculture program produces graduates earning $71,570 their first year—64% above the national median for agriculture degrees and substantially higher than the typical $43,602 starting salary in this field. While Ohio has limited in-state competition for comparison (only two programs), this places at the 95th percentile nationally, putting graduates in the same earnings tier as much higher-paying STEM fields. The $26,750 debt load translates to a 0.37 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning graduates owe roughly 4.5 months of their first-year salary—a remarkably strong position.

The earnings trajectory shows steady growth to $78,729 by year four, a healthy 10% increase that suggests these graduates aren't just landing well-paid entry roles but building sustainable careers. For context, many agriculture programs struggle to break $50,000 even at the 75th percentile nationally. Ohio State's combination of a top-tier public research university's resources and connections to Ohio's substantial agricultural industry appears to create genuine career advantages.

The premium here isn't in the tuition—debt is actually slightly below the national median—but in the outcomes. This is a clear-cut strong investment for students committed to agriculture careers, delivering professional-level earnings without the debt burden of graduate programs.