2027 Best Value Agricultural Engineering Schools in the The Plains States Region
[Agricultural Engineering](/majors/engineering/agricultural-engineering-ae/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
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. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public school located in the city of Minneapolis. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,214, while out-of-state students pay about $38,362. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the agricultural engineering program here. Agricultural Engineering graduates of University Of Minnesota Twin Cities earn a median of $61,145 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Iowa State University earned it the #2 place for agricultural engineering. Located in the city of Ames, Iowa State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $10,787 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $28,881. Typical student debt for agricultural engineering graduates is $21,500. Early-career agricultural engineering graduates make about $72,376. Set against $21,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
Kansas State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in agricultural engineering, landing the #3 spot this year. Kansas State University is a very large public school located in the city of Manhattan. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,221, compared with $28,568 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for agricultural engineering graduates is $22,873. Soon after graduation, agricultural engineering degree recipients from Kansas State University generally make around $64,644. Set against $22,873 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Kansas State University admits about 82% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes South Dakota State University one of the best values for agricultural engineering. South Dakota State University is a large public school located in the town of Brookings. 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. Agricultural Engineering graduates of South Dakota State University earn a median of $51,260 early in their careers. 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 ranking is produced 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 · 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.
