{
  "major": "Plant Sciences",
  "slug": "plant-sciences",
  "field": "Physical & Earth Sciences",
  "as_of": "2026",
  "url": "https://collegeranked.com/best-plant-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": 50,
  "shown": 25,
  "ranking": [
    {
      "rank": 1,
      "school": "California State University-Fresno",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 60443,
      "net_price": 7000,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 576430,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 2,
      "school": "California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 63129,
      "net_price": 16665,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 564630,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 3,
      "school": "University of Minnesota-Crookston",
      "state": "MN",
      "median_earnings": 57915,
      "net_price": 12212,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 530302,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 4,
      "school": "California State University-Chico",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 43944,
      "net_price": 14480,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 381520,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 5,
      "school": "South Dakota State University",
      "state": "SD",
      "median_earnings": 58787,
      "net_price": 19841,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 508506,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 6,
      "school": "University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign",
      "state": "IL",
      "median_earnings": 45411,
      "net_price": 14355,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 396690,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 7,
      "school": "University of Wisconsin-Platteville",
      "state": "WI",
      "median_earnings": 47910,
      "net_price": 16032,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 414972,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 8,
      "school": "Southeast Missouri State University",
      "state": "MO",
      "median_earnings": 48546,
      "net_price": 15882,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 421932,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 9,
      "school": "Northwest Missouri State University",
      "state": "MO",
      "median_earnings": 47170,
      "net_price": 16244,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 406724,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 10,
      "school": "Kansas State University",
      "state": "KS",
      "median_earnings": 50115,
      "net_price": 19406,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 423526,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 11,
      "school": "University of Wisconsin-River Falls",
      "state": "WI",
      "median_earnings": 48791,
      "net_price": 14054,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 431694,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 12,
      "school": "California State Polytechnic University-Pomona",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 46152,
      "net_price": 11531,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 415396,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 13,
      "school": "Arkansas State University",
      "state": "AR",
      "median_earnings": 49536,
      "net_price": 12366,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 445896,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 14,
      "school": "University of Nebraska-Lincoln",
      "state": "NE",
      "median_earnings": 47716,
      "net_price": 17747,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 406172,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 15,
      "school": "University of Idaho",
      "state": "ID",
      "median_earnings": 44559,
      "net_price": 14831,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 386266,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 16,
      "school": "California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 44038,
      "net_price": 13171,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 387696,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 17,
      "school": "Iowa State University",
      "state": "IA",
      "median_earnings": 49393,
      "net_price": 18589,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 419574,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 18,
      "school": "University of Missouri-Columbia",
      "state": "MO",
      "median_earnings": 46627,
      "net_price": 20268,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 385198,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 19,
      "school": "North Dakota State University-Main Campus",
      "state": "ND",
      "median_earnings": 49048,
      "net_price": 15543,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 428308,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 20,
      "school": "Washington State University",
      "state": "WA",
      "median_earnings": 47531,
      "net_price": 14971,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 415426,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 21,
      "school": "University of Florida",
      "state": "FL",
      "median_earnings": 36372,
      "net_price": 6541,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 337556,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 22,
      "school": "Ohio State University-Main Campus",
      "state": "OH",
      "median_earnings": 42712,
      "net_price": 17339,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 357764,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 23,
      "school": "North Carolina State University at Raleigh",
      "state": "NC",
      "median_earnings": 42008,
      "net_price": 17303,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 350868,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 24,
      "school": "Texas A&M University-Kingsville",
      "state": "TX",
      "median_earnings": 34744,
      "net_price": 12090,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 299080,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 25,
      "school": "University of California-Davis",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 43873,
      "net_price": 14741,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 379766,
      "public": true
    }
  ]
}