2027 Best Value Horticulture Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Horticulture](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/horticulture/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 19 schools to find the best return on investment for horticulture students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Horticulture Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in horticulture, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Horticulture Schools
For return on investment in horticulture, no school beat Lake Land College this year. Located in the rural area of Mattoon, Lake Land College is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $4,415 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $14,301. Horticulture graduates carry a median of $8,142 in student loans. Soon after graduation, horticulture degree recipients from Lake Land College generally make around $7,972. Set against $8,142 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #2 makes Kalamazoo Valley Community College one of the best values for horticulture. Set in the suburb of Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Valley Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,144, with out-of-state students paying around $9,094. Students borrow a median of $15,525 to complete the horticulture program here. Early-career horticulture graduates make about $44,198. Set against $15,525 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Cuyahoga Community College District is a great value for students pursuing a degree in horticulture, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Cleveland, Cuyahoga Community College District is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $3,249 in tuition and fees, compared with $7,249 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $14,636 to complete the horticulture program here. Early-career horticulture graduates make about $39,394. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #4 makes Cincinnati State Technical And Community College one of the best values for horticulture. Cincinnati State Technical And Community College is a large public school located in the city of Cincinnati. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,517, with out-of-state students paying around $10,044. Typical student debt for horticulture graduates is $17,730. Early-career horticulture graduates make about $47,975. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Kankakee Community College earned it the #5 place for horticulture. Set in the city of Kankakee, Kankakee Community College is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,220 in tuition and fees, compared with $25,830 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $13,289 to complete the horticulture program here. Horticulture graduates of Kankakee Community College earn a median of $60,509 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $13,289 median debt.
Sinclair Community College landed the #6 spot for horticulture value this year. Located in the city of Dayton, Sinclair Community College is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $3,675, with out-of-state students paying around $8,556. Students borrow a median of $12,525 to complete the horticulture program here. Horticulture graduates of Sinclair Community College earn a median of $35,348 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $12,525 median debt.
Mchenry County College came in at #7 for value in horticulture this year. Located in the rural area of Crystal Lake, Mchenry County College is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,162, with out-of-state students paying around $14,399. Typical student debt for horticulture graduates is $7,440. Early-career horticulture graduates make about $24,177. That is a strong return on a $7,440 median debt.
College Of Dupage placed #8 among the best values for horticulture. Located in the suburb of Glen Ellyn, College Of Dupage is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $4,560 in tuition and fees, compared with $12,750 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $12,492 to complete the horticulture program here. Early-career horticulture graduates make about $43,025. Set against $12,492 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Ivy Tech Community College came in at #9 for value in horticulture this year. Ivy Tech Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Indianapolis. In-state tuition and fees average $5,154, with out-of-state students paying around $9,935. Students borrow a median of $11,889 to complete the horticulture program here. Soon after graduation, horticulture degree recipients from Ivy Tech Community College generally make around $40,734. Set against $11,889 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
City Colleges Of Chicago Richard J Daley College earned the #10 position for value in horticulture this year. Located in the city of Chicago, City Colleges Of Chicago Richard J Daley College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,590, while out-of-state students pay about $15,150. Students borrow a median of $7,500 to complete the horticulture program here. Horticulture graduates of City Colleges Of Chicago Richard J Daley College earn a median of $33,326 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $7,500 median debt.
Milwaukee Area Technical College earned the #11 position for value in horticulture this year. Located in the city of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,184, compared with $7,427 for out-of-state students. Horticulture graduates carry a median of $18,296 in student loans. Early-career horticulture graduates make about $38,325. That is a strong return on a $18,296 median debt.
City Colleges Of Chicago Olive Harvey College came in at #12 for value in horticulture this year. City Colleges Of Chicago Olive Harvey College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Chicago. Students from in state pay about $4,590 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $15,150. Horticulture graduates carry a median of $8,478 in student loans. Soon after graduation, horticulture degree recipients from City Colleges Of Chicago Olive Harvey College generally make around $25,842. Set against $8,478 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Southwestern Illinois College earned the #13 position for value in horticulture this year. Located in the suburb of Belleville, Southwestern Illinois College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,230, compared with $6,720 for out-of-state students. Horticulture graduates carry a median of $10,388 in student loans. Early-career horticulture graduates make about $44,345. That is a strong return on a $10,388 median debt.
Fox Valley Technical College came in at #14 for value in horticulture this year. Fox Valley Technical College is a large public school located in the suburb of Appleton. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,040, with out-of-state students paying around $7,283. Horticulture graduates carry a median of $13,319 in student loans. Early-career horticulture graduates make about $44,020. That is a strong return on a $13,319 median debt.
Gateway Technical College ranked #15 on our 2027 list of the best value horticulture schools. Set in the city of Kenosha, Gateway Technical College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,956 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $7,199. Students borrow a median of $14,829 to complete the horticulture program here. Early-career horticulture graduates make about $42,410. That is a strong return on a $14,829 median debt.
Madison Area Technical College came in at #16 for value in horticulture this year. Set in the city of Madison, Madison Area Technical College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,977, with out-of-state students paying around $7,141. Horticulture graduates carry a median of $16,812 in student loans. Early-career horticulture graduates make about $44,279. Set against $16,812 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute came in at #17 for value in horticulture this year. Located in the town of Wooster, Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute is a small public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,584, while out-of-state students pay about $36,362. Horticulture graduates carry a median of $12,000 in student loans. Early-career horticulture graduates make about $34,190. That is a strong return on a $12,000 median debt.
Michigan State University ranked #18 on our 2027 list of the best value horticulture schools. Set in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,079, while out-of-state students pay about $44,850. Typical student debt for horticulture graduates is $13,722. Horticulture graduates of Michigan State University earn a median of $42,513 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 85%.
University Of Cincinnati Main Campus landed the #19 spot for horticulture value this year. University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Cincinnati. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,363, compared with $28,697 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for horticulture graduates is $23,530. Early-career horticulture graduates make about $58,659. That is a strong return on a $23,530 median debt. The acceptance rate is 85%.
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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 · 19 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 19 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.
