by our College Data Analytics TeamAgricultural Production Operations was the 1,275 most popular major in the 2020-2021 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 19 degrees in this year alone. This represents a 26.3% reduction in ag production ops degrees awarded over the prior year's total of 24.
Our 2023 Best Agricultural Production Operations Schools ranking analyzes 1 of these schools to determine the best overall colleges for agricultural production operations students. Explore this or one of our many other custom ag production ops rankings further below.
One of the most important skills you will need for a career in agricultural production operations is using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems. Talking to others to convey information effectively and monitoring assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action are all required skills for careers related to this major.
A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required for most ag production ops 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 operations program qualifications, to serve in some ag production ops careers, special certification may be required outside of your degree.
Ag Production Ops degree levels vary. You can spend many years getting as high as a in agricultural production operations to something that takes less time like a . How long it takes to complete some common ag production ops degree levels is shown below.
| 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 ag production ops, with approximately 27.7% of workers getting one. Find out other typical degree levels for ag production ops workers below.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 26.3% |
| High School Diploma | 20.1% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 12.5% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 10.6% |
| Doctoral Degree | 10.5% |
59.0% of ag production ops workers have at least a associate. See the chart below for the most common degree level workers in agricultural production operations have received.
This of course varies depending on which ag production ops career you choose.
Want a job when you graduate with your ag production ops degree?
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to agricultural production operations.
| 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% |
| Agricultural Sciences Professors | 13,600 | 7.9% |
As you might expect, salaries for ag production ops graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for agricultural production operations graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers ag production ops grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Agricultural Sciences Professors | $90,890 |
| Farmers, Ranchers, and Agricultural Managers | $79,940 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Worker Supervisors | $50,790 |
With over 14 different ag production ops 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 ag production ops school rankings to help you with this.
One of 7 majors within the Agricultural Production area of study, Agricultural Production Operations has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Animal/Livestock Husbandry & Production | 878 |
| Agricultural Production Operations | 605 |
| Agroecology & Sustainable Agriculture | 552 |
| Horse Husbandry/Equine Science & Management | 436 |
| Crop Production | 350 |
