The field of agricultural education is expanding, and more and more people are pursuing careers in it. Due to its enormous potential and myriad career options, it is growing in popularity.
Because of this, high-quality programs have been developed by a number of agricultural colleges, from conventional farming methods to technologically advanced methods like genetically modified crops or artificially made meat.
Choosing from the myriads of agricultural educational colleges out there might be challenging after you have decided to pursue a degree in agriculture. I have been there before, after deciding that I wanted a career in agriculture, I was torn between selecting a college. This was quite difficult, as there were many options to choose from.
What do you look for in a university? Is it the world ranking of the school, the cost of attendance, the variety and quality of academic programs available, or the location? It’s crucial to arm yourself with as much information as you can when picking the best school for you.
If you are like me that found it hard to pick the best agricultural educational college this would assist you as we’ve listed the top 10 best agricultural educational colleges to help you advance your career. Since 7 is a lucky number here are our top 7 best agricultural colleges to step up your career.
The Top 7 best agricultural colleges
1. Wageningen University & Research
Wageningen University & Research was founded in 1918 and is located in Wageningen, Netherlands. The university is one of the top-ranked universities in the world for agriculture. It has a strong commitment to teaching and fundamental research, which combined with innovative applied research creates a rich learning environment. They have nine research institutes that focus on topics like food production and safety, environmental health, livestock, nutrition, and climate change. What’s more, thanks to state-of-the-art laboratories and research facilities, all of their scientific breakthroughs are translated into business-ready applications.
According to their impact portfolio, these are a few of the accomplishments of the university.
- In plant breeding, WUR has made strides. such as developing crop varieties such as the Elstar apple and Elsanta strawberry.
- Scientists at AlgaePARC at Wageningen University and Research created a strain that produced twice as many lipids as its wild counterpart in just two years.
- The college also worked alongside BIOMCN to develop artificial photosynthesis that relies on enzymes. The enzyme method of artificial photosynthesis is preferred, as it more closely resembles nature and produces a product of higher purity.
Read Also: Scholarships for Agricultural Students and Farmers
2. China Agricultural University
Beijing is home to China Agricultural University, which was founded in 1905. The research college is an expert in food science, agricultural engineering, life sciences, and agronomy. There are 508 international students among the 12,000 undergraduate and 8,900 graduate students at the university.
Departments include:
Department of Agriculture Science
Department of Crop Genetics & Breeding
Department of Plant Pathology
Department of Entomology
Department of Plant Protection and Quarantine
Department of Fruit Science
Department of Vegetable Science
Department of Landscape Architecture
3. Jiangnan University
Jiangnan National Key University was founded in 2001 by the Double First Class University Plan and former Project 211 and is located in China. It is a public research university with agricultural education as one of its key areas. There are 5,216 undergraduate students, 3,211 master’s students, 719 international students, and 360 doctoral students at the university.
According to U.S. News, Jiangnan University has 442 cited papers that are among the top 1% most cited!
4. University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst was founded on April 29, 1863, and is located in Amherst, USA. When you study at UMass Amherst, you will learn from and conduct research with scientists who are committed to finding long-term solutions to some of the world’s most difficult agricultural problems. Since the university is home to top-tier researchers, they continuously pursue scientific innovation and research while resolving difficult agricultural distribution problems from farm to consumer.
Additionally, they aid the Commonwealth’s agriculture and conduct outreach based on science. Also, to reduce health disparities through better food practices, all of their most recent research findings are distributed to the local communities. U.S. News reports that the University of Massachusetts Amherst has 229 papers that have been cited, placing them in the top 1% most cited!
5. University of California Davis
The mission of the University of California Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is to promote agricultural, environmental, and social sustainability through research, teaching, and public engagement to meet the challenges of global change in the 21st century.
The college has 14 departments, and they are:
- Agricultural and Resource Economics
- Animal Science
- Biological and Agricultural Engineering
- Entomology and Nematology
- Environmental Science and Policy
- Environmental Toxicology
- Food Science and Technology
- Human Ecology
- Land, air, and water resources
- Nutrition
- Plant Pathology
- Plant Sciences
- Viticulture and Enology
- Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology
The college has 2,300 acres set aside for agricultural study and research and their research has helped farmers, environmentalists, ranchers, conservationists, and residents of rural, suburban, and urban areas in California and around the world support their way of life. This university just might be the right choice for you if you have a strong concern for climate change because one of its top priorities is addressing the issues related to it. Their other priorities are as follows:
- Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
- Equitable, healthy communities
- Ecosystem Viability and Functionality
Read Also: Jobs in Canada for Farmers and Fruit Pickers
6. Sweden university of agriculture sciences
Sweden university of agriculture sciences (SLU) was founded in 1977 and is located in Uppsala, Sweden. SLU is a top-tier research university with a focus on environmental and life sciences, urban and regional planning, sustainable urban and rural development, and global issues like climate change. SLU also has a strong understanding of biological natural resources.
More than 400 researchers and experts from the agricultural college are working on problems related to water because they are interested in it. Interested in climate change? Students are taught about sustainability at SLU, and they are motivated to further lessen climate impact. At SLU, every week of the year is climate week, and they contribute knowledge regarding the creation and responsible exploitation of living natural resources and offer climate solutions, provide information, advice, and data. All of this is their effort to achieve the objectives of Agenda 2030.
Popular courses offered are:
· Agricultural food and environmental policy analysis,
· Agricultural Economics and Management,
· Plant Biology
· Horticulture Science
· Animal Science
· Agroecology.
In Sweden, the majority of education is free. The cost of bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Swedish public institutions is free for citizens of the EU/EEA, Nordic nations, and Switzerland. Also, no matter where they are from, international students can enroll in free Ph.D. courses.
When I did my research on Sweden’s University of Agriculture Sciences, I assumed I would need to learn Swedish. However, since more than 40% of our courses are taught in English, you shouldn’t worry about this.
7. University of Queensland Australia
The University of Queensland Australia is a public institution that was established in 1909. It is located in and around Brisbane, Australia, the capital of Queensland. The university has a total number of students 41,372, 16,863 international students, 6,549 new undergraduate students, 4,265 master’s students, and 979 doctoral students.
The University of Queensland Australia is renowned for its research and teaching excellence across the interconnected disciplines of agriculture, agribusiness, food science and technology, plant and soil sciences, and animal and wildlife science.
They present students with exceptional chances for adaptable learning, priceless professional experience, and distinctive research. As a result, their students are better equipped to tackle difficult and persistent global issues like food and water security, biosecurity, and the preservation of endangered species.
These are just a few of the many excellent agricultural colleges out there that would help you in stepping up your career, and all of the agricultural educational colleges listed here have scholarships in case you can’t afford their fees. I tried to be as concise as possible, to know more about each university, do some more research to find the one that best fits your needs and interests.