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2023 Best Value Colleges for Agricultural Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

29 Ranked Colleges
1,472 Degrees Awarded
$8,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 1,472 people earned their degree in agricultural engineering, making the major the 204th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, agricultural engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $57,068 and had an average of $23,086 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 29 colleges that offered a degree in agricultural engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality agricultural engineering programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the agricultural engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Agricultural Engineering (Income $0-$30k)

1
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Florida is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 22 ’s AE degrees in 2020-2021.

UF also took the #7 spot in our “Best Agricultural Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $65 for ae students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Florida.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Agricultural Engineering at UF

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 67 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our ae students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Agricultural Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,981 for ae students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Agricultural Engineering at UW - Madison

3
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 125 degrees to qualified ’s AE students in 2020-2021.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Agricultural Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $5,995 for ae students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Purdue Agricultural Engineering Report

4
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cornell University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 56 ’s AE degrees in 2020-2021.

Cornell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Agricultural Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell University is $5,244 for AE students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Agricultural Engineering at Cornell

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 128 ’s AE degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also took the #6 spot in our “Best Agricultural Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $4,858 for AE students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Agricultural Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

6

University of Maryland - College Park landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Maryland - College Park is a large school located in College Park, Maryland that handed out 137 ’s AE degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMCP, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Agricultural Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $6,067 for AE students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMCP.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UMCP Agricultural Engineering Report

7
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State University is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 59 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our ae students whose families make $0-$30k list, Michigan State has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Agricultural Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $6,927 for AE students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Michigan State Agricultural Engineering Report

8
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 42 ’s AE degrees in 2020-2021.

NC State also made our “Best Agricultural Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend North Carolina State University is $7,283 for AE students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Agricultural Engineering at NC State

9

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMN Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 45 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Agricultural Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,698 for ae students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Agricultural Engineering Report

10
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech did quite well in the 2023 Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Virginia Tech is a public institution located in Blacksburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 95 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Virginia Tech, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Agricultural Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,934 for AE students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Virginia Tech.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Agricultural Engineering at Virginia Tech

11

Iowa State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school handed out 80 diplomas to qualified ’s AE students in 2020-2021.

Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Agricultural Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $9,766 for AE students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Agricultural Engineering at Iowa State University

12

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 132 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our ae students whose families make $0-$30k list, Ohio State has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Agricultural Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,068 for ae students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Agricultural Engineering at Ohio State University - Main Campus

13
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

With a ranking of #13, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Athens, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s AE degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.

UGA also made our “Best Agricultural Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $8,303 for ae students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UGA.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Agricultural Engineering at University of Georgia

14

Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Texas A&M University - College Station is a large school located in College Station, Texas that handed out 59 ’s AE degrees in 2020-2021.

Texas A&M College Station not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Agricultural Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $11,220 for AE students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas A&M University - College Station.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Agricultural Engineering at Texas A&M College Station

15

University of California - Davis came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s AE degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Agricultural Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $10,006 for AE students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full University of California - Davis Agricultural Engineering Report

16
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Pullman, Washington, and it awarded 20 ’s AE degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our ae students whose families make $0-$30k list, Wazzu has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Agricultural Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Washington State University is $7,689 for AE students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Agricultural Engineering at Washington State University

17

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school handed out 51 diplomas to qualified ’s AE students in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made our “Best Agricultural Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $12,173 for AE students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Agricultural Engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

18

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Stillwater, Oklahoma. It awarded 22 ’s AE degrees in 2020-2021.

OSU also took the #23 spot in our “Best Agricultural Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is $8,609 for ae students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full OSU Agricultural Engineering Report

19

With a ranking of #19, The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is located in Knoxville, Tennessee and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s AE degrees to qualified students.

UT Knoxville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Agricultural Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UT Knoxville is $10,433 for AE students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Agricultural Engineering at UT Knoxville

20

North Dakota State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Fargo, North Dakota, this fairly large public school awarded 19 degrees to qualified ’s AE students in 2020-2021.

North Dakota State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Agricultural Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University is $11,835 for ae students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full North Dakota State University Agricultural Engineering Report

21

University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well in the 2023 Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. This large school is located in Lincoln, Nebraska, and it awarded 18 ’s AE degrees in 2020-2021.

UNL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Agricultural Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $11,672 for ae students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Nebraska - Lincoln Agricultural Engineering Report

22
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina

Clemson University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Clemson, South Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s AE degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.

Clemson also took the #18 spot in our “Best Agricultural Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Clemson University is $13,744 for ae students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Agricultural Engineering at Clemson University

23

University of Hawaii at Manoa did quite well in the 2023 Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Honolulu, Hawaii, this fairly large public school awarded 12 degrees to qualified ’s AE students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UH Manoa is $10,124 for ae students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Agricultural Engineering at UH Manoa

24
K -State crest
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. K -State is located in Manhattan, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 31 ’s AE degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our ae students whose families make $0-$30k list, K -State has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Agricultural Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend K -State is $13,436 for AE students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Agricultural Engineering at K -State

25
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

University of Kentucky did quite well in the 2023 Best Value AE Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Lexington, Kentucky is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s AE degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,593 for AE students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UK.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Agricultural Engineering at UK

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Notes and References

References

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