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2025 Best Animal Science Schools in the Plains States Region

11 Colleges in the Plains States Region
1,189 Animal Science Degrees Awarded
$34,874 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in animal science is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #92 out of 395 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

College Factual looked at 11 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Animal Science Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,189 degrees in animal science to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Animal Science School

Best Animal Science Schools in the Plains States Region The animal science program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Animal Science rankings. We derive our Best Overall Animal Science School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Animal Science Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Animal Science
Bachelor's Degrees in Animal Science
Master's Degrees in Animal Science
Doctor's Degrees in Animal Science

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Animal Science Schools in the Plains States Region list, to help you choose the best school for you. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Animal Science in the Plains States Region

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the animal science degree levels they offer.

10 Top Plains States Region Schools in Animal Science

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
262 Animal Science Degrees Awarded
14.1% Growth in Graduates

Iowa State University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in animal science. Located in the small city of Ames, Iowa State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #88 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Iowa State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 262 animal science students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent year we have data available. Those animal science students who get their degree from Iowa State University make $4,693 more than the average animal science grad.

More information about a degree in animal science from Iowa State University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
133 Animal Science Degrees Awarded
$44,844 Median Starting Salary

South Dakota State University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in animal science. South Dakota State is a fairly large public university located in the town of Brookings. This university ranks 3rd out of 13 schools for overall quality in the state of South Dakota.

There were roughly 133 animal science students who graduated with this degree at South Dakota State in the most recent year we have data available. Those animal science students who get their degree from South Dakota State University make $9,970 more than the average animal science grad.

More information about a degree in animal science from South Dakota State University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
116 Animal Science Degrees Awarded
6.0% Growth in Graduates

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a good decision for students pursuing a degree in animal science. Located in the city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were roughly 116 animal science students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the animal science program earn about $34,073 for their early career.

More information about a degree in animal science from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
267 Animal Science Degrees Awarded
4.1% Growth in Graduates

Kansas State University is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in animal science. K -State is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Manhattan. A Best Colleges rank of #269 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means K -State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 267 animal science students who graduated with this degree at K -State in the most recent year we have data available. Animal Science degree recipients from Kansas State University earn a boost of approximately $3,994 over the average income of animal science graduates.

More information about a degree in animal science from Kansas State University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
121 Animal Science Degrees Awarded
2.5% Growth in Graduates

UNL is a very large public university located in the city of Lincoln. A Best Colleges rank of #207 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UNL is a great university overall.

There were roughly 121 animal science students who graduated with this degree at UNL in the most recent data year. Animal Science degree recipients from University of Nebraska - Lincoln get an earnings boost of around $4,190 above the average earnings of animal science graduates.

More information about a degree in animal science from University of Nebraska - Lincoln

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
98 Animal Science Degrees Awarded
4.1% Growth in Graduates

Mizzou is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Columbia. A Best Colleges rank of #131 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Mizzou is a great university overall.

There were approximately 98 animal science students who graduated with this degree at Mizzou in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, animal science degree recipients usually earn an average of $34,678 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in animal science from University of Missouri - Columbia

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
59 Animal Science Degrees Awarded
32.2% Growth in Graduates

North Dakota State University is a large public university located in the medium-sized city of Fargo. This university ranks 4th out of 12 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Dakota.

There were roughly 59 animal science students who graduated with this degree at North Dakota State University in the most recent year we have data available. Those animal science students who get their degree from North Dakota State University - Main Campus receive $4,416 more than the average animal science graduate.

More information about a degree in animal science from North Dakota State University - Main Campus

8
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In NE

Northeast is a moderately-sized public college located in the town of Norfolk. This college ranks 10th out of 19 schools for overall quality in the state of Nebraska.

There were approximately 9 animal science students who graduated with this degree at Northeast in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in animal science from Northeast Community College

9

Located in the town of Maryville, Northwest is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 20th out of 48 colleges for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were approximately 16 animal science students who graduated with this degree at Northwest in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the animal science program make about $34,876 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in animal science from Northwest Missouri State University

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$35,072 Median Starting Salary

UMN Crookston is a small public university located in the distant town of Crookston. This university ranks 48th out of 52 colleges for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were approximately 14 animal science students who graduated with this degree at UMN Crookston in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the animal science program state that they receive average early career income of $35,072.

More information about a degree in animal science from University of Minnesota - Crookston

Best Animal Science Colleges by State

Explore the best animal science schools for a specific state in the Plains States Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 284 131
Missouri 283 172
Kansas 266 248
Iowa 264 235
Nebraska 238 128
North Dakota 210 40
South Dakota 204 134

View All Rankings >

Animal Science is one of 18 different types of Agriculture & Agriculture Operations programs to choose from.

Animal Science Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Animal Sciences, General 1,136
Dairy Science 33
Livestock Management 10
Animal Health 8
Agricultural Animal Breeding 2

View All Animal Science Concentrations >

Majors Similar to Animal Science

Related Major Annual Graduates
Agricultural Economics & Business 1,971
Plant Sciences 683
Veterinary Medicine 474
Agricultural Production 466
General Agriculture 424
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians 405
Food Science Technology 312
Agricultural Mechanization 292
Horticulture 234
Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences 175

View All Animal Science Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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