Agriculture at Stephen F Austin State University

Drawing on outcomes from peer agriculture programs across Texas, Stephen F Austin's bachelor's degree appears to track close to the state's middle ground—an estimated $45,000 in first-year earnings against roughly $20,600 in debt. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.46 suggests manageable repayment, though it's worth noting that Texas agriculture graduates show considerable spread, with programs like Texas A&M-College Station producing graduates earning $60,000 while others settle closer to $40,000.

The challenge here is uncertainty about where SFA specifically lands on that spectrum. The estimated figures come from state medians because this program's graduate cohort is too small for the Department of Education to publish actual outcomes. Similar programs in Texas typically produce steady, if modest, post-graduation earnings, but the $15,000 gap between the state's top and middle performers matters significantly when you're servicing student loans. Agriculture careers often reward practical experience and internship networks as much as classroom learning, so the real differentiator may be what hands-on opportunities SFA provides in its East Texas setting versus what larger land-grant universities offer.

If your child is set on agriculture and attracted to SFA's environment, the estimated debt load won't create insurmountable financial pressure. But without school-specific outcomes data, you're making this decision somewhat blind—and given that larger Texas programs with proven track records show similar or lower debt with higher earnings, it's reasonable to ask whether those alternatives deserve a closer look first.