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2023 Horticulture Degree Guide

If you have a green thumb, you may be a great fit for Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services.

Horticulture focuses on the production and processing of shrubs, foliage, trees, and other plants. Majoring in Horticulture means you will learn everything there is to know about plants. Many of your classes will include agriculture and biological sciences. Classes will focus on plant genetics, structures, and diseases. You will also take business classes to learn the basics of administration, management, and sales.

Schools offer the ability to major in general horticulture, but you also have the opportunity to choose a specialty. Some of these concentrations include Ornamental Horticulture, Greenhouse Operations and Management, Landscaping and Grounds keeping, Plant Nursery Operations and Management, Turf and Turf grass Management, Floriculture/Floristry Operations and Management.

Horticulture Degrees Decreasing

#218 Most Popular Major
3.2k Degrees Awarded
-25.3% Increase in Graduates

In 2020-2021, horticulture was the 218th most popular major nationwide with 3,234 degrees awarded. This represents a 25.3% reduction in horticulture degrees awarded over the prior year's total of 4,051.

Our 2023 Best Horticulture Schools ranking analyzes 41 of these schools to determine the best overall colleges for horticulture students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of horticulture programs later in this article.

2023 Best Colleges for Horticulture
2023 Overall Best Horticulture Colleges >

Best Horticulture Schools by Degree

Associate Degrees in Horticulture
Bachelor's Degrees in Horticulture
Master's Degrees in Horticulture
Doctorate Degrees in Horticulture

Horticulture Degree Requirements

Horticulturists arrange plants everywhere from residences and baseball fields to office buildings and golf courses. A degree in Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services will provide you with the ability to grow and maintain plants while having the ability to manipulate them through genetic mutations.

Since you will be working to sell your services, it is imperative that you have great marketing and customer service skills. You must also be extremely knowledgeable on certain types of plants, soils, and insects so you can meet customers' needs and ensure they are happy with the final result. Self-motivation and stamina are beneficial as you often do physically strenuous labor for long hours with little supervision. Typical work hours are anytime during the daylight hours causing some days to be very long.

Although it is not necessary, it would be beneficial to gain experience in this field with a summer job or internship. This will teach you the basics on how to plant and maintain areas before deciding to enter this field as a career.

Horticulture Degree Program Entry Requirements

horticulture degree applicants generally need have finished high school or their GED. Many schools may also have GPA and SAT/ACT score minimums that must be met. Specific horticulture careers may require a certain level of degree attainment or additional certifications beyond that.

Horticulture Degree Types

There are various different levels of horticulture degrees. You can spend many years getting as high as a in horticulture to something that takes less time like a . Horticulture programs can take anywhere between one to four or more years for a full-time student to complete.

Degree Credit Requirements Typical Program Length
Associate Degree 60-70 credits 2 years
Bachelor’s Degree 120 credits 4 years
Master’s Degree 50-70 credits 1-3 years
Doctorate Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation At least 4 years

A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to horticulture, with approximately 18.2% of workers getting one. See the the most common levels of education for horticulture workers below.

Level of Education Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma 27.0%
Bachelor’s Degree 17.7%
Post-Secondary Certificate 13.9%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 12.4%
Doctoral Degree 8.7%

51.0% of horticulture workers have at least a associate. The chart below shows what degree level those who work in horticulture have obtained.

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The education level required is different depending on the horticulture career you are seeking.

Career Opportunities for A Degree In Horticulture Graduate

Above Average Number of Jobs
$37k Average Starting Salary
3% Growth Job Outlook 2016-26

There is a wide variety of careers open to you when you major in Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services. You have the option to open your own landscaping business, become a nursery or greenhouse manager, work as a grounds keeper, or go into commercial fruit or vegetable production. Anything plant related is available to you. Plus, this is a growing career. Job opportunities are increasing, especially in areas with a warmer climate.

Steady Demand Projected for Horticulture Careers

Want a job when you graduate with your horticulture degree? Horticulture careers are expected to grow 2.7% between 2016 and 2026.

The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to horticulture.

Occupation Name Projected Jobs Expected Growth
Retail Sales Supervisors 1,590,100 3.8%
Farmers, Ranchers, and Agricultural Managers 1,020,700 -0.8%
Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Supervisors 198,600 11.4%
Pesticide Applicators 41,000 7.9%
Agricultural Sciences Professors 13,600 7.9%

Horticulture Degree Salary Potential

Recently graduated horticulture students earned an average of $37,002 in 2019-2020. Earnings can range from as low as $19,478 to as high as $53,956. As you might expect, salaries for horticulture graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.

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High Paying Careers for Horticulture Majors

Salaries for horticulture graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers horticulture grads often go into.

Occupation Name Median Average Salary
Agricultural Sciences Professors $90,890
Farmers, Ranchers, and Agricultural Managers $79,940
Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Supervisors $51,280
Retail Sales Supervisors $45,080
Pesticide Applicators $38,210

Getting Your Horticulture Degree

With over 785 different horticulture degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased horticulture school rankings to help you with this.

One of 16 majors within the Agriculture & Agriculture Operations area of study, Horticulture has other similar majors worth exploring.

Horticulture Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Applied Horticulture/Horticulture Operations 1,617
L&scaping & Groundskeeping 781
Turf & Turfgrass Management 340
Ornamental Horticulture 160
Plant Nursery Operations & Management 121

View All Horticulture Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians 8,646
Animal Science 8,294
Agricultural Economics & Business 8,098
General Agriculture 3,370
Plant Sciences 3,175

View All Horticulture Related Majors >

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