Agriculture
Types of Degrees Agriculture Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many general agriculture graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Bachelor’s Degree | 1,908 |
Associate Degree | 827 |
Master’s Degree | 403 |
Undergraduate Certificate | 86 |
Basic Certificate | 18 |
Doctor’s Degree | 10 |
Graduate Certificate | 4 |
What Agriculture Majors Need to Know
People with careers related to agriculture were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.
Knowledge Areas for Agriculture Majors
This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:
- Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Skills for Agriculture Majors
agriculture majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Abilities for Agriculture Majors
As you progress with your agriculture degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
What Can You Do With a Agriculture Major?
People with a agriculture degree often go into the following careers:
Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Agricultural Sciences Professors | 7.9% | $84,640 |
Animal Scientists | 4.9% | $58,380 |
Food Scientists and Technologists | 5.9% | $65,300 |
Soil and Plant Scientists | 9.0% | $63,950 |
Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of agriculture majors is as follows:
Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 20 |
Black or African American | 235 |
Hispanic or Latino | 192 |
White | 1,335 |
International Students | 19 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 107 |
Geographic Diversity
Students from other countries are interested in Agriculture, too. About 1.0% of those with this major are international students.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Agriculture
Some degrees associated with agriculture may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.
Find out what the typical degree level is for agriculture careers below.
Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 0.3% |
Bachelor’s Degree | 24.8% |
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. | 2.0% |
Master’s Degree | 21.7% |
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. | 0.2% |
Doctoral Degree | 39.8% |
Post-Doctoral Training | 11.9% |
Online Agriculture Programs
The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
---|---|---|
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 0 | 0 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 15 | 0 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 1 | 0 |
Associate’s Degree | 103 | 6 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 4 | 0 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
Master’s Degree | 34 | 4 |
Post-Master’s | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 5 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
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Majors Related to Agriculture
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to agriculture.
Major | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Animal Science | 8,396 |
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians | 8,257 |
Agricultural Economics & Business | 8,085 |
Horticulture | 3,932 |
Veterinary Medicine | 3,555 |
Agricultural Production | 3,522 |
Plant Sciences | 3,307 |
Food Science Technology | 2,181 |
Agricultural Mechanization | 1,402 |
Animal Services | 1,217 |
Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences | 954 |
Agricultural Public Services | 866 |
Other Agriculture | 700 |
Agriculture/Veterinary Preparatory Programs | 486 |
Soil Sciences | 439 |
International Agriculture | 215 |
Food Processing | 198 |
Veterinary Administrative Services | 113 |
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
- Image Credit: By W.carter under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.