2027 Best Value Agriculture Schools in Illinois
[Agriculture](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/general-agriculture/agriculture/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong agriculture education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value agriculture schools.
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2027 Best Value Agriculture Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in agriculture, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Agriculture Schools
Our analysis ranked Kaskaskia College the best value for a degree in agriculture in Illinois. Set in the rural area of Centralia, Kaskaskia College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,800, compared with $12,570 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $7,875 to complete the agriculture program here. Agriculture graduates of Kaskaskia College earn a median of $45,658 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in agriculture will find it at Western Illinois University, which ranked #2. Set in the town of Macomb, Western Illinois University is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,572. Students borrow a median of $18,969 to complete the agriculture program here. Agriculture graduates of Western Illinois University earn a median of $48,509 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 71%.
Students looking for strong value in agriculture will find it at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, which ranked #3. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public school located in the town of Carbondale. Students from in state pay about $13,334 in tuition and fees. Agriculture graduates carry a median of $18,000 in student loans. Early-career agriculture graduates make about $39,700. That is a strong return on a $18,000 median debt. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
Illinois State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in agriculture, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,410, while out-of-state students pay about $26,058. Agriculture graduates carry a median of $18,750 in student loans. Soon after graduation, agriculture degree recipients from Illinois State University generally make around $47,295. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Illinois State University admits about 88% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
