Plant Sciences at West Virginia University

The concerning pattern here is harder to interpret than it looks. West Virginia University's Plant Sciences program reports a 17% earnings decline between year one and year four—graduates start at $37,454 but drop to $31,108. However, with fewer than 30 graduates tracked, this could reflect just a handful of individuals changing career paths rather than a systemic program weakness. The $25,000 debt load is actually quite reasonable, ranking in just the 5th percentile nationally for debt burden.

The state comparison is essentially meaningless since WVU is the only school in West Virginia offering this degree. Nationally, these graduates earn about $5,300 less than the typical Plant Sciences graduate elsewhere, landing in the 28th percentile. That gap matters, but whether it reflects the program, regional job markets in Appalachia, or just the quirks of tracking a tiny cohort is impossible to determine.

Here's the practical reality: if your child is passionate about plant sciences and wants to stay in West Virginia, this is their only in-state option. The debt is manageable even at the lower earnings level. But the backwards earnings trajectory deserves serious investigation—talk to the department about career outcomes, ask where recent graduates actually work, and understand whether they're seeing students leave agriculture entirely. With such limited data, you're essentially making this decision blind.