Best Online Master’s in Agriculture and Agribusiness Degree Programs

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Find top-ranked online master’s in agriculture and agribusiness degree programs for students looking for managerial and executive positions in the field, such as agricultural lenders and educators, farm managers, crop insurance agents, commodity brokers, and agricultural policy analysts

Top 10 Online Master's in Agriculture and Agribusiness

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  1. University of Arizona
  2. University of Missouri
  3. University of Arkansas
  4. North Carolina State University
  5. Virginia Tech
  6. University of Nebraska–Lincoln
  7. Texas Tech University
  8. Montana State University
  9. State University of New York at Oswego
  10. Sam Houston State University
  1. University of Arizona
  2. University of Missouri
  3. Virginia Tech
  4. North Carolina State University
  5. University of Nebraska–Lincoln
  6. University of Arkansas
  7. Texas Tech University
  8. Montana State University
  9. Sam Houston State University
  10. State University of New York at Oswego
  1. East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania 94%
  2. University of Tennessee at Martin 88%
  3. University of Arizona 87%
  4. Sam Houston State University 85%
  5. State University of New York at Oswego 83%
  6. University of Arkansas 79%
  7. University of Missouri 79%
  8. University of Nebraska–Lincoln 79%
  9. Montana State University 73%
  10. Texas Tech University 67%
  1. Texas Tech University 21 to 1
  2. East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania 20 to 1
  3. University of Arkansas 20 to 1
  4. Sam Houston State University 20 to 1
  5. University of Missouri 18 to 1
  6. Montana State University 18 to 1
  7. Virginia Tech 17 to 1
  8. University of Arizona 17 to 1
  9. University of Nebraska–Lincoln 16 to 1
  10. State University of New York at Oswego 16 to 1
  1. Virginia Tech $12,104
  2. University of Arizona $11,210
  3. University of Missouri $10,452
  4. Texas Tech University $8,935
  5. University of Tennessee at Martin $8,378
  6. University of Nebraska–Lincoln $7,770
  7. East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania $7,716
  8. University of Arkansas $7,666
  9. State University of New York at Oswego $7,070
  10. Southern Arkansas University $7,020
  1. Vermont Law and Graduate School $42,000
  2. Virginia Tech $14,521
  3. University of Arizona $12,348
  4. State University of New York at Oswego $11,310
  5. University of Missouri $10,447
  6. East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania $10,062
  7. University of Tennessee at Martin $9,278
  8. North Carolina State University $9,095
  9. University of Arkansas $7,875
  10. Texas Tech University $6,956
  1. East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
  2. University of Tennessee at Martin
  3. Vermont Law and Graduate School
  4. Southern Arkansas University
  5. Sam Houston State University
  6. State University of New York at Oswego
  7. Montana State University
  8. Texas Tech University
  9. University of Nebraska–Lincoln
  10. Virginia Tech
  1. Vermont Law and Graduate School
  2. East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
  3. Southern Arkansas University
  4. University of Tennessee at Martin
  5. State University of New York at Oswego
  6. Sam Houston State University
  7. Montana State University
  8. Texas Tech University
  9. University of Arkansas
  10. University of Nebraska–Lincoln
  1. North Carolina State University 47%
  2. Virginia Tech 57%
  3. Southern Arkansas University 64%
  4. Texas Tech University 67%
  5. Montana State University 73%
  6. University of Nebraska–Lincoln 79%
  7. University of Missouri 79%
  8. University of Arkansas 79%
  9. State University of New York at Oswego 83%
  10. Sam Houston State University 85%
  1. Southern Arkansas University 15 to 1
  2. University of Tennessee at Martin 15 to 1
  3. University of Nebraska–Lincoln 16 to 1
  4. State University of New York at Oswego 16 to 1
  5. North Carolina State University 16 to 1
  6. Virginia Tech 17 to 1
  7. University of Arizona 17 to 1
  8. University of Missouri 18 to 1
  9. Montana State University 18 to 1
  10. East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania 20 to 1
  1. Montana State University $5,824
  2. Sam Houston State University $5,856
  3. North Carolina State University $6,535
  4. Southern Arkansas University $7,020
  5. State University of New York at Oswego $7,070
  6. University of Arkansas $7,666
  7. East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania $7,716
  8. University of Nebraska–Lincoln $7,770
  9. University of Tennessee at Martin $8,378
  10. Texas Tech University $8,935
  1. Montana State University $5,241
  2. Southern Arkansas University $5,472
  3. Sam Houston State University $5,765
  4. University of Nebraska–Lincoln $6,138
  5. Texas Tech University $6,956
  6. University of Arkansas $7,875
  7. North Carolina State University $9,095
  8. University of Tennessee at Martin $9,278
  9. East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania $10,062
  10. University of Missouri $10,447

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Agriculture and Agribusiness Degrees

Students earning the master’s degree in agribusiness will pursue an advanced study of economics and leadership practices in the context of farming, food production, and livestock management.

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Students can earn this interdisciplinary graduate degree online or in person in about two years. Required credits vary by program, but students can expect to take between 30 and 40 credits. Some programs require a thesis, while others include an internship or practicum.

