2026 Best Value Agriculture Schools in Virginia

[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.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 3 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for agriculture students.
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2026 Best Value Agriculture Schools in Virginia
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the agriculture degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Agriculture Schools
Virginia State University earned the #1 spot for value among agriculture schools in Virginia. Located in the suburb of Petersburg, Virginia State University is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,043, while out-of-state students pay about $22,650. Agriculture graduates carry a median of $25,545 in student loans. Soon after graduation, agriculture degree recipients from Virginia State University generally make around $40,620. That is a strong return on a $25,545 median debt. Virginia State University admits about 89% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes Ferrum College one of the best values for agriculture. Set in the rural area of Ferrum, Ferrum College is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $28,380. Agriculture graduates carry a median of $28,625 in student loans. Soon after graduation, agriculture degree recipients from Ferrum College generally make around $34,992. Set against $28,625 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Ferrum College admits about 89% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in agriculture will find it at Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,948, compared with $37,764 for out-of-state students. Agriculture graduates carry a median of $23,393 in student loans. Soon after graduation, agriculture degree recipients from Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University generally make around $51,630. That is a strong return on a $23,393 median debt. Roughly 55% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.