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# Best Agricultural Engineering Programs in the South (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Engineering Colleges in the South](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges-in-the-south/)

Regional list from [Agricultural Engineering Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-agricultural-engineering-programs/)

This page ranks the 9 Agricultural Engineering programs in the South by the median earnings of Agricultural Engineering graduates four years after completing. [University of Maryland-College Park](/school/university-of-maryland-college-park/majors/) leads the list with median earnings of $93,440 four years after completing, followed by [Clemson University](/school/clemson-university/majors/) at $88,338 and [Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University](/school/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university/majors/) at $88,315.

Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $93,440 to $64,791, with a median of $85,141. For 1 of the 9 programs the earnings figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.

Every program on the list is at a public institution. Texas A&M University-College Station ranks 25th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

University of Georgia posts the lowest average net price at $13,936, while University of Kentucky has the highest admission rate, admitting 93% of applicants.

## The ranked list

9 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | University of Maryland-College Park · College Park, MD | $93,440 | $15,678 | $2,962 | 44.8% |
|  | [University of Maryland-College Park](/school/university-of-maryland-college-park/majors/) reports [median earnings of $93,440](/school/university-of-maryland-college-park/outcomes/) for its Agricultural Engineering graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. |
| 2 | Clemson University · Clemson, SC | $88,338 | $22,253 | $13,607 | 38.3% |
|  | [Clemson University](/school/clemson-university/majors/) ranks 2nd on this page, with an [admission rate of 38%](/school/clemson-university/admissions/) and median earnings of $88,338 for its Agricultural Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 3 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Blacksburg, VA | $88,315 | $24,953 | $11,689 | 54.8% |
|  | Graduates across all fields who borrowed at [Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University](/school/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university/majors/) left with a [median of $21,500](/school/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university/outcomes/) in federal loans, while its Agricultural Engineering completers earned a median of $88,315 four years after completing. |
| 4 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $85,393 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
|  | [Texas A&M University-College Station](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/majors/) holds an [Azimuth composite rank of 25th](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $85,393 for its Agricultural Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 5 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville · Knoxville, TN | $85,141 | $18,976 | $10,029 | 41.6% |
|  | [The University of Tennessee-Knoxville](/school/the-university-of-tennessee-knoxville/majors/) posts an [average net price of $18,976](/school/the-university-of-tennessee-knoxville/cost/) and median earnings of $85,141 for its Agricultural Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 6 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh · Raleigh, NC | $84,848 | $17,303 | $6,382 | 41.7% |
|  | [North Carolina State University at Raleigh](/school/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh/majors/) reports [median earnings of $84,848](/school/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh/outcomes/) for its Agricultural Engineering graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $6,382 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 7 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus · Stillwater, OK | $83,517 | $17,447 | $12,243 | 75.0% |
|  | [Oklahoma State University-Main Campus](/school/oklahoma-state-university-main-campus/majors/) [admits 75% of applicants](/school/oklahoma-state-university-main-campus/admissions/) and its Agricultural Engineering graduates earn a median of $83,517 four years after completing. |
| 8 | University of Kentucky · Lexington, KY | $68,605 | $18,851 | $12,182 | 92.9% |
|  | [University of Kentucky](/school/university-of-kentucky/majors/) ranks 8th on this list, with a [median of $22,500](/school/university-of-kentucky/outcomes/) in federal loans across all of its borrowers who completed and earnings of $68,605 for its Agricultural Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 9 | University of Georgia · Athens, GA | $64,791 | $13,936 | $8,085 | 37.7% |
|  | An [average net price of $13,936](/school/university-of-georgia/cost/) makes [University of Georgia](/school/university-of-georgia/majors/) the lowest on the page, and its Agricultural Engineering graduates earn a median of $64,791 four years after completing. |

## How this list is ordered

Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Agricultural Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the South appear. The figure reflects federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled. For 1 of the 9 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The spread from University of Maryland-College Park to the bottom of the list is $28,649, with a gap of $5,102 between University of Maryland-College Park and Clemson University.

## Job market context in the South

Graduates of Agricultural Engineering programs in the South enter a labor market that links to occupations such as Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary and Agricultural Engineers. The median annual wage across those occupations is $114,529, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $78,923. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 9.2% higher, with 6,150 projected openings a year, or about 2,036 openings a year for every hundred graduates, suggesting more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. These market figures describe the occupations, not the earnings of any listed program's graduates, which the ranking measures directly.

## Related rankings

-   [Agricultural Engineering Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-agricultural-engineering-programs/)
-   [Best Colleges in the South](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-south/)
-   [Best Agricultural Engineering Programs in the Midwest](/rankings/best-agricultural-engineering-programs-in-the-midwest/)
-   [Best Engineering Colleges in the South](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges-in-the-south/)