Horticultural Science
CIP Code: 1.1103A horticultural science degree prepares graduates for careers in Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers, Agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary, Soil and plant scientists and more. 50 colleges and universities offer this program.
Horticultural Science Salary by College
Nationally, bachelor’s graduates in this field earn a median $56,567 four years after graduating (middle half: $41,837–$73,901). Where you study it matters: across 44 colleges with reported results, pay ranges from $34,672 to $82,487.
Sort by:
| # | College | 4 yrs after | Wage-adjusted | 1 yr after | Median debt | Outcome Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA | $82,487 | $75,058 | $63,129 | $15,000 | A+ |
| 2 | South Dakota State University Brookings, SD | $78,494 | $84,491 | $58,787 | $22,125 | B |
| 3 | California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA | $77,034 | $70,096 | $60,443 | $11,731 | C+ |
| 4 | University of California-Davis Davis, CA | $72,335 | $65,820 | $43,873 | — | A |
| 5 | California State University-Chico Chico, CA | $68,629 | $62,448 | $43,944 | $13,826 | B |
| 6 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA | $66,714 | $60,705 | $46,152 | $11,375 | B+ |
| 7 | Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX | $66,513 | $67,624 | $45,163 | $17,249 | A |
| 8 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL | $63,279 | $62,171 | $45,411 | $15,750 | A+ |
| 9 | University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO | $62,957 | $67,503 | $46,627 | $17,924 | A |
| 10 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE | $61,946 | $64,024 | $47,716 | $18,875 | B |
| 11 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN | $61,587 | $67,277 | $40,355 | $20,500 | B+ |
| 12 | Arkansas State University Jonesboro, AR | $61,397 | $72,351 | $49,536 | $14,716 | D |
| 13 | University of Wisconsin-Platteville Platteville, WI | $61,085 | $63,562 | $47,910 | $15,250 | B |
| 14 | Iowa State University Ames, IA | $60,997 | $64,161 | $49,393 | $17,039 | B+ |
| 15 | University of Wisconsin-River Falls River Falls, WI | $59,732 | $62,154 | $48,791 | $19,000 | C+ |
| 16 | University of Minnesota-Crookston Crookston, MN | $59,240 | $56,587 | $57,915 | $19,763 | C+ |
| 17 | Cornell University Ithaca, NY | $58,960 | $56,118 | $32,236 | $14,250 | A+ |
| 18 | Kansas State University Manhattan, KS | $58,603 | $60,839 | $50,115 | $21,500 | B |
| 20 | Oregon State University-Cascades Campus Bend, OR | $57,950 | $58,291 | $38,397 | $24,005 | B |
| 19 | Oregon State University Corvallis, OR | $57,950 | $58,291 | $38,397 | $24,005 | B+ |
| 21 | Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH | $56,812 | $60,627 | $42,712 | $18,281 | A |
| 22 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA | $56,630 | $51,567 | $42,861 | $18,955 | A |
| 23 | Southeast Missouri State University Cape Girardeau, MO | $56,265 | $60,328 | $48,546 | $17,355 | D |
| 24 | Chadron State College Chadron, NE | $53,484 | $55,278 | $36,558 | $14,513 | F |
| 25 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL | $53,270 | $56,699 | $36,372 | $13,015 | A+ |
| 26 | Clemson University Clemson, SC | $52,844 | $58,596 | $46,395 | $20,500 | A+ |
| 27 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN | $52,707 | $50,346 | $35,216 | $16,070 | A |
| 28 | University of Wyoming Laramie, WY | $52,652 | $54,875 | $36,062 | — | B |
| 29 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA | $52,329 | $53,219 | — | $22,048 | A |
| 30 | Auburn University Auburn, AL | $52,104 | $59,143 | $39,024 | $17,750 | A |
| 31 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA | $51,912 | $45,714 | $37,170 | $23,250 | B+ |
| 32 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC | $51,696 | $55,477 | $42,008 | $19,432 | A |
| 33 | SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill Cobleskill, NY | $51,399 | $48,921 | — | — | F |
