Agricultural Economics

In the Department of Agricultural Economics our award winning advisors take a student-oriented approach to insure each student receives a personalized experience. Students can choose from four areas of study: agribusiness, sales and marketing, farm management, or agricultural economics.

Whether you're looking for a competitive advantage in the business-world or insights to take back to the family business, a degree from the department of agricultural economics can provide you with in demand skills and knowledge to inform your future career.

While on campus, you'll find endless opportunities with over a thousand clubs and organizations, Big Ten athletics, and over 49,000 possible friends!

Take that first small step, and let it lead to your next giant leap at Purdue by applying today! We know that you'll find your fit in Purdue's Ag Econ Department. Boiler Up!

 

AREAS OF STUDY CAREER PATHS

Contact Us

Agricultural Economics Department
403 Mitch Daniels Blvd.
Krannert Building, Room # 566
West Lafayette, IN 47907
(765) 494-4773

 

ACADEMIC ADVISING TEAM

99% Placement Rate
99% Placement Rate

Students in the agricultural economics program have a 99% placement rate at graduation

Globally renowned program
Globally renowned program

Purdue is home to the #4 Agriculture program in the U.S.

QA World University Rankings 2022
Average Starting Salary
$52,447 Average Starting Salary

Students in the agricultural economics program have an average starting salary of $52,447

99% Placement Rate
99% Placement Rate

Students in the agricultural economics program have a 99% placement rate at graduation

Globally renowned program
Globally renowned program

Purdue is home to the #4 Agriculture program in the U.S.

QA World University Rankings 2022

Average Starting Salary
$52,447 Average Starting Salary

Students in the agricultural economics program have an average starting salary of $52,447

INFORMATION & RESOURCES FOR PROSPECTIVE AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS STUDENTS

 

ChoosING A degree program that's right for you

Whether you’re interested in policy, business, data and analytics, management, entrepreneurship, economics, or sales and marketing, the possibilities are endless when you study Agricultural Economics at Purdue University.

FINDING YOUR FIT

Agbiz major, Cole Pearson shares how he acclimated to the college experience
Jackson says Ag Econ major offers many options to non-Ag background students
"Not boxed-in" Molly appreciates the versatility of Ag Econ's degree programs

AREAS OF STUDY

Increasing opportunities exist for agricultural graduates to enter managerial positions in business. These businesses may be large or small and may be organized as proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, or cooperatives. They include meat, dairy, and poultry processing industries, grain handling, feed manufacturing, and seed and fertilizer firms; transportation and storage concerns; and wholesale and retail food businesses.

The Department of Agricultural Economics B.S. in Agribusiness curriculum gives special emphasis to agriculturally related businesses; however, its requirements are broad enough to allow adequate preparation for nonagricultural businesses. This option also has enough flexibility to permit you to prepare for an international career in agribusiness and can serve as a foundation for graduate school.

Students seeking an Agribusiness degree have the option to create their own path by concentrating in one of the five areas listed below:

  • Agribusiness: Agribusiness Management Concentration, BS
  • Agribusiness: Agricultural Finance Concentration, BS
  • Agribusiness: Agricultural Marketing Concentration, BS
  • Agribusiness: Commodity Marketing Concentration, BS
  • Agribusiness: Food Marketing Concentration, BS

To view the most up to date requirements for these concentrations, visit the Purdue Course Catalog and select Undergraduate Programs from the left-hand side menu. From that webpage, you can view each of the Agribusiness program requirements located under the Bachelor of Science heading.

After graduation, many students move on to jobs in agricultural lending, agricultural commodity trading, sales, marketing, farm ownership, agribusiness management, cooperative extension, or continue on to graduate school.

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS Purdue Course Catalog

The bachelor of science in agricultural economics is for students looking to understand the innerworkings of the food, fiber, and fuel industries. Students learn how to apply economic and business principles in understanding trends for banks, farm credit institutions, feed companies, farm equipment and fertilizer manufacturers, and food processing firms.

