2027 Best Value Agriculture & Agriculture Operations Schools in Minnesota
[Agriculture & Agriculture Operations](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 11 schools to find the best return on investment for agriculture & agriculture operations students.
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2027 Best Value Agriculture & Agriculture Operations Schools in Minnesota
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in agriculture & agriculture operations, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Agriculture & Agriculture Operations Schools
Leading the list is Riverland Community College, our #1 best value for agriculture & agriculture operations in Minnesota. Located in the town of Austin, Riverland Community College is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $6,297. Students borrow a median of $15,732 to complete the agriculture & agriculture operations program here. Soon after graduation, agriculture & agriculture operations degree recipients from Riverland Community College generally make around $49,194. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
South Central College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in agriculture & agriculture operations, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the suburb of North Mankato, South Central College is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,146. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates carry a median of $13,139 in student loans. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates of South Central College earn a median of $46,447 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
St Cloud Technical And Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in agriculture & agriculture operations, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Saint Cloud, St Cloud Technical And Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,124. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates carry a median of $16,734 in student loans. Early-career agriculture & agriculture operations graduates make about $48,652. That is a strong return on a $16,734 median debt.
A rank of #4 makes Ridgewater College one of the best values for agriculture & agriculture operations. Set in the town of Willmar, Ridgewater College is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $6,121 in tuition and fees. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates carry a median of $10,959 in student loans. Early-career agriculture & agriculture operations graduates make about $44,291. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Hennepin Technical College earned it the #5 place for agriculture & agriculture operations. Set in the suburb of Brooklyn Park, Hennepin Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,940. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates carry a median of $17,887 in student loans. Early-career agriculture & agriculture operations graduates make about $52,059. Set against $17,887 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Minnesota West Community And Technical College earned the #6 position for value in agriculture & agriculture operations this year. Minnesota West Community And Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Granite Falls. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,491. Students borrow a median of $13,946 to complete the agriculture & agriculture operations program here. Soon after graduation, agriculture & agriculture operations degree recipients from Minnesota West Community And Technical College generally make around $43,009. That is a strong return on a $13,946 median debt.
University Of Minnesota Crookston landed the #7 spot for agriculture & agriculture operations value this year. Located in the town of Crookston, University Of Minnesota Crookston is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $13,288 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for agriculture & agriculture operations graduates is $22,647. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates of University Of Minnesota Crookston earn a median of $44,752 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Dakota County Technical College earned the #8 position for value in agriculture & agriculture operations this year. Dakota County Technical College is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Rosemount. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,679. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates carry a median of $18,255 in student loans. Early-career agriculture & agriculture operations graduates make about $36,866. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Central Lakes College Brainerd earned the #9 position for value in agriculture & agriculture operations this year. Located in the town of Brainerd, Central Lakes College Brainerd is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $6,249 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $14,479 to complete the agriculture & agriculture operations program here. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates of Central Lakes College Brainerd earn a median of $44,264 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $14,479 median debt.
Rochester Community And Technical College landed the #10 spot for agriculture & agriculture operations value this year. Set in the city of Rochester, Rochester Community And Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,389. Typical student debt for agriculture & agriculture operations graduates is $21,250. Early-career agriculture & agriculture operations graduates make about $38,817. Set against $21,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
University Of Minnesota Twin Cities ranked #11 on our 2027 list of the best value agriculture & agriculture operations schools. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public school located in the city of Minneapolis. Students from in state pay about $17,214 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $38,362. Typical student debt for agriculture & agriculture operations graduates is $18,987. Early-career agriculture & agriculture operations graduates make about $59,843. That is a strong return on a $18,987 median debt. The acceptance rate is 80%.
More Agriculture & Agriculture Operations Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 11 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.
