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Sustainable Agriculture

Types of Degrees Sustainable Agriculture Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Sustainable Agriculture may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	49
Associate’s Degree	107
Bachelor’s Degree	319
Master’s Degree	266
Doctor’s Degree	24

What Sustainable Agriculture Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Sustainable Agriculture build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Sustainable Agriculture graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Sustainable Agriculture emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Sustainable Agriculture program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Sustainable Agriculture careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Sustainable Agriculture graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.2 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Sustainable Agriculture professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
ESRI ArcGIS software	Geographic information system	✓
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Leica Geosystems ERDAS IMAGINE	Map creation software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Sustainable Agriculture graduates include:

• Instructor
• Associate Professor
• Professor
• College Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Horticulture Manager
• Natural Resources Faculty Member
• Extension Professor
• Forestry Instructor
• Conservation Biology Professor
• Natural Resources Professor
• Forest Management Professor
• Forest Ecology Professor
• Forestry Professor
• Forest Management Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Sustainable Agriculture graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	36.4%
Bachelor’s degree	25.2%
Master’s degree	15.0%
Post-doctoral training	14.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.9%
Postsecondary certificate	1.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.1%
Post-master’s certificate	0.8%
First professional degree	0.6%
Less than a high school diploma	0.2%
Some college courses	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Sustainable Agriculture?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 54.5% women and 45.5% men among Sustainable Agriculture graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	419	54.5%
Men	350	45.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Sustainable Agriculture graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	477	62.0%
Asian	20	2.6%
Hispanic or Latino	104	13.5%
Black or African American	37	4.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	13	1.7%
Two or More Races	40	5.2%
Race Unknown	29	3.8%
International Students	49	6.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Sustainable Agriculture Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Sustainable Agriculture graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$38,195
4 years	$41,174
5 years	$47,624

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $47,624 — roughly 25% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Sustainable Agriculture Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Sustainable Agriculture. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	3	4
Master’s	4	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Sustainable Agriculture Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Sustainable Agriculture graduates earn a median of $41,174 four years after completion — roughly 8% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Agricultural Production Operations	01.03
Agricultural Production Operations, General	01.0301
Agricultural Production Operations, Other	01.0399
Animal/Livestock Husbandry and Production	01.0302
Apiculture	01.0310
Aquaculture	01.0303
Crop Production	01.0304
Dairy Husbandry and Production	01.0306
Horse Husbandry/Equine Science and Management	01.0307
Viticulture and Enology	01.0309
Range Science and Management	01.1106
Agronomy and Crop Science	01.1102

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.