by our College Data Analytics TeamAre you interested in both the labor and management side of agriculture? Agricultural Production gives you the ability to have a hand in all aspects of farming operations.
A degree in agricultural production Operations will prepare you to be both a manager and a laborer. You will study operating systems, quality management, product design, supply chain management, and inventory control along with how to operate equipment and manage facilities and information. Some of your courses will cover accounting, human resources management, marketing, and business planning to prepare you to act as an operations manager. You will learn how to evaluate problems and risks and alleviate those in order to build a strong business.
This is a broad topic and, although it is possible to major in general Agricultural Production, often a school will offer different specialties that a student may concentrate on. Possible concentrations include Animal/Livestock Husbandry and Production, Aquaculture, Crop Production, Dairy Husbandry and Production, Horse Husbandry/Equine Science and Management, Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture, and Viticulture and Enology.
In 2021-2022, agricultural production was the 190th most popular major nationwide with 3,124 degrees awarded. This year's Best Agricultural Production Schools ranking compares 35 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of agricultural production programs later in this article.
As an Agricultural Production manager, you must understand all aspects of the farm, determine how to best raise crops or livestock, purchase supplies, maintain facilities, and keep financial, production, and employee records. This career requires a solid understanding of business and strong communication and customer service skills. You must be able to communication effectively with laborers and workers as well as customers. If you choose to work with livestock, you must have a background in animal science. Multi-tasking is also a required skill because you must be able to split your time between outdoor labor and office tasks.
Since this career requires work all over the farm, hours can be long. During planting and harvesting seasons, work days last from sun up to sun down. Other times of the year, days are spent maintaining the farm and repairing equipment. Work on livestock farms is consistent since the animals constantly need caring for. As a manager or supervisor, you will be expected to work long days to ensure everything on the farm is running smoothly.
Agricultural Production Operations managers typically gain experience working on a farm before rising to a management position. It is recommended that you gain experience through a summer job, internship, Co-op or work abroad program before pursuing a management position.
A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required for most agricultural production degree programs and many students will need a minimum GPA and SAT/ACT score depending on the school. In addition to these basic agricultural production program qualifications, to serve in some agricultural production careers, special certification may be required outside of your degree.
There are various different levels of agricultural production degrees. You can spend many years getting as high as a in agricultural production to something that takes less time like a . The type of agricultural production degree you choose will determine how long it takes to get your diploma.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to agricultural production, with approximately 30.4% of workers getting one. People currently working in careers related to agricultural production tend obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 28.6% |
| Doctoral Degree | 17.1% |
| High School Diploma | 16.0% |
| Master’s Degree | 11.0% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 7.4% |
62.0% of agricultural production workers have at least a bachelor's. View the chart below to get an idea of what degree level most of those in agricultural production careers have.
The education level required is different depending on the agricultural production career you are seeking.
Studying Agricultural Production will prepare you to manage and oversee all types of farming operations. Some people will choose to be self-employed and run their own farm while others work as managers or supervisors. Due to the ability of farms to increase output with fewer workers, this career is moderately declining and is expected to continue this trend, possibly making it difficult to find jobs.
Want a job when you graduate with your agricultural production degree?
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to agricultural production.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Farmers, Ranchers, and Agricultural Managers | 1,020,700 | -0.8% |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Worker Supervisors | 49,700 | 2.1% |
| Conservation Scientists | 23,700 | 6.3% |
| Soil and Plant Scientists | 21,700 | 9.0% |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 18,000 | 5.9% |
Recently graduated agricultural production students earned an average of $37,530 in <nil>. Earnings can range from as low as $24,427 to as high as $62,869. As you might expect, salaries for agricultural production graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for agricultural production graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers agricultural production grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Forestry & Conservation Science Professors | $92,550 |
| Agricultural Sciences Professors | $90,890 |
| Farmers, Ranchers, and Agricultural Managers | $79,940 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | $72,570 |
| Soil and Plant Scientists | $70,630 |
With over 584 different agricultural production degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased agricultural production school rankings to help you with this.
One of 18 majors within the Agriculture & Agriculture Operations area of study, Agricultural Production has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Animal/Livestock Husbandry & Production | 872 |
| Agricultural Production Operations | 617 |
| Agroecology & Sustainable Agriculture | 597 |
| Horse Husbandry/Equine Science & Management | 427 |
| Crop Production | 377 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians | 8,951 |
| Animal Science | 8,178 |
| Agricultural Economics & Business | 8,140 |
| Horticulture | 3,591 |
| Veterinary Medicine | 3,468 |
