[College research](/) / [Rankings](/rankings/) # Best Agriculture, General Programs in the West (2026) Updated September 30, 2026 Part of [Best Agriculture Colleges in the West](/rankings/best-agriculture-colleges-in-the-west/) Regional list from [Agriculture, General Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-agriculture-general-programs/) This page ranks the 5 Agriculture, General programs in the West by the median earnings of Agriculture, General graduates four years after completing. [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo](/school/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo/majors/) ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $84,412 for its graduates four years after completing. Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $84,412 to $44,096, with a median of $61,369. All 5 programs are at public institutions. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ranks 58th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and it is also the most selective school on the list, with an admission rate of 31%. [California State University-Stanislaus](/school/california-state-university-stanislaus/majors/) posts the lowest average net price, at $6,067. ## The ranked list 5 schools in list order | Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA | $84,412 | $16,665 | $7,529 | 31.3% | | | [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo](/school/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo/majors/) reports [$84,412 in median earnings](/school/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo/outcomes/) of Agriculture, General graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 31%. | | 2 | California State University-Stanislaus · Turlock, CA | $64,669 | $6,067 | $3,938 | 98.1% | | | An [average net price of $6,067](/school/california-state-university-stanislaus/cost/) makes [California State University-Stanislaus](/school/california-state-university-stanislaus/majors/) the lowest on this list, and it ranks 83rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | | 3 | California State University-Chico · Chico, CA | $61,369 | $14,480 | $9,902 | 92.7% | | | With a cohort of 48 graduates in the earnings cohort, [California State University-Chico](/school/california-state-university-chico/majors/) posts [median earnings of $61,369](/school/california-state-university-chico/outcomes/) four years after completing. | | 4 | Oregon State University · Corvallis, OR | $53,547 | $19,604 | $12,107 | 77.3% | | | Graduates across all fields who borrowed at [Oregon State University](/school/oregon-state-university/majors/) left with a [median of $21,221](/school/oregon-state-university/outcomes/) in federal loans, and the program's median earnings stand at $53,547 four years after completing. | | 5 | University of Hawaii at Hilo · Hilo, HI | $44,096 | $11,856 | $8,983 | 60.6% | | | University of Hawaii at Hilo admits 61% of applicants and reports an average net price of $8,983 for families earning under $30,000. | ## How this list is ordered Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Agriculture, General graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the West appear. The figure captures the median earnings of federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled four years after completing. It does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost of attendance, or the characteristics of the students who enroll, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The spread from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo to the bottom of the list is $40,316, and the gap between California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo and California State University-Stanislaus is $19,743. ## Job market context in the West Graduates of Agriculture, General programs in the West enter occupations such as Agricultural Technicians, Soil and Plant Scientists, and Food Scientists and Technologists. Across those occupations the median annual wage is $71,268, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $56,652. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 8.8% higher, with 1,690 projected openings a year, or about 687 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 graduates four years after completing, not the occupational wage figures shown here. ## Related rankings - [Agriculture, General Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-agriculture-general-programs/) - [Best Colleges in the West](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-west/) - [Best Agriculture, General Programs in the Midwest](/rankings/best-agriculture-general-programs-in-the-midwest/) - [Best Agriculture, General Programs in the South](/rankings/best-agriculture-general-programs-in-the-south/) - Agriculture Colleges in the West for Social Mobility - [Best Agriculture Colleges in the West](/rankings/best-agriculture-colleges-in-the-west/)