by our College Data Analytics Team
[General Agriculture](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/general-agriculture/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 3 schools on the early-career earnings of their general agriculture graduates.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose general agriculture graduates go on to earn the most.
Illinois State University earned the #1 spot for highest-paid general agriculture graduates in Illinois. Set in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State University is a public institution. Early-career general agriculture graduates from Illinois State University make a median of around $64,041 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at Western Illinois University earned it the #2 place for general agriculture. Set in the town of Macomb, Western Illinois University is a public institution. General Agriculture graduates of Western Illinois University earn a median of about $58,204 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Southern Illinois University Carbondale earned it the #3 place for general agriculture. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public school located in the town of Carbondale. Students who complete the general agriculture program here go on to a median salary of roughly $63,031.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries general agriculture graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 3 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.