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Plant breeder education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a plant breeder. Plant breeders usually study plant sciences, biology, or genetics. 62% of plant breeders hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 51 real plant breeder resumes to see exactly what plant breeder education sections show.
The most common colleges for plant breeders are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.
There are also many online plant breeder courses to help get the education required to be a plant breeder.
What education do you need to become a plant breeder?
What degree do you need to be a plant breeder?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Master's, 21%
- Doctorate, 9%
- Associate, 9%
What should I major in to become a plant breeder?
- Plant Sciences, 32%
- Biology, 11%
- Genetics, 8%
- Agriculture, 8%
- Other Majors, 41%
Most common colleges for plant breeders
| Plant breeder common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California - Davis | 8.70% |
| Boston University | 8.70% |
| Texas Tech University | 8.70% |
| Purdue University | 4.35% |
| Northeastern Illinois University | 4.35% |
Best majors for plant breeders
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plant Sciences | 31.6% |
| 2 | Biology | 10.5% |
| 3 | Genetics | 7.9% |
| 4 | Agriculture | 7.9% |
| 5 | Botany | 5.3% |
Best colleges for plant breeders
The best colleges for plant breeders are Harvard University, Cornell University, and Northwestern University.
A plant breeder with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for plant breeders. 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 plant breeders.
1. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
2. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$9,101
Enrollment
23,708
3. University of California - Davis
Davis, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,402
Enrollment
30,698
4. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
5. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
6. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
7. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
8. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
9. Texas A&M University
College Station, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$11,870
Enrollment
53,194
10. University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ • Private
In-state tuition
$12,467
Enrollment
33,509
20 best online courses for plant breeders
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1. Plant Bioinformatics
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2. Plant Bioinformatics Capstone
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20. Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods
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Top 10 most affordable universities for plant breeders
The most affordable schools for plant breeders are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - los angeles.
If the best universities for plant breeders 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 plant breeders.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
7. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
9. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
10. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for plant breeders
The hardest universities for plant breeders to get into are Harvard University, Cornell University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for plant breeders 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 plant breeders 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. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for plant breeders
The easiest schools for plant breeders to get into are Barry University, adventhealth university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a plant breeder 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 plant breeders.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
6. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
7. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
8. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
9. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
10. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
Average plant breeder salary by education level
| Plant breeder education level | Plant breeder salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $85,533 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $75,566 |
Plant breeder education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025