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Graduates of agribusiness programs often find managerial and executive positions in the field, such as agricultural lenders and educators, farm managers, crop insurance agents, commodity brokers, and agricultural policy analysts.

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Best Online Master's in Agriculture and Agribusiness Degree Programs
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Best Online Master’s in Agriculture and Agribusiness Degree Programs

  1. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $13K

    Acceptance

    87%

    Graduation

    68%

    Student body

    54K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1255/25

    Career Outlook for Agribusiness degree at University of Arizona

    Cost of Degree: $14,015
    Expenses: $18,350
    Starting Salary: $84,687
    Cost Recoup Time: 7 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Online Degrees

    MS in Agricultural Education

    Concentrations

    • Professional Agriculture
    • Required Credits: 30
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  2. #2

    University of Missouri

    Columbia , MO
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $12K

    Acceptance

    79%

    Graduation

    75%

    Student body

    34K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1240/26

    Career Outlook for Agribusiness degree at University of Missouri

    Cost of Degree: $11,794
    Expenses: $17,240
    Starting Salary: $85,595
    Cost Recoup Time: 6 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Online Degrees

    MS in Agroforestry
    • Required Credits: 30
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    MS in Agricultural Leadership, Communication and Education
    • Required Credits: 32
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  3. #3

    University of Arkansas

    Fayetteville , AR
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $10K

    Acceptance

    79%

    Graduation

    69%

    Student body

    32K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1125/24

    Career Outlook for Agribusiness degree at University of Arkansas

    Cost of Degree: $9,066
    Expenses: $18,644
    Starting Salary: $79,697
    Cost Recoup Time: 6 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Online Degrees

    ML in Agriculture and Food Law
    • Required Credits: 24
    • Completion time: 1 year
    • Format: Online
    MS in Agricultural and Extension Education
    • Required Credits: 33
    • Completion time: 2-3 years
    • Format: Online
  4. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $9K

    Acceptance

    47%

    Graduation

    85%

    Student body

    40K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1370/30

    Career Outlook for Agribusiness degree at North Carolina State University

    Cost of Degree: $11,700
    Expenses: $16,624
    Starting Salary: $89,980
    Cost Recoup Time: 6 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Online Degrees

    MAgrSc in Agricultural and Extension Education
    • Required Credits: 12
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    MBAE in Biological and Agricultural Engineering
    • Required Credits: 12
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  5. #5

    Virginia Tech

    Blacksburg , VA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $15K

    Acceptance

    57%

    Graduation

    86%

    Student body

    39K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1335/29

    Career Outlook for Agribusiness degree at Virginia Tech

    Cost of Degree: $17,083
    Expenses: $17,688
    Starting Salary: $101,473
    Cost Recoup Time: 6 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Online Degrees

    MS in Agriculture and Life Sciences

    Concentrations

    • Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare
    • Applied Nutrition and Physical Activity
    • Education
    • Environmental Science
    • Food Safety and Biosecurity
    • Leadership Studies
    • Plant Science and Pest Management
    • Pest Management
    • Required Credits: None Reported
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  6. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $10K

    Acceptance

    79%

    Graduation

    65%

    Student body

    27K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1225/25

    Career Outlook for Agribusiness degree at University of Nebraska–Lincoln

    Cost of Degree: $7,781
    Expenses: $17,210
    Starting Salary: $79,697
    Cost Recoup Time: 6 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Online Degrees

    MS in Agronomy
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  7. #7

    Texas Tech University

    Lubbock , TX
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $12K

    Acceptance

    67%

    Graduation

    64%

    Student body

    44K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1185/25

    Career Outlook for Agribusiness degree at Texas Tech University

    Cost of Degree: $9,518
    Expenses: $16,170
    Starting Salary: $93,156
    Cost Recoup Time: 5 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Online Degrees

    MBA in Agribusiness
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: 2-3 years
    • Format: Online
    MS in Agricultural Education
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: 2-3 years
    • Format: Online
    MS in Agricultural Communications
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: 2-3 years
    • Format: Online
  8. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $8K

    Acceptance

    73%

    Graduation

    57%

    Student body

    19K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1180/23

    Career Outlook for Agribusiness degree at Montana State University

    Cost of Degree: $6,983
    Expenses: $16,800
    Starting Salary: $73,950
    Cost Recoup Time: 6 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Online Degrees

    MS in Agricultural Education
    • Required Credits: 30
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  9. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $9K

    Acceptance

    83%

    Graduation

    64%

    Student body

    8K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1165/24

    Career Outlook for Agribusiness degree at State University of New York at Oswego

    Cost of Degree: $12,542
    Expenses: $18,740
    Starting Salary: $71,228
    Cost Recoup Time: 8 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Online Degrees

    MEd in Agricultural Education
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: 2-3 years
    • Format: Online
  10. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $10K

    Acceptance

    64%

    Graduation

    45%

    Student body

    5K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1047/20

    Career Outlook for Agribusiness degree at Southern Arkansas University

    Cost of Degree: $7,092
    Expenses: $15,765
    Starting Salary: $58,979
    Cost Recoup Time: 7 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Online Degrees

