Agriculture Colleges in India
Explore top agriculture colleges in India — compare their courses, fees, placements and admission requirements, and find the programme that fits your goals.
Agriculture education in India
Agriculture is the applied science of producing food, fibre, and raw materials from the land and water — spanning crop production (agronomy), soil science, plant breeding and genetics, entomology and plant pathology, horticulture, animal and dairy husbandry, fisheries, agricultural engineering, agribusiness and food technology. In India it is not a niche subject but the backbone of the economy: agriculture and allied sectors still employ roughly half of the country's workforce and contribute about a fifth of gross value added, and India ranks among the world's top producers of milk, pulses, spices, rice and wheat. That scale, combined with pressures from climate change, water stress and a young population that must be fed, makes agricultural expertise one of the more durable career bets a student can make.
Formal agricultural education in India runs on a distinctive federal system built around the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), an autonomous body under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. ICAR coordinates and accredits a national network of agricultural universities — commonly cited as roughly 63 State Agricultural Universities plus a handful of Central Agricultural Universities and four ICAR Deemed-to-be Universities (IARI New Delhi, IVRI Izatnagar, NDRI Karnal and CIFE Mumbai) — along with dozens of ICAR research institutes. All undergraduate degrees in the agricultural sciences have been declared professional degrees, which is why the four-year B.Sc (Hons) Agriculture, and not a general B.Sc, is the standard entry qualification.
The admission route changed significantly in recent years and students should understand the current position clearly. ICAR historically ran its own AIEEA (UG) test for undergraduate seats, but from 2023 onwards UG admissions to the ICAR All-India Quota shifted to the CUET-UG conducted by the National Testing Agency — branded "CUET (ICAR-UG)". Through this route ICAR fills an All-India Quota (indicatively around 20%) of seats across participating State Agricultural Universities and 100% of seats in its Central and Deemed universities, using CUET-UG domain scores in subjects such as Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and Agriculture. Postgraduate admissions, by contrast, still run through ICAR's own AIEEA (PG) exam (the ICAR-JRF/SRF cycle). Alongside these national routes, most states run their own agriculture CETs — MP PAT, CG PAT, Rajasthan JET, OUAT and others — that fill the large state-quota share.
Veterinary science follows a completely separate track worth flagging up front: the flagship BVSc & AH degree is regulated by the Veterinary Council of India (not ICAR for admission), and its 15% All-India Quota is filled on the basis of NEET-UG rank, exactly like MBBS and BDS. Career destinations across the whole stream are broad — agronomists and farm managers, plant breeders and biotechnologists, agricultural officers and extension staff, food-processing and quality professionals, agri-input and seed company roles, banking (agriculture officers at NABARD and public-sector banks), agri-startups and government research posts. Entry pay is modest (indicatively ₹3–5 LPA) but climbs meaningfully with specialization, competitive exams (ICAR ARS, state agriculture services, IBPS AFO) and the postgraduate route; all salary figures on this page are indicative annual ranges, not guarantees.
Agriculture course guides
All coursesB.Sc
The B.Sc (Hons) Agriculture is the flagship undergraduate degree of the stream and the standard qualification for almost every agriculture career and postgraduate pathway in India. Because all UG agricultural-science degrees are officially designated professional degrees, this is a four-year "Hons" programme following ICAR's model curriculum (roughly 180 credits across eight semesters), not a general three-year B.Sc. It builds a full working map of modern farming science: agronomy and crop production, soil science, plant breeding and genetics, entomology and plant pathology, horticulture, agricultural economics and extension, agricultural engineering basics, and increasingly biotechnology, remote sensing and precision agriculture.
B.Sc
B.Sc (Hons) Horticulture is a four-year professional degree focused on the cultivation, improvement, processing and marketing of horticultural crops — fruits (pomology), vegetables (olericulture), flowers (floriculture), plantation crops, spices, medicinal and aromatic plants, and landscape/ornamental gardening. It shares its foundation with B.Sc Agriculture (soil science, genetics, entomology, plant pathology, extension) but specializes in high-value crops and protected/greenhouse cultivation, which is a fast-growing commercial segment.
BVSc & AH
The Bachelor of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry (BVSc & AH) is the professional degree that licenses veterinarians in India, and it sits on a separate regulatory track from the rest of the agriculture stream. It is governed by the Veterinary Council of India (VCI) under the Indian Veterinary Council Act, 1984, and its Minimum Standards of Veterinary Education (MSVE) Regulations, 2016. The programme runs 5.5 years — 4.5 years of coursework across nine semesters covering anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathology, microbiology, medicine, surgery, gynaecology, animal nutrition and production — followed by a compulsory one-year rotating internship in VCI-approved veterinary hospitals.
B.F.Sc
The Bachelor of Fisheries Science (B.F.Sc) is a four-year professional degree covering the science and business of aquatic food production — aquaculture, fish biology and genetics, fish health and nutrition, aquatic ecology, fishing technology and gear, fish processing and post-harvest technology, and fisheries economics and extension. It is offered by dedicated fisheries colleges and faculties within agricultural and fisheries universities, with the ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE), Mumbai, as the flagship deemed university.
M.Sc
M.Sc (Agriculture) is the standard postgraduate specialization for agriculture graduates and the gateway to research, teaching and higher technical roles. Students choose a discipline — agronomy, soil science, genetics and plant breeding, entomology, plant pathology, horticulture, agricultural economics, extension, biotechnology and others — and combine coursework with a supervised research thesis. It is a two-year, four-semester programme and is heavily research-oriented in the second year.
