West Texas A&M University Agriculture (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt
- Bachelor's in Agriculture, General
- Public university
- Canyon, TX
- About 31 graduates a year
College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025
The short answer
West Texas A&M University agriculture graduates earn more than graduates of most agriculture programs nationally, $45,300 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $13,460 in federal loans, less than at 95% of agriculture programs in the country. Strong value, but not one of the highest-paying agriculture degrees in Texas.
How it compares
Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Texas and national columns are the medians across all agriculture bachelor's programs that report the figure.
Five years out, West Texas A&M University graduates earn more than the national figure and about $1,986 more than the Texas median.
Debt and first-year pay at every Texas agriculture program
Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Texas medians.
Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.
What graduates earn over time
Pay rises about 32% between the first and fifth year.
Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.
Paying back the loans
On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $143 a month, or 3.8% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.
Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth
86% of graduates (18 of 21) were working in Texas one year after graduating. Prices in the Amarillo area are about 8% below the national average, so a $45,300 salary here buys what about $49,336 buys in a typical US city.
Careers this field leads to
These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to agriculture, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.
Soil and Plant Scientists
$78,850Median pay nationwide. 500 people work in this job in Texas. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,400 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.
Agricultural Technicians
$50,270Median pay in Texas. 120 people work in this job in Texas. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 2,800 openings a year. Typical education to start: associate's degree.
Food Scientists and Technologists
$90,610Median pay in Texas. 840 people work in this job in Texas. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,000 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.
Animal Scientists
$132,830Median pay in Texas. 40 people work in this job in Texas. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 200 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.
About West Texas A&M University
Agriculture ranks 8th of 25 bachelor's programs at West Texas A&M University by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Science ($88,391), Mechanical Engineering ($78,028), and Nursing ($74,531).
Common questions
The median graduate earns $45,300 one year after graduating and $59,749 five years after. The median across agriculture bachelor's programs in Texas is $44,994.
The median federal loan balance is $13,460, which ranks the lowest of 7 agriculture bachelor's programs in Texas. That works out to about $143 a month over 10 years.
On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 30% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 54%.
Most do. 86% (18 of 21) were working in Texas one year after graduating.
About this data
- Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
- Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
- Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
- Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Texas comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
- Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
- School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the agriculture program.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
- Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
- NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024