{
  "major": "Animal Sciences",
  "slug": "animal-sciences",
  "field": "Physical & Earth Sciences",
  "as_of": "2026",
  "url": "https://collegeranked.com/best-animal-sciences-schools/",
  "source": "U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2026 release); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics",
  "metric_definitions": {
    "median_earnings": "Median earnings one year after graduation (Scorecard)",
    "net_price": "Average annual cost of attendance after grant aid. For PUBLIC schools this reflects IN-STATE cost; out-of-state students pay more.",
    "roi_10yr_usd": "Ten years of earnings minus four years of net price",
    "public": "true = public university (net_price is in-state basis); false = private (residency-neutral)"
  },
  "total_colleges_with_reported_data": 82,
  "shown": 25,
  "ranking": [
    {
      "rank": 1,
      "school": "California State University-Fresno",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 40311,
      "net_price": 7000,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 375110,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 2,
      "school": "Mississippi State University",
      "state": "MS",
      "median_earnings": 41464,
      "net_price": 17595,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 344260,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 3,
      "school": "University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus",
      "state": "CT",
      "median_earnings": 37712,
      "net_price": 10875,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 333620,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 4,
      "school": "University of Connecticut-Avery Point",
      "state": "CT",
      "median_earnings": 37712,
      "net_price": 13807,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 321892,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 5,
      "school": "Purdue University-Main Campus",
      "state": "IN",
      "median_earnings": 35318,
      "net_price": 14600,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 294780,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 6,
      "school": "University of Wisconsin-Madison",
      "state": "WI",
      "median_earnings": 44354,
      "net_price": 17354,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 374124,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 7,
      "school": "California State Polytechnic University-Pomona",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 37349,
      "net_price": 11531,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 327366,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 8,
      "school": "University of Maryland-College Park",
      "state": "MD",
      "median_earnings": 40209,
      "net_price": 15678,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 339378,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 9,
      "school": "University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus",
      "state": "CT",
      "median_earnings": 37712,
      "net_price": 16403,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 311508,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 10,
      "school": "University of Wisconsin-Platteville",
      "state": "WI",
      "median_earnings": 44956,
      "net_price": 16032,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 385432,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 11,
      "school": "South Dakota State University",
      "state": "SD",
      "median_earnings": 44844,
      "net_price": 19841,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 369076,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 12,
      "school": "Michigan State University",
      "state": "MI",
      "median_earnings": 41292,
      "net_price": 19680,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 334200,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 13,
      "school": "North Dakota State University-Main Campus",
      "state": "ND",
      "median_earnings": 39290,
      "net_price": 15543,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 330728,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 14,
      "school": "University of Connecticut-Stamford",
      "state": "CT",
      "median_earnings": 37712,
      "net_price": 16798,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 309928,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 15,
      "school": "University of Florida",
      "state": "FL",
      "median_earnings": 31294,
      "net_price": 6541,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 286776,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 16,
      "school": "California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 33879,
      "net_price": 16665,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 272130,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 17,
      "school": "University of Georgia",
      "state": "GA",
      "median_earnings": 31769,
      "net_price": 13936,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 261946,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 18,
      "school": "Utah State University",
      "state": "UT",
      "median_earnings": 30774,
      "net_price": 14936,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 247996,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 19,
      "school": "University of Massachusetts-Amherst",
      "state": "MA",
      "median_earnings": 40008,
      "net_price": 22383,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 310548,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 20,
      "school": "Iowa State University",
      "state": "IA",
      "median_earnings": 39567,
      "net_price": 18589,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 321314,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 21,
      "school": "University of Nebraska-Lincoln",
      "state": "NE",
      "median_earnings": 39064,
      "net_price": 17747,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 319652,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 22,
      "school": "University of Wisconsin-River Falls",
      "state": "WI",
      "median_earnings": 37852,
      "net_price": 14054,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 322304,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 23,
      "school": "North Carolina A & T State University",
      "state": "NC",
      "median_earnings": 35686,
      "net_price": 10846,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 313476,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 24,
      "school": "University of Minnesota-Crookston",
      "state": "MN",
      "median_earnings": 35072,
      "net_price": 12212,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 301872,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 25,
      "school": "University of Minnesota-Twin Cities",
      "state": "MN",
      "median_earnings": 34073,
      "net_price": 16778,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 273618,
      "public": true
    }
  ]
}