| 34 | Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS | $50,653 | $61,458 | $45,994 | $19,500 | B |
| 35 | West Virginia University Morgantown, WV | $50,249 | $59,447 | $37,454 | $25,000 | B+ |
| 36 | Delaware Valley University Doylestown, PA | $48,031 | $48,848 | — | — | C+ |
| 37 | Texas A & M University-Kingsville Kingsville, TX | $47,878 | $48,678 | $34,744 | $19,408 | D |
| 38 | Michigan State University East Lansing, MI | $47,404 | $49,982 | $35,701 | $22,550 | A |
| 39 | University of Idaho Moscow, ID | $47,392 | $50,395 | $44,559 | — | C+ |
| 40 | Missouri State University-Springfield Springfield, MO | $47,267 | $50,680 | $36,173 | $16,500 | C |
| 41 | Montana State University Bozeman, MT | $45,392 | $49,584 | $33,311 | $20,500 | C+ |
| 42 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO | $42,034 | $39,310 | $36,980 | $17,500 | C+ |
| 43 | Temple University Philadelphia, PA | $35,728 | $36,336 | — | — | B+ |
| 44 | University of Vermont Burlington, VT | $34,672 | $35,611 | $33,221 | — | B+ |
Bachelor’s degrees. Wage-adjusted = pay ÷ √(state wage index). Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data.
What Can You Do With a Horticultural Science Degree?
Graduates with this degree pursue careers in the following fields:
Best Colleges for Horticultural Science
Ranked by Repit grade, then by degrees awarded. These are the top-rated colleges that produce the most graduates in horticultural science.
| # | College | Location | Degrees Awarded | Repit Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Florida | Gainesville, FL | 44 | A |
| 2 | University of Georgia | Athens, GA | 43 | A |
| 3 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | Raleigh, NC | 60 | B+ |
| 4 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Blacksburg, VA | 29 | B+ |
| 5 | Purdue University-Main Campus | West Lafayette, IN | 25 | B+ |
| 6 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | Fort Collins, CO | 70 | B |
| 7 | Oregon State University | Corvallis, OR | 56 | B |
| 8 | Iowa State University | Ames, IA | 49 | B |
| 9 | Kansas State University | Manhattan, KS | 40 | B |
| 10 | Michigan State University | East Lansing, MI | 33 | B |
| 11 | Auburn University | Auburn, AL | 25 | B |
| 12 | Missouri State University-Springfield | Springfield, MO | 36 | C+ |
| 13 | SUNY Morrisville | Morrisville, NY | 44 | C |
Largest Horticultural Science Programs
Schools ranked by number of graduates. These institutions produce the most horticultural science graduates annually, including online and distance learning programs.
| # | College | Location | Degrees Awarded | Repit Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | Fort Collins, CO | 70 | B |
| 2 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | Raleigh, NC | 60 | B+ |
| 3 | Oregon State University | Corvallis, OR | 56 | B |
| 4 | Iowa State University | Ames, IA | 49 | B |
| 5 | University of Florida | Gainesville, FL | 44 | A |
| 6 | SUNY Morrisville | Morrisville, NY | 44 | C |
| 7 | University of Georgia | Athens, GA | 43 | A |
| 8 | Kansas State University | Manhattan, KS | 40 | B |
| 9 | Missouri State University-Springfield | Springfield, MO | 36 | C+ |
| 10 | Michigan State University | East Lansing, MI | 33 | B |
| 11 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Blacksburg, VA | 29 | B+ |
| 12 | Purdue University-Main Campus | West Lafayette, IN | 25 | B+ |
| 13 | Auburn University | Auburn, AL | 25 | B |
About Horticultural Science
Horticultural Science is a degree program offered at 50 colleges and universities across the United States. Each year, approximately 903 students graduate with this degree.
Graduates with this degree can pursue careers such as farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers, agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary, soil and plant scientists, farm and home management educators.