2027 Best Value Agricultural Teacher Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region

[Agricultural Teacher Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-and-development/agricultural-teacher-education/) 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 9 schools to find the best return on investment for agricultural teacher education students.
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2027 Best Value Agricultural Teacher Education Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in agricultural teacher education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Agricultural Teacher Education Schools
Southern Illinois University Carbondale tops our 2027 list of the best value agricultural teacher education schools in the Great Lakes Region. Set in the town of Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,334. Agricultural Teacher Education graduates carry a median of $21,182 in student loans. Early-career agricultural teacher education graduates make about $51,816. Set against $21,182 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Southern Illinois University Carbondale admits about 87% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earned it the #2 place for agricultural teacher education. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,267, while out-of-state students pay about $40,096. Typical student debt for agricultural teacher education graduates is $21,500. Soon after graduation, agricultural teacher education degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign generally make around $57,461. That is a strong return on a $21,500 median debt. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign admits about 42% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Wisconsin River Falls one of the best values for agricultural teacher education. Set in the town of River Falls, University Of Wisconsin River Falls is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,008, while out-of-state students pay about $17,470. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the agricultural teacher education program here. Agricultural Teacher Education graduates of University Of Wisconsin River Falls earn a median of $43,296 early in their careers. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
Purdue University Main Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in agricultural teacher education, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue University Main Campus is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,992, with out-of-state students paying around $28,794. Students borrow a median of $19,500 to complete the agricultural teacher education program here. Early-career agricultural teacher education graduates make about $44,923. That is a strong return on a $19,500 median debt. Roughly 50% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #5 makes Eastern Michigan University one of the best values for agricultural teacher education. Eastern Michigan University is a large public school located in the suburb of Ypsilanti. Students from in state pay about $16,990 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $31,000 to complete the agricultural teacher education program here. Soon after graduation, agricultural teacher education degree recipients from Eastern Michigan University generally make around $47,887. Set against $31,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Eastern Michigan University admits about 80% of applicants.
University Of Wisconsin Platteville earned the #6 position for value in agricultural teacher education this year. University Of Wisconsin Platteville is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Platteville. In-state tuition and fees average $8,644, compared with $17,603 for out-of-state students. Agricultural Teacher Education graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Agricultural Teacher Education graduates of University Of Wisconsin Platteville earn a median of $46,069 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
Ohio State University Main Campus ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best value agricultural teacher education schools. Set in the city of Columbus, Ohio State University Main Campus is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,244, compared with $40,022 for out-of-state students. Agricultural Teacher Education graduates carry a median of $23,250 in student loans. Early-career agricultural teacher education graduates make about $49,282. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 61%.
Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute landed the #8 spot for agricultural teacher education value this year. Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute is a small public school located in the town of Wooster. Students from in state pay about $9,584 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $36,362. Agricultural Teacher Education graduates carry a median of $12,286 in student loans. Agricultural Teacher Education graduates of Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute earn a median of $34,898 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $12,286 median debt.
Michigan State University came in at #9 for value in agricultural teacher education this year. Michigan State University is a very large public school located in the city of East Lansing. Students from in state pay about $18,079 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $44,850. Students borrow a median of $27,437 to complete the agricultural teacher education program here. Agricultural Teacher Education graduates of Michigan State University earn a median of $60,244 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
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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 · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 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.