Agriculture can be defined as a science or practice of farming, cultivating the soil, growing crops, and raising animals to provide products such as food, wool, and other products, and, eventually, market them. Agriculture is a crucial practice in the development of humankind (mostly due to the domestication of certain species of animals), but also in the economy of many countries, mostly those that have developed agricultural systems and good growing conditions because a high level of (quality) agricultural goods often means a high rate of exports. In this article, we will be looking at the best agriculture universities in the world.

Top Agriculture Schools in the World

1. Wageningen University & Research

  • Program link
  • Degrees offered: Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD

Wageningen University & Research is a public university in Wageningen, Netherlands, dedicated to agricultural and nature-focused studies on the level of the whole university. The domain of this university is divided into 3 core areas: Food, feed & biobased production, Natural resources & living environment, and Society & well-being.

Wageningen University & Research is among the top agriculture schools in the world that offers both undergraduate and graduate studies related to agriculture and both programs divide further into various study fields, related to animals, food, environment, etc. For years, this university has been on the top of every ranking when it comes to studying agriculture.

2. University of California, Davis

The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences of the University of California, Davis claims to be dedicated to “solving real-world problems in the agricultural, environmental, and human sciences to produce a better world, healthier lives, and an improved standard of living for everyone”. Pretty straightforward and ambitious, wouldn’t you say? This college divides its studies into 14 specialized departments related to animals, food, environment, agricultural engineering, etc.

At this college, you can major (and earn a bachelor’s degree in agriculture) in 30 different fields, and/or study for a master’s degree or Ph.D. in 23 fields. The number of different programs that this college offers is certainly impressive, so it’s not surprising that from year to year it ranks high on all rankings of the best schools in the world, at least when it comes to agricultural studies.

3. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Given that the country is rich in forests, mountains, and lakes, it is somehow logical that there is an educational institution in Sweden dedicated to the environment and agriculture; but, not only that, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences is one of the best ranked agricultural universities in the world.

Although this university offers both undergraduate and graduate studies (meaning you could earn a bachelor’s and/or master’s and Ph.D. degree), only its master’s studies focus specifically on agriculture, in addition to other programs regarding environmental studies and research, for example.

4. AgroParisTech

AgroParisTech is a higher education institution in France and it is a member of the Paris-Saclay University. It is also considered a National Institute of Technology for Life, Food, and Environmental Sciences with a forward-looking approach to the main global challenges of the 21st century, such as Feeding the population in a sustainable way, Protecting natural recourses, Fostering innovation, and Developing the bioeconomy.

This higher education public institution delivers a world-class agriculture curriculum and offers master’s and Ph.D. programs in the field of agriculture in both English and French, but also a program for “non-degree seeking students”, meaning mostly exchange students, who are offered a variety of programs and fields of study to choose from.

5. Cornell University

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) of Cornell University is among the top institutions for agriculture across the globe and calls itself a “premier institution of scientific learning”, claiming to be resolving challenges through purpose-driven science. It offers both undergraduate and graduates agricultural studies; more precisely – 22 undergraduate majors, 40 minors, research graduate degrees in more than 30 fields of study, and 3 professional degrees, but who’s counting? In addition to a wide range of studies in the field of agriculture, this college also has its own research center which can be accessed by all its students and participate in the projects it organizes.

6. ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology

ETH Zurich is the only and a top university in Switzerland to offer a degree program in Agricultural Sciences. This department offers both undergraduate and graduate studies, which can earn you a bachelor’s and/or a master’s degree in the field of agriculture.

In its undergraduate studies, this institute provides fundamental knowledge of the basics of agriculture, the role of agriculture in the economy, as well as the basics of plants and animals, while during master’s studies students can choose their specialty which would include some of these exact three fields of study: Agricultural Economics, Animal Sciences, and Plant Sciences. It’s worth mentioning that it also has an outgoing exchange program, so students from other universities and countries can go there and get a true Swiss academic experience.

7. China Agricultural University

  • Program link
  • Degrees offered: Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD

China Agricultural University is a public research university in Beijing, China. This university offers an impressive range of as many as 60 undergraduate specialties, about 140 master’s programs, and more than 80 doctoral programs. Its programs cover the spectrum in both natural and social sciences, including the fields of food and agriculture, livestock, soil, and water, etc. It’s also affiliated with many universities all around the world, allowing a large number of international student exchange programs.

There are 14 colleges under the China Agricultural University which offer a wide range of both undergraduate and graduate programs in agriculture, such as Agronomy & Biotechnology, Biological Science, Food Science, and Nutritional Engineering, etc, as well as in many more fields and disciplines that aren’t necessarily closely related to agriculture.

 

We hope this article on the world’s best agriculture schools was helpful. To know more information on studying abroad, check out the Available Programs for International Students.

About the Author: Hyun Lee

Hyun is the founder at Global Scholarships. He has received a full-tuition scholarship at Birmingham-Southern College as well as $1,000 Burger King Scholarship for his undergraduate degree and has been offered a fully funded scholarship consisting of tuition, living stipend, and health insurance for computer science Ph.D. program at North Carolina State University. Read more about his scholarship journey here.

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