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Best Schools for Applied Horticulture in 2026

9 schools ranked by TSW Score · Updated 2026

These are the top schools offering Applied Horticulture, ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Applied Horticulture graduate earns $31,250/yr across 9 schools.

Programs Ranked
9
Avg Earnings
$31,250/yr
Avg TSW Score
60/100
AI-Proof Rating
Resilient
30% task exposure

All Applied Horticulture Programs Ranked

Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.

# School TSW Score Earnings ROI
1 Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI · Applied Horticulture 		66
65–67 		$42,513/yr 27.1x
2 Kirkwood Community College
Cedar Rapids, IA · Applied Horticulture 		64
62–66 		$35,900/yr 33.1x
3 Front Range Community College
Westminster, CO · Applied Horticulture 		70
65–72 		$28,703/yr 81.8x
4 North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, NC · Applied Horticulture 		63
61–64 		$38,339/yr 20.6x
5 Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute
Wooster, OH · Applied Horticulture 		60
57–62 		$34,190/yr 21.9x
6 Ohio State University-Main Campus
Columbus, OH · Applied Horticulture 		59
55–60 		$34,190/yr 15.6x
7 Spartanburg Community College
Spartanburg, SC · Applied Horticulture 		59
58–60 		$29,260/yr 28.0x
8 Pennsylvania College of Technology
Williamsport, PA · Applied Horticulture 		53
50–54 		$30,185/yr 7.4x
9 Lake Land College
Mattoon, IL · Applied Horticulture 		47
44–48 		$7,972/yr 17.6x

Methodology

Programs are ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook 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 (projected earnings vs. program 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 Applied Horticulture?
Based on our TradeSchoolOutlook Score, Michigan State University ranks #1 for Applied Horticulture with a score of 66/100 and graduate earnings of $42,513/yr.
How much do Applied Horticulture graduates earn?
Across 9 schools, Applied Horticulture graduates earn an average of $31,250/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $42,513/yr.
Is Applied Horticulture an AI-proof career?
Applied Horticulture has an average AI task exposure of 30%, rated "Resilient". This trade is resilient to AI disruption — most tasks require physical presence and human judgment.
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.