2027 Best Value Agricultural Engineering Master’s Degree Schools
[Agricultural Engineering](/majors/engineering/agricultural-engineering-ae/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong agricultural engineering education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for agricultural engineering students.
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2027 Best Value Agricultural Engineering Schools in the United States
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in agricultural engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Agricultural Engineering Schools
Our analysis ranked Purdue University Main Campus the best value for a degree in agricultural engineering in the United States. Set in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue University Main Campus is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,992, compared with $28,794 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for agricultural engineering graduates is $20,000. Agricultural Engineering graduates of Purdue University Main Campus earn a median of $72,168 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $20,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 50%.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign one of the best values for agricultural engineering. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public school located in the city of Champaign. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,267, compared with $40,096 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for agricultural engineering graduates is $21,350. Agricultural Engineering graduates of University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn a median of $62,032 early in their careers. Set against $21,350 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign admits about 42% of applicants.
University Of Hawaii At Manoa came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value agricultural engineering schools. Set in the city of Honolulu, University Of Hawaii At Manoa is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,186 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $34,218. Agricultural Engineering graduates carry a median of $20,577 in student loans. Agricultural Engineering graduates of University Of Hawaii At Manoa earn a median of $48,181 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $20,577 median debt. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
Ohio State University Main Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in agricultural engineering, landing the #4 spot this year. Ohio State University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Columbus. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,244, compared with $40,022 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,872 to complete the agricultural engineering program here. Early-career agricultural engineering graduates make about $62,981. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 61%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Iowa State University earned it the #5 place for agricultural engineering. Set in the city of Ames, Iowa State University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $10,787, while out-of-state students pay about $28,881. 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. Set against $21,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Iowa State University admits about 89% of applicants.
Oregon State University earned the #6 position for value in agricultural engineering this year. Oregon State University is a very large public school located in the city of Corvallis. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,400, compared with $38,190 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for agricultural engineering graduates is $25,000. Early-career agricultural engineering graduates make about $54,095. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 77%.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University placed #7 among the best values for agricultural engineering. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $15,948 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $37,764. Typical student debt for agricultural engineering graduates is $26,625. Soon after graduation, agricultural engineering degree recipients from Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University generally make around $75,434. That is a strong return on a $26,625 median debt. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University admits about 55% of applicants.
Cornell University placed #8 among the best values for agricultural engineering. Set in the city of Ithaca, Cornell University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $69,314 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for agricultural engineering graduates is $15,502. Early-career agricultural engineering graduates make about $54,435. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 9% of applicants are accepted.
Other Agricultural Engineering Degree Levels
Looking for a different degree level? Compare best-value Agricultural Engineering rankings across degree levels:
View All Agricultural Engineering Rankings >
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 · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 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.
