Best Schools for Plant Science in 2026
50 schools ranked by DegreeWorth Score · Updated 2026
These are the top schools offering Plant Science, ranked by DegreeWorth Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Plant Science graduate earns $42,710/yr across 50 schools.
Programs Ranked
50
Avg Earnings
$42,710/yr
Avg DW Score
60/100
AI Risk
High
46% task exposure
All Plant Science Programs Ranked
Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.
| # | Program | DW Score | Earnings | AI Risk | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Plant Science
California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA |
75
70–78 |
$60,443/yr | High | 27.2x |
| 2 |
Plant Science
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA |
73
68–73 |
$63,129/yr | High | 15.7x |
| 3 |
Plant Science
South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD |
73
68–73 |
$58,787/yr | High | 17.1x |
| 4 |
Plant Science
University of Wisconsin-Platteville · Platteville, WI |
69
64–71 |
$47,910/yr | High | 18.2x |
| 5 |
Plant Science
California State University-Chico · Chico, CA |
68
62–71 |
$43,944/yr | High | 20.9x |
| 6 |
Plant Science
Arkansas State University · Jonesboro, AR |
70
66–70 |
$49,536/yr | High | 14.9x |
| 7 |
Plant Science
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA |
68
64–68 |
$46,152/yr | High | 16.2x |
| 8 |
Plant Science
Southeast Missouri State University · Cape Girardeau, MO |
68
63–68 |
$48,546/yr | High | 14.6x |
| 9 |
Plant Science
University of Wisconsin-River Falls · River Falls, WI |
68
65–68 |
$48,791/yr | High | 14.5x |
| 10 |
Plant Science
University of Idaho · Moscow, ID |
66
61–67 |
$44,559/yr | High | 14.8x |
| 11 |
Plant Science
Kansas State University · Manhattan, KS |
67
63–67 |
$50,115/yr | High | 13.1x |
| 12 |
Plant Science
University of Minnesota-Crookston · Crookston, MN |
67
64–66 |
$57,915/yr | High | 10.9x |
| 13 |
Plant Science
Northwest Missouri State University · Maryville, MO |
66
62–67 |
$47,170/yr | High | 13.6x |
| 14 |
Plant Science
University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Lincoln, NE |
66
62–67 |
$47,716/yr | High | 13.5x |
| 15 |
Plant Science
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt · Arcata, CA |
66
62–66 |
$44,038/yr | High | 15.0x |
| 16 |
Plant Science
Iowa State University · Ames, IA |
66
63–65 |
$49,393/yr | High | 11.9x |
| 17 |
Plant Science
North Carolina State University at Raleigh · Raleigh, NC |
63
59–65 |
$42,008/yr | High | 14.0x |
| 18 |
Plant Science
University of Florida · Gainesville, FL |
62
57–63 |
$36,372/yr | High | 17.2x |
| 19 |
Plant Science
Mississippi State University · Mississippi State, MS |
64
61–63 |
$45,994/yr | High | 11.0x |
| 20 |
Plant Science
North Dakota State University-Main Campus · Fargo, ND |
65
62–65 |
$49,048/yr | High | 10.3x |
| 21 |
Plant Science
University of Wyoming · Laramie, WY |
62
56–64 |
$36,062/yr | High | 18.2x |
| 22 |
Plant Science
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL |
59
54–62 |
$45,411/yr | High | 9.5x |
| 23 |
Plant Science
University of Missouri-Columbia · Columbia, MO |
60
56–61 |
$46,627/yr | High | 9.4x |
| 24 |
Plant Science
Chadron State College · Chadron, NE |
59
55–60 |
$36,558/yr | High | 13.6x |
| 25 |
Plant Science
Washington State University · Pullman, WA |
61
58–61 |
$47,531/yr | High | 8.1x |
| 26 |
Plant Science
Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH |
58
54–59 |
$42,712/yr | High | 9.4x |
| 27 |
Plant Science
University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez · Mayaguez, PR |
