What Is the Top School in the World for Agriculture in 2020?

By Paul Rusnak|March 9, 2020

The field of agriculture is one of great value, no matter what’s going on in the world. People need to eat. It is just one of the many factors that make the sector attractive to those already in the profession and others considering it for their career. While there are many institutions that offer programs, some ag colleges shine brighter than the rest. These high achievers are recognized in the newly released 2020 World University Ranking by Subject report from London-based marketing and networking firm Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).

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40. Ohio State University

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #37

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39. Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna (Italy)

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #48

Learn more about this university founded in 1088.
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38. N.C. State University

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #29

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37. Aarhus University (Denmark)

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #35

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36. Montpellier SupAgro (France)

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #36

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35. The University of Melbourne (Australia)

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #38

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34. University of Florida

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #34

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33. University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #33

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32. The Australian National University

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #41

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31. Penn State University

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #32

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30. South China Agricultural University

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #47

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29. Massey University (New Zealand)

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #30

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28. Seoul National University (South Korea)

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #31

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27. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #27

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26. Nanjing Agricultural University

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #25

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25. The University of Queensland

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #17

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24. Oregon State University

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #23

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23. Technical University of Munich (Germany)

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #26

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22. Texas A&M University

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #19

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21. University of Göttingen (Germany)

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #24

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20. Purdue University

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #12

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19. University of Guelph (Canada)

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #20

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18. University of Copenhagen (Denmark)

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #13

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17. University of Hohenheim (Germany)

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #15

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16. Iowa State University

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #18

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15. University of Tokyo

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #22

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14. University of British Columbia (Canada)

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #16

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13. Norwegian University of Life Sciences

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #14

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12. Ghent University (Belgium)

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #21

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11. Michigan State University

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #11

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10. China Agricultural University

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #10

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9. University of Reading (U.K.)

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #6

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8. University of Wisconsin-Madison

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #8

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7. ETH Zurich- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #5

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6. University of California-Berkeley

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #7

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5. Cornell University

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #6

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4. AgroParis Tech (France)

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #4

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3. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Last year's QS by subject ranking: #3

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2. UC Davis

Since the ranking by subject in Agriculture & Forestry was first launched by QS eight years ago, UC Davis has finished at either No. 1 or No. 2.

Learn more about the school.
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1. Wageningen University (Netherlands)

Cheers again to Wageningen University & Research. This marks five years in a row at the No. 1 spot in Agriculture & Forestry, according to QS World University rankings by subject.

To see the 2020 QS listing for Agriculture & Forestry in its entirety, click here.

This is the eighth consecutive year QS has compiled a ranking specifically for Agriculture & Forestry. It’s quite a comprehensive list, grading institutions on academic reputation and employer reputation, which are obtained via global surveys of academics and employers. In addition, it looks at research impact based on citations per paper and h-index in the relevant subject. These are sourced from Elsevier’s Scopus database.

[Related Content: 25 Colleges in America that Make the Grade in Agricultural Sciences]

Since we’ve been covering the QS ranking, there have only been two schools that have claimed the No. 1 spot. Those would be University of California, Davis and Wageningen University in the Netherlands, which has come out on top the last four years. Can they make it five in a row, or will a new school break through?

Scroll the slideshow above to see how this year’s World Top Ag Colleges list shook out.

Like this article? Go ahead and click the “Applause” button below. And feel free to leave a reader comment.

40. Ohio State University

39. Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna (Italy)

38. N.C. State University

37. Aarhus University (Denmark)

36. Montpellier SupAgro (France)

35. The University of Melbourne (Australia)

34. University of Florida

33. University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna

32. The Australian National University

31. Penn State University

30. South China Agricultural University

29. Massey University (New Zealand)

28. Seoul National University (South Korea)

27. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

26. Nanjing Agricultural University

25. The University of Queensland

24. Oregon State University

23. Technical University of Munich (Germany)

22. Texas A&M University

21. University of Göttingen (Germany)

20. Purdue University

19. University of Guelph (Canada)

18. University of Copenhagen (Denmark)

17. University of Hohenheim (Germany)

16. Iowa State University

15. University of Tokyo

14. University of British Columbia (Canada)

13. Norwegian University of Life Sciences

12. Ghent University (Belgium)

11. Michigan State University

10. China Agricultural University

9. University of Reading (U.K.)

8. University of Wisconsin-Madison

7. ETH Zurich- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology

6. University of California-Berkeley

5. Cornell University

4. AgroParis Tech (France)

3. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

2. UC Davis

1. Wageningen University (Netherlands)

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