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Agricultural economist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an agricultural economist. Agricultural economists usually study agricultural business, economics, or history. 51% of agricultural economists hold a bachelor's degree, and 38% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 94 real agricultural economist resumes to see exactly what agricultural economist education sections show.
The most common colleges for agricultural economists are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.
There are also many online agricultural economist courses to help get the education required to be an agricultural economist.
What education do you need to become an agricultural economist?
What degree do you need to be an agricultural economist?
- Bachelor's, 51%
- Master's, 38%
- Diploma, 5%
- Doctorate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become an agricultural economist?
- Economics, 18%
- History, 6%
- Rural Sociology, 4%
- Other Majors, 36%
Most common colleges for agricultural economists
| Agricultural economist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 16.13% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 12.90% |
| Ohio State University | 6.45% |
| Friends University | 6.45% |
| Texas A&M University | 6.45% |
Best majors for agricultural economists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Agricultural Business | 35.8% |
| 2 | Economics | 17.9% |
| 3 | History | 6.0% |
| 4 | Rural Sociology | 4.5% |
| 5 | Political Science | 4.5% |
Best colleges for agricultural economists
The best colleges for agricultural economists are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
An agricultural economist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for agricultural economists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become agricultural economists.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
3. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
8. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
9. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,620
Enrollment
27,730
10. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
20 best online courses for agricultural economists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for agricultural economists
The most affordable schools for agricultural economists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for agricultural economists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for agricultural economists.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for agricultural economists
The hardest universities for agricultural economists to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for agricultural economists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for agricultural economists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
4. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for agricultural economists
The easiest schools for agricultural economists to get into are University of the Incarnate Word, university of baltimore, and the university of texas at el paso.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an agricultural economist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for agricultural economists.
1. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
2. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
3. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
4. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
5. Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, CA • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,072
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
8. Iona College
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,089
9. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
10. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
Average agricultural economist salary by education level
| Agricultural economist education level | Agricultural economist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $69,121 |
| Doctorate Degree | $108,216 |
Agricultural economist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025