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Crop specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a crop specialist. Crop specialists usually study plant sciences, agricultural business, or business. 68% of crop specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 119 real crop specialist resumes to see exactly what crop specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for crop specialists are the Southern Illinois University Carbondale and the Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

There are also many online crop specialist courses to help get the education required to be a crop specialist.

What education do you need to become a crop specialist?

What degree do you need to be a crop specialist?

The most common degree for crop specialists is bachelor's degree, with 68% of crop specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 14% and associate degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 68%
  • Associate, 14%
  • Master's, 6%
  • High School Diploma, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a crop specialist?

You should major in plant sciences to become a crop specialist. 34% of crop specialists major in plant sciences. Other common majors for a crop specialist include agricultural business and business.

Most common colleges for crop specialists

Crop specialists often get their degrees at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, University of Iowa, and University of Maine at Farmington. Here are the most common colleges for crop specialists in the US based on their resumes.
Crop specialist common collegePercentages
Southern Illinois University Carbondale14.63%
University of Iowa9.76%
University of Maine at Farmington9.76%
University of Nebraska - Lincoln7.32%
University of Wisconsin Colleges7.32%

Best majors for crop specialists

RankMajorPercentages
1Plant Sciences34.3%
2Agricultural Business11.9%
3Business10.4%
4Agriculture6.0%
5Agricultural Operation And Science6.0%

Best colleges for crop specialists

The best colleges for crop specialists are University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, and Stanford University.

A crop specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for crop specialists. 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 crop specialists.

1. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

2. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

5. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

7. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

8. University of California - Davis

Davis, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,402

Enrollment

30,698

9. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

In-state tuition

$15,374

Enrollment

19,564

10. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

20 best online courses for crop specialists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for crop specialists

The most affordable schools for crop specialists are University of Florida, california state university - bakersfield, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for crop specialists 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 crop specialists.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. Dickinson State University

Dickinson, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$6,768

Cost of attendance

15,506

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for crop specialists

The hardest universities for crop specialists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for crop specialists 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 crop specialists 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

7. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

Admissions rate

30%

SAT average

1,339

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for crop specialists

The easiest schools for crop specialists to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, d'youville college, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a crop specialist 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 crop specialists.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average crop specialist salary by education level

According to our data, crop specialists with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $49,403 annually. Crop specialists with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $44,769.
Crop specialist education levelCrop specialist salary
Master's Degree$49,403
High School Diploma or Less$40,704
Bachelor's Degree$42,508
Some College/ Associate Degree$44,769

Crop specialist education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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