2027 Best Value Agricultural Engineering Schools in the The Plains States Region
[Agricultural Engineering](/majors/engineering/agricultural-engineering-ae/agricultural-engineering/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for agricultural engineering students.
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2027 Best Value Agricultural Engineering Schools in the The Plains States Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in agricultural engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Agricultural Engineering Schools
Leading the list is University Of Minnesota Twin Cities, our #1 best value for agricultural engineering in the The Plains States Region. Set in the city of Minneapolis, University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $17,214 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $38,362. Agricultural Engineering graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Agricultural Engineering graduates of University Of Minnesota Twin Cities earn a median of $61,145 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 80%.
Students looking for strong value in agricultural engineering will find it at Iowa State University, which ranked #2. Iowa State University is a very large public school located in the city of Ames. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,787, compared with $28,881 for out-of-state students. Agricultural Engineering graduates carry a median of $21,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, agricultural engineering degree recipients from Iowa State University generally make around $72,376. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
Kansas State University came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value agricultural engineering schools. Located in the city of Manhattan, Kansas State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $11,221 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $28,568. Typical student debt for agricultural engineering graduates is $22,873. Early-career agricultural engineering graduates make about $64,644. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at South Dakota State University earned it the #4 place for agricultural engineering. Located in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,299, with out-of-state students paying around $12,809. Typical student debt for agricultural engineering graduates is $24,989. Early-career agricultural engineering graduates make about $51,260. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 98%.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
