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# Best Agriculture Colleges in California (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

This page ranks the 9 Agriculture schools in California by median earnings of Agriculture graduates four years after completing. [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo](/school/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo/majors/) leads the list with median earnings of $73,630 four years after completing.

Across the 7 schools with a published figure, earnings range from $73,630 to $26,353, with a median of $59,146. For 2 of the 9 listed schools the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.

All 9 schools on the list are 9 public institutions. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo posts the highest six-year completion rate at 86%, and California State University-Los Angeles reports the lowest average net price at $3,967.

California State University-Los Angeles ranks 3rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

## The ranked list

9 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Median Agriculture Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA | $73,630 | $16,665 | $7,529 | 31.3% |
|  | [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo](/school/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo/majors/) reports [$73,630 in median earnings](/school/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo/outcomes/) of Agriculture graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 31%. |
|  | Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Animal Sciences (165 graduates), Agricultural Business and Management (120 graduates), Food Science and Technology (101 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Agricultural Business and Management ($88,396), Agriculture, General ($84,412), Plant Sciences ($82,487) |
| 2 | California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA | $65,006 | $7,000 | $5,105 | 95.3% |
|  | With an [average net price of $7,000,](/school/california-state-university-fresno/cost/) [California State University-Fresno](/school/california-state-university-fresno/majors/) ranks 2nd on this list and posts median earnings of $65,006 four years after completing. |
|  | Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Agricultural Business and Management (109 graduates), Animal Sciences (88 graduates), Food Science and Technology (63 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Plant Sciences ($77,034), Agricultural Business and Management ($67,731), Food Science and Technology ($64,225) |
| 3 | California State University-Stanislaus · Turlock, CA | $64,669 | $6,067 | $3,938 | 98.1% |
|  | A [six-year completion rate of 53%](/school/california-state-university-stanislaus/outcomes/) coincides with median earnings of $64,669 for Agriculture graduates of [California State University-Stanislaus](/school/california-state-university-stanislaus/majors/) four years after completing. |
|  | Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Agriculture, General (29 graduates) |
| 4 | California State University-Chico · Chico, CA | $59,146 | $14,480 | $9,902 | 92.7% |
|  | [California State University-Chico](/school/california-state-university-chico/majors/) ranks 4th on this list and reports an [average net price of $14,480](/school/california-state-university-chico/cost/) alongside a six-year completion rate of 63%. |
|  | Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Agricultural Business and Management (77 graduates), Animal Sciences (67 graduates), Agriculture, General (48 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Plant Sciences ($68,629), Agricultural Business and Management ($65,198), Animal Sciences ($48,474) |
| 5 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA | $56,610 | $11,531 | $7,851 | 75.2% |
|  | Admitting 75% of applicants, [California State Polytechnic University-Pomona](/school/california-state-polytechnic-university-pomona/majors/) shows [median earnings of $56,610](/school/california-state-polytechnic-university-pomona/outcomes/) for its Agriculture graduates four years after completing. |
|  | Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Animal Sciences (139 graduates), Food Science and Technology (24 graduates), Plant Sciences (23 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Food Science and Technology ($75,601), Plant Sciences ($66,714), Animal Sciences ($53,017) |
| 6 | California State University-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | No published median | $3,967 | $2,877 | 91.3% |
|  | [California State University-Los Angeles](/school/california-state-university-los-angeles/majors/) holds the lowest average net price on the page at $3,967 and an [admission rate of 91%](/school/california-state-university-los-angeles/admissions/). |
|  | Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Food Science and Technology (8 graduates) |
| 7 | University of California-Davis · Davis, CA | No published median | $14,741 | $9,211 | 41.8% |
|  | Graduating 86% of its students within six years, [University of California-Davis](/school/university-of-california-davis/majors/) reports an [average net price of $14,741](/school/university-of-california-davis/cost/). |
|  | Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Animal Sciences (368 graduates), Food Science and Technology (63 graduates), Agricultural Production Operations (28 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Food Science and Technology ($70,571), Animal Sciences ($48,441) |
| 8 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt · Arcata, CA | $39,927 | $13,171 | $8,483 | 98.2% |
|  | [California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt](/school/california-state-polytechnic-university-humboldt/majors/) reports [median earnings of $39,927](/school/california-state-polytechnic-university-humboldt/outcomes/) for its Agriculture graduates two years after completing and an admission rate of 98%. |
|  | Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Plant Sciences (8 graduates) |
| 9 | University of California-Santa Cruz · Santa Cruz, CA | $26,353 | $17,890 | $8,717 | 65.8% |
|  | Ranking 9th on this list, [University of California-Santa Cruz](/school/university-of-california-santa-cruz/majors/) posts [median earnings of $26,353](/school/university-of-california-santa-cruz/outcomes/) two years after completing and a six-year completion rate of 75%. |
|  | Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Plant Sciences (13 graduates), Agricultural Production Operations (6 graduates) |

## How this list is ordered

Schools are ordered by the median earnings of their Agriculture graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only schools with a reported Agriculture earnings cohort in California appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing the program. For 2 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 range and median below cover the 7 schools with a published figure. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo leads the list at $73,630, opening a gap of $8,624 over second-place California State University-Fresno.

## Job market context in California

Agriculture graduates in California enter occupations such as Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals, First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers, and Food Science Technicians. The median annual wage across those occupations is $61,935, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $49,831. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 4.2% higher, with 134,430 projected openings a year, or about 7,046 openings a year for every hundred graduates, more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses the median earnings of Agriculture graduates four years after completing; the market figures describe the broader occupations, and the two are not the same measure.

## Related rankings

-   [Best Agriculture Colleges in the United States](/rankings/best-agriculture-colleges/)
-   [Best Colleges in California](/rankings/best-colleges-in-california/)
-   [Best Agriculture Colleges in Texas](/rankings/best-agriculture-colleges-in-texas/)
-   Agriculture Colleges in Kentucky
-   Agriculture Colleges in Louisiana
-   Agriculture Colleges in Missouri