    MBA in Business Administration

    Concentrations

    • Agri-Business
    • Required Credits: 33
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
    MS in Agriculture
    • Required Credits: 33
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
  11. #12

    Vermont Law and Graduate School

    South Royalton , VT

    Student body

    <1K

    Online Degrees

    LLM in Food and Agriculture Law
    • Required Credits: 30
    • Completion time: 1 year
    • Format: Online
    MFALP in Food and Agriculture Law and Policy
    • Required Credits: 30
    • Completion time: 1 year
    • Format: Online
  12. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $10K

    Acceptance

    88%

    Graduation

    53%

    Student body

    8K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1130/22

    Career Outlook for Agribusiness degree at University of Tennessee at Martin

    Cost of Degree: $10,798
    Expenses: $12,260
    Starting Salary: $60,642
    Cost Recoup Time: 7 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Online Degrees

    MS in Agriculture and Natural Resources

    Concentrations

    • Agribusiness and Risk Management
    • Natural Resources Systems Management
    • System Science in Agriculture
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    MBA in Business Administration – Agricultural Management
    • Required Credits: 30
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  13. Tuition + fees

    $11K

    Acceptance

    94%

    Graduation

    46%

    Student body

    6K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1050/21

    Career Outlook for Agribusiness degree at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

    Cost of Degree: $11,868
    Expenses: $15,100
    Starting Salary: $71,379
    Cost Recoup Time: 7 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Online Degrees

    MBA in Agribusiness Management
    • Required Credits: 33
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online

Career Outlook for Students with Agribusiness Degree

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Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations

Degree Level: Master's

  • Location: The U.S. (Private Schools)
  • Avg. Cost of Degree*: $8,986
  • Avg. Expenses*: $17,647
  • Avg. Starting Salary*: $86,459
  • Avg. Cost Recoup Time**: 5 years
  • Job Growth: -4.49%
  • Number of Jobs: 933,000
  • * denotes ‘annually’
  • ** denotes ‘at 15% of annual salary’

Career Salaries

CareerJob GrowthAvg. Salary
Economists6.25%$108,366
Economics Teachers, Postsecondary4.05%$104,688
Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary3.96%$85,519
Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers-4.58%$78,815
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products0.68%$61,950

Average Career Salaries

Bottom 10%MedianTop 10%
$44,985$73,730$117,944

Promising Job Markets

StateCost of LivingAvg. Salary
#2 Michigan15% higher than average$91,266
#3 Indiana11% higher than average$93,044
#4 Alabama13% higher than average$84,245
#5 Georgia13% higher than average$82,737
#6 Tennessee14% higher than average$78,051

Top Industries

IndustryAvg. Salary
Economists$108,366
Economics Teachers, Postsecondary$104,688
Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary$85,519

Not sure if an online master’s in agribusiness is for you? Check out our rankings for online master’s in environmental science, animation illustration, or health informatics!

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Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require some adjustment. While you’ll generally learn the same content and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, the medium will likely require you to manage much of this experience independently. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, your ability to harness the technology at your fingertips, and your ability to focus on the lectures, lessons, and assignments at hand. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take it upon yourself to build relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

No. The only part of online education that’s easier is actually getting there. Taking the commute out of the equation means getting to class should be a lot more manageable. But that’s where it ends. In general, your online courses will incorporate the very same materials, concepts, and testing methods as would a traditional classroom.

And in many cases, you’ll even have the same instructors as your on-campus counterparts. In fact, if you are adjusting to the experience of independent learning or working with remote learning technology for the first time, online college may even be a little more challenging for you. For a few insights on how to manage this new experience, check out our 10 Tips for Adjusting to School Online.

Accreditation is especially important when it comes to online college. This is because the online education landscape is a mix of highly-reputable institutions and less-than-reputable for-profit schools. Accreditation gives you the power to differentiate between the two. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency which indicates that a college or university is meeting standards of quality, credibility, and currency. School-wide accreditation falls into two major categories: regional and national accreditation. Regional accreditors generally hold jurisdiction only over schools in the states comprising their region, whereas national accreditors hold jurisdiction over schools in all states. Regional accreditation is widely regarded as a more rigorous standard of quality and credibility than national accreditation.

Attending a college or university which is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. When seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that students opt for regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation ensures eligibility for federal loans and grants, ensures your college credits can be transferred between schools, and ensures that your degree credits can be accepted if you wish to earn an advanced degree.

As long as your online college degree is regionally accredited, you should have little difficulty transferring most of your credits or credentials to another regionally accredited undergraduate school. Every school carries its own standards and procedures for granting a transfer. In many cases, you will be required to navigate a bureaucracy in which some of your credits will be transferred and others will be jettisoned. However, provided that you have attended an online school with the proper regional accreditation, you should have plenty of options for transfer.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript or resume differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

While some employers may express concern about making the adjustment from online education to in-person workplace collaboration, many other employers will view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st Century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will require some adjustment.

While there is much that can be supplanted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing which can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual classroom setting. As you make the adjustment to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face is overcoming this difference in order to the get the most out of your classes. Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

The advantages of online classes are many. First and foremost, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

Resources for Prospective Grad Students

Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.

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