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Horticulturist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a horticulturist. Horticulturists usually study plant sciences, applied horticulture, or environmental science. 60% of horticulturists hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,493 real horticulturist resumes to see exactly what horticulturist education sections show.
The most common colleges for horticulturists are the Texas A&M; University and the Texas A&M; University.
There are also many online horticulturist courses to help get the education required to be a horticulturist.
There are certain horticulturist certifications that you should consider. These horticulturist certifications include Horticultural Therapist Master (HTM) and Certified Horticulturist (CH).
What education do you need to become a horticulturist?
What degree do you need to be a horticulturist?
- Bachelor's, 60%
- Associate, 20%
- High School Diploma, 10%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a horticulturist?
- Plant Sciences, 35%
- Applied Horticulture, 15%
- Biology, 6%
- Other Majors, 36%
Most common colleges for horticulturists
| Horticulturist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Texas A&M University | 7.84% |
| Colorado State University | 7.19% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 6.54% |
| University of Florida | 5.88% |
| Ohio State University | 5.88% |
Best majors for horticulturists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plant Sciences | 35.2% |
| 2 | Applied Horticulture | 15.1% |
| 3 | Environmental Science | 7.7% |
| 4 | Biology | 5.9% |
| 5 | Business | 4.5% |
Best colleges for horticulturists
The best colleges for horticulturists are Cornell University, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, and University of Maryland - College Park.
A horticulturist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for horticulturists. 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 horticulturists.
1. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
2. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
3. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$9,101
Enrollment
23,708
4. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
5. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
6. Texas A&M University
College Station, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$11,870
Enrollment
53,194
7. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
8. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
9. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
10. University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Lincoln, NE • Private
In-state tuition
$9,242
Enrollment
20,592
20 best online courses for horticulturists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for horticulturists
The most affordable schools for horticulturists are University of Florida, university of puerto rico - mayaguez, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for horticulturists 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 horticulturists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
5. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
6. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
8. Brigham Young University - Idaho
Rexburg, ID • Private
In-state tuition
$4,118
Cost of attendance
12,223
9. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Tifton, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$3,503
Cost of attendance
12,843
10. New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$6,686
Cost of attendance
17,885
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for horticulturists
The hardest universities for horticulturists to get into are Cornell University, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, and University of Maryland - College Park.
Some great schools for horticulturists 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 horticulturists 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. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
2. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
Admissions rate
30%
SAT average
1,339
3. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,362
5. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,345
6. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,337
7. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
1,365
8. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,336
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,309
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,347
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for horticulturists
The easiest schools for horticulturists to get into are North Dakota State University, washington state university, and south dakota state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a horticulturist 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 horticulturists.
1. North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,170
2. Washington State University
Pullman, WA • Private
Admissions rate
77%
SAT average
1,123
3. South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,149
4. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
5. Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
79%
SAT average
1,075
6. Alabama A & M University
Normal, AL • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
957
7. University of Wyoming
Laramie, WY • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,202
8. Clarke University
Dubuque, IA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
1,058
9. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
10. Brigham Young University - Idaho
Rexburg, ID • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,140
Average horticulturist salary by education level
| Horticulturist education level | Horticulturist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $40,699 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $35,175 |
Horticulturist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025