Agricultural Production Operations at University of Minnesota - Crookston
MN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 01.03
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Agricultural Production Operations degree from University of Minnesota - Crookston earn a median salary of $43,892 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $46,644. The degree typically pays for itself in 41.5 years.
Quick Insights
How this degree looks at a glance
A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.
Salary Ranges
Starting Range
$33,225
Typical Career
$43,892
Top Performers
$62,446
Estimated break-even: 41.5 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$293
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,658. Most students can comfortably afford about a $293 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.
Purchasing Power Context
A dollar in Minnesota buys what costs $0.94 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Manufacturing, Public Administration.
Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work
Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.
5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent
$46,644
Nominal: $43,892 in Minnesota (COL 94.1% of national avg) · 6.3% higher purchasing power
10-Year Earnings Curve
Break-Even Timeline
How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).
Total Investment
$155,168
4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost
HS Graduate Baseline
$38,792/yr
BLS 2023 median, HS diploma
View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
| Timeframe | 25th Pct. | Median (50th) | 75th Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Year After Graduation | $24,558 | $32,883 | $43,948 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $33,225 | $43,892 | $62,446 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $27,732 | $43,047 | $73,014 |
Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).
How We Calculate Purchasing Power
The median salary of $43,892 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MN, which has a cost-of-living index of 94.1% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $43,892 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9410)
= $46,644 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
Graduates primarily enter sectors such as Health Care & Social Assistance (13.4%), Manufacturing (12.3%), and Public Administration (11.8%). The estimated break-even point for this degree versus a high-school-only path is approximately 41.5 years, suggesting a long-term return on investment that may not be immediate. While the degree provides access to various industries, prospective students should weigh the time required to recoup educational costs against their career aspirations and the stability of the sectors they wish to enter.
AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.
Compare with Another School
See how the Agricultural Production Operations degree at University of Minnesota - Crookston stacks up against another institution side-by-side.
Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.