California · Agriculture

Best colleges for Agriculture in California

Ranked by graduate earnings

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo, California State University - Stanislaus and California State University - Chico award the most Agriculture degrees and certificates in California: 59, 27 and 27 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 5 California colleges offer Agriculture and award 149 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Agriculture program, formally known as Agriculture, General, focuses on the essential practices of cultivating soil, planting, and harvesting crops, as well as livestock production. This program is ideal for students interested in the…

Institutions
5
offering CIP 01.00
States offered
47
with a program page
Degrees / yr
149
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$43,101
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
2
College Scorecard
Median net price
—
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
65%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Agricultural Technicians
$58,530
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 2 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings

Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo Public · Bachelor's degree
$64,7865986%—$21,903
2California State University - Stanislaus
Turlock Public · Bachelor's degree
$43,1012753%——

Colleges awarding the most Agriculture degrees in California

Top 5 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo Public
59$64,786
2California State University - Stanislaus
Turlock Public
27$43,101
3California State University - Chico
Chico Public
27Not reported
4California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
Pomona Public
20Not reported
5California State University - Fresno
Fresno Public
16Not reported

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Agricultural Technicians (SOC 19-4012).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+4.3%
About as fast as average
Openings / yr (US)
~2,900
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$46,790
typically Associate's degree

Top skills

Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingActive ListeningMonitoringWritingActive Learning

What Agricultural Technicians earn in California

Jobs in California
2,420
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$58,530
median $60,320
Best-paying metro
$66,620
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

Related careers

Agricultural Technicians
$58,530 avg · 2,420 jobs
Food Scientists and Technologists
$97,980 avg · 2,210 jobs
Soil and Plant Scientists
$99,260 avg · 1,440 jobs
Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary
$111,810 avg · 400 jobs
Animal Scientists
— avg · 140 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Agriculture programs in California.

Which California colleges award the most Agriculture degrees?+

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo (59 graduates a year), California State University - Stanislaus (27 graduates a year) and California State University - Chico (27 graduates a year) award the most Agriculture degrees and certificates in California, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 5 California colleges offer Agriculture.

Which Agriculture program in California has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo tops the list at $64,786. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Agricultural Technicians earn in California?+

The average annual wage for Agricultural Technicians in California is $58,530 (median $60,320), across about 2,420 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Agriculture program?+

The Agriculture program, formally known as Agriculture, General, focuses on the essential practices of cultivating soil, planting, and harvesting crops, as well as livestock production. This program is ideal for students interested in the…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop reading comprehension, critical thinking, active listening, monitoring, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Agricultural Technicians?+

The national job outlook is about +4.3% growth with around 2,900 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Associate's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

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