Students seeking an Agricultural Economics degree have the option to create their own path by concentrating in one of the four areas listed below:

  • Agricultural Economics: Applied Agricultural Economics Concentration, BS
  • Agricultural Economics: Data Analytics Concentration, BS
  • Agricultural Economics: Policy and Pre-Law Concentration, BS
  • Agricultural Economics: Quantitative Analysis Concentration, BS

To view the most up to date requirements for these concentrations, visit the Purdue Course Catalog and select Undergraduate Programs from the left-hand side menu. From that webpage, you can view each of the Agricultural Economics program requirements located under the Bachelor of Science heading.

Students graduate prepared for careers in business, public policy analysis, economic development, finance, banking, sales, marketing, management, natural resources and environmental economics, cooperative extension, or continue on to graduate school.

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS Purdue Course Catalog

 

Farm Management prepares students for managing the home farm, professional farm management, or understanding the challenge of managing a farm. Emphasis is placed on production, finance, marketing, and management strategies.

Students seeking a Farm Management degree have the option to create their own path by concentrating in farm management-business or production agriculture.

To view the most up to date requirements for the Farm Management degree program, visit the Purdue Course Catalog and select Undergraduate Programs from the left-hand side menu. From that webpage, scroll down to view the Farm Management, BS program requirements located under the Bachelor of Science heading.

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS Purdue Course Catalog

The Agricultural Economics B.S. in Sales and Marketing not only emphasizes sales, marketing, and management, it allows students to develop an area of specialization to prepare them for entry into an agriculture-related industry of their choice. A wide spectrum of farm supply industries, service firms, agricultural marketing organizations, and food manufacturing companies are marketing-oriented and depend extensively on agricultural graduates who are well-trained in marketing tools and concepts.

To view the most up to date requirements for the Sales and Marketing degree program, visit the Purdue Course Catalog and select Undergraduate Programs from the left-hand side menu. From that webpage, scroll down to view the Sales and Marketing, BS program requirements located under the Bachelor of Science heading.

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS Purdue Course Catalog

 

LEARN ABOUT OUR STUDENTS

Students who study agricultural economics at Purdue University come from a wide-range of backgrounds. Learn more about the endeavors of our current students.

Success Stories

Senior Spotlights - with their academic careers nearly complete, top graduating seniors share highlights from their time at Purdue University.

Senior spotlights

GET INVOLVED ON CAMPUS

Learn about the many student organizations within the College of Agriculture and across campus!

BoilerLink: Student Organizations

Yes! There are a number of study abroad opportunities both in the College of Agriculture and the Department of Agricultural Economics! Visit the Purdue Agriculture Study Abroad site to learn more, apply, and prepare for your experience abroad.

Purdue Agriculture Study Abroad

 

International Opportunities from the Agricultural Economics Department:

AGEC: Colombia Maymester: This course provides an international and multidisciplinary perspective on food security and resources. The focus will be on case studies that represent different regions of the world with special emphasis on the changing conditions for tropical agriculture.

AGEC: China Maymester: This is a 3-credit, Purdue faculty led course where students spend 15 days in China during the second half of May. We travel to Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an, Chongqing, Yichang, Langfang, and Shaoxing.

FIND YOUR CAREER PATH

Students completing a degree from the Department of Agricultural Economics enjoy a wide array of job options and opportunities – both inside, and outside of the Agricultural Industry. Click below to view popular positions taken by our graduates and a list of top companies that hire our students:

 

CAREER PATHS AG CAREERS.COM

STUDENT STORIES

Kayla Zalesny
Crop Research and Development Internship

Kayla Zalesny (Agrimarketing; Santa Maria, CA.) completed an internship at Duncan Family Farms in...

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Miriam Cook
Desire to explore leads to the Netherlands

Miriam Cook (Applied Ag Econ, Pewamo, MI) provides a first-hand account of her time studying...

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Lucas Juengel
Internship opens eyes to opportunities in agriculture

Lucas Juengel, an Agribusiness Management student from Decatur, IN, decided to put his classroom...

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Sydney Hefty
Students get a "Taste of Italy" During Maymester

AgEcon students share their experiences studying abroad in Italy

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Stewart Douglas
Field scouting internship a growing experience

Stewart Douglas (Commodity Marketing; Flat Rock, IN) completed a field specialist summer...

Read more

Ready to Learn More! Contact Us!

Agricultural Economics Department, Undergraduate Advising, (765) 494-4201, agec1@purdue.edu