2026 Highest Paid Horticulture Associate’s Degree Graduates

[Horticulture](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/horticulture/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. The highest-paying schools turn a horticulture degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
College Factual analyzed 9 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying horticulture schools.
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2026 Highest Paid Horticulture Grads in the United States
Below are the schools whose horticulture graduates go on to earn the most.
Highest Paid Horticulture Graduates
University Of Massachusetts Amherst tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying horticulture schools in the United States. Located in the city of Amherst, University Of Massachusetts Amherst is a public institution. Early-career horticulture graduates from University Of Massachusetts Amherst make a median of around $56,726 per year.
Cincinnati State Technical And Community College produces some of the highest-paid graduates in horticulture, landing the #2 spot this year. Cincinnati State Technical And Community College is a public school located in the city of Cincinnati. Horticulture graduates of Cincinnati State Technical And Community College earn a median of about $49,941 a year early in their careers.
Southeast Technical Institute produces some of the highest-paid graduates in horticulture, landing the #3 spot this year. Southeast Technical Institute is a public school located in the city of Sioux Falls. After graduating, horticulture degree recipients from Southeast Technical Institute typically earn about $47,472 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in horticulture will find them at North Carolina State University At Raleigh, which ranked #4. North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a public school located in the city of Raleigh. Students who complete the horticulture program here go on to a median salary of roughly $38,339.
Kirkwood Community College produces some of the highest-paid graduates in horticulture, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the city of Cedar Rapids, Kirkwood Community College is a public institution. After graduating, horticulture degree recipients from Kirkwood Community College typically earn about $40,840 annually.
Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute landed the #6 spot for horticulture salaries this year. Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute is a public school located in the town of Wooster. After graduating, horticulture degree recipients from Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute typically earn about $42,621 annually.
Front Range Community College placed #7 among the highest-paying schools for horticulture. Set in the suburb of Westminster, Front Range Community College is a public institution. After graduating, horticulture degree recipients from Front Range Community College typically earn about $37,218 annually.
Pennsylvania College Of Technology placed #8 among the highest-paying schools for horticulture. Pennsylvania College Of Technology is a public school located in the city of Williamsport. Horticulture graduates of Pennsylvania College Of Technology earn a median of about $30,185 a year early in their careers.
Spartanburg Community College earned the #9 position for horticulture graduate earnings this year. Spartanburg Community College is a public school located in the suburb of Spartanburg. After graduating, horticulture degree recipients from Spartanburg Community College typically earn about $29,260 annually.
Other Horticulture Degree Levels
Looking for a different degree level? Compare highest-paid Horticulture rankings across degree levels:
View All Horticulture Rankings >
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries horticulture 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 · 9 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.
- 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.
- Graduate earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard) field-of-study earnings.
More about our data sources and methodologies.