57
52–59 |
$30,053/yr | High | 18.2x |
| 28 |
Plant Science
Auburn University · Auburn, AL |
56
51–59 |
$39,024/yr | High | 10.5x |
| 29 |
Plant Science
Texas A & M University-Kingsville · Kingsville, TX |
55
49–59 |
$34,744/yr | High | 12.8x |
| 30 |
Plant Science
Texas A & M University-College Station · College Station, TX |
59
56–60 |
$45,163/yr | High | 7.6x |
| 31 |
Plant Science
Montana State University · Bozeman, MT |
56
51–58 |
$33,311/yr | High | 13.3x |
| 32 |
Plant Science
Clemson University · Clemson, SC |
58
54–59 |
$46,395/yr | High | 6.2x |
| 33 |
Plant Science
University of California-Davis · Davis, CA |
56
53–57 |
$43,873/yr | High | 6.2x |
| 34 |
Plant Science
University of Georgia · Athens, GA |
58
54–58 |
$40,794/yr | High | 8.1x |
| 35 |
Plant Science
Missouri State University-Springfield · Springfield, MO |
56
53–56 |
$36,173/yr | High | 10.4x |
| 36 |
Plant Science
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Blacksburg, VA |
55
52–57 |
$42,861/yr | High | 7.0x |
| 37 |
Plant Science
Oregon State University-Cascades Campus · Bend, OR |
55
50–57 |
$38,397/yr | High | 9.6x |
| 38 |
Plant Science
Oregon State University · Corvallis, OR |
54
49–56 |
$38,397/yr | High | 8.9x |
| 39 |
Plant Science
Middle Tennessee State University · Murfreesboro, TN |
57
54–57 |
$37,716/yr | High | 8.9x |
| 40 |
Plant Science
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville · Knoxville, TN |
54
51–55 |
$40,355/yr | High | 7.0x |
| 41 |
Plant Science
Utah State University · Logan, UT |
51
42–58 |
$28,091/yr | High | 14.8x |
| 42 |
Plant Science
West Virginia University · Morgantown, WV |
55
53–54 |
$37,454/yr | High | 8.7x |
| 43 |
Plant Science
University of Delaware · Newark, DE |
52
48–53 |
$39,362/yr | High | 5.1x |
| 44 |
Plant Science
Colorado State University-Fort Collins · Fort Collins, CO |
52
48–53 |
$36,980/yr | High | 6.2x |
| 45 |
Plant Science
University of Massachusetts-Amherst · Amherst, MA |
50
45–51 |
$37,170/yr | High | 4.4x |
| 46 |
Plant Science
Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI |
49
44–51 |
$35,701/yr | High | 6.3x |
| 47 |
Plant Science
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN |
48
44–51 |
$35,216/yr | High | 5.9x |
| 48 |
Plant Science
Rutgers University-New Brunswick · New Brunswick, NJ |
49
45–50 |
$36,362/yr | High | 4.3x |
| 49 |
Plant Science
University of Vermont · Burlington, VT |
45
41–47 |
$33,221/yr | High | 3.4x |
| 50 |
Plant Science
Cornell University · Ithaca, NY |
38
33–40 |
$32,236/yr | High | 0.9x |
Methodology
Programs are ranked by DegreeWorth Score, which combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), AI automation resilience (based on OpenAI and academic research), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (10-year projected earnings vs. 4-year tuition).
Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best school for Plant Science?
Based on our DegreeWorth Score, California State University-Fresno ranks #1 for Plant Science with a score of 75/100 and graduate earnings of $60,443/yr.
How much do Plant Science graduates earn?
Across 50 schools, Plant Science graduates earn an average of $42,710/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $63,129/yr.
Is Plant Science a good major for AI resistance?
Plant Science has an average AI task exposure of 46%, rated "High". This field has moderate AI exposure — some career paths are more resilient than others.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Last updated 2025.