Top Agriculture colleges
View all
Ganpat University (GUNI)
Mehsana, Gujarat
IIT Kanpur - Indian Institute of Technology
Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
ITM University, Gwalior
Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh
Banaras Hindu University
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
NAU - Navsari Agricultural University
Navsari, Gujarat
JAU - Junagadh Agricultural University
Junagadh, Gujarat
Anand Agricultural University
Anand, Gujarat
Charutar Vidya Mandal University
Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat
Kamdhenu University
Gandhinagar, Gujarat
Disciplines in Agriculture
Popular Agriculture courses
M.Sc. in Agriculture
JAU - Junagadh Agricultural University
MBA Agriculture Business Management
JAU - Junagadh Agricultural University
M.Tech Agriculture Engineering
JAU - Junagadh Agricultural University
M.Sc Agriculture
Anand Agricultural University
M.Sc. in Agriculture
Jaipur National University
M.B.A Agriculture
Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University
Bachelor in Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry
JAU - Junagadh Agricultural University
B.V.Sc Animal Husbandry
Banaras Hindu University
Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry (B.V.Sc. & A.H.)
Kamdhenu University
Agriculture entrance exams
All examsICAR AIEEA (UG)
ICAR All India Entrance Examination for Admission (Undergraduate) — now routed through CUET (ICAR-UG)
ICAR AIEEA (PG)
ICAR All India Entrance Examination for Admission to Master's Degree Programmes (AIEEA-PG / ICAR-JRF)
State Agriculture CETs
State Common Entrance Tests for Agriculture & Allied UG Programmes (MP PAT, CG PAT, Rajasthan JET, OUAT and equivalents)
Careers after agriculture
Agriculture Field Officer (Banking)
Handle agri-lending, Kisan Credit Card, and rural-finance portfolios at public-sector and private banks; a popular, well-paid route entered through IBPS AFO / bank specialist-officer recruitment.
Agronomist / Farm Manager
Plan crop cycles, input use, mechanization and yields for large farms, plantations and agri-corporates; increasingly involves precision-agriculture and data tools.
Agriculture / Horticulture Development Officer
Deliver government schemes, advise farmers and run Krishi Vigyan Kendra programmes through state agriculture and horticulture departments; recruited via state PSCs.
Veterinarian
Diagnose and treat animals and manage livestock health in government service, private clinics, dairy cooperatives and poultry/livestock corporates; requires a BVSc & AH and state-council registration.
Agricultural Research Scientist
Conduct crop, soil, animal or fisheries research at ICAR institutes and agricultural universities; entry after M.Sc/PhD through the ICAR ARS-NET examination.
Agribusiness / Agri-Input Manager
Manage products, sales and supply chains for seed, fertiliser, crop-protection, farm-machinery, aqua-feed and food-processing companies.
Salary figures are indicative ranges and vary by college, location, and experience.
Careers after Agriculture
Agriculture programmes prepare students for a range of professional and higher-study pathways. Browse the colleges below to understand the courses on offer, the degrees awarded and the institutes best suited to your interests.
Salary outlook
Starting salaries vary by course, college and role. Explore individual colleges and courses for placement details where available.
How admissions work in agriculture
- State agricultural university admissions.
- ICAR counselling and PG/PhD entrance routes.
- State CETs or university exams.
- Some universities use CUET or merit.
Entrance exams, counselling rules and eligibility can change each academic year — always verify the current admission brochure of the university, state counselling authority, and relevant council.
Key skills you'll build
Biology, fieldwork, soil/crop knowledge, data collection, farm technology, extension communication, business thinking, climate awareness.
Who this stream suits
Ideal for students interested in farming, food systems, biology, sustainability, rural development, agri startups, and government/agri-sector jobs.
Related fields to explore
Frequently asked questions
How are agriculture admissions done in India now — is ICAR AIEEA UG still held?+
ICAR's standalone AIEEA (UG) test was discontinued for its All-India Quota from 2023. UG admission to ICAR's All-India Quota is now through CUET (ICAR-UG) conducted by the NTA, using your CUET-UG domain-subject scores. The larger state-quota share is filled through state agriculture CETs (MP PAT, CG PAT, Rajasthan JET, OUAT and others). Postgraduate admission still runs through ICAR's own AIEEA (PG) exam.
Which entrance exam do I take for BVSc & AH (veterinary)?+
BVSc & AH admission is through NEET-UG — the same exam as MBBS and BDS — not through ICAR or CUET. The Veterinary Council of India fills a 15% All-India Quota via online counselling using NEET-UG rank, and states fill the remaining 85% through their own NEET-based counselling.
Is B.Sc Agriculture a good career choice?+
Yes, for students interested in food, farming and rural development. It is a four-year professional degree with broad options: banking (IBPS AFO), government agriculture and extension services, agribusiness and seed/agri-input companies, and research after an M.Sc. Agriculture and allied sectors still employ around half of India's workforce, and demand for skilled professionals is durable.
Can I study agriculture without biology in Class 12?+
Often yes. Most agricultural universities accept 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry and either Biology or Mathematics, and many count Agriculture as a qualifying subject. Veterinary (BVSc) is the exception — it requires Biology because admission is via NEET-UG. Always confirm the accepted subject combinations in the relevant information bulletin.
What is the difference between B.Sc Agriculture, Horticulture and Fisheries?+
All three are four-year professional degrees sharing a common science base. B.Sc Agriculture is the broad flagship (crops, soil, breeding, extension). B.Sc Horticulture specializes in high-value fruit, vegetable, flower and plantation crops. B.F.Sc focuses on aquaculture and the fisheries/seafood sector. All three admit through CUET (ICAR-UG) for the ICAR quota and through state CETs for state seats.
What are the top agriculture colleges in India?+
In the NIRF 2024 Agriculture & Allied Sectors ranking, IARI New Delhi ranked 1st, ICAR-NDRI Karnal 2nd and Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana 3rd, followed by BHU Varanasi and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University among the leaders. IARI, NDRI and other ICAR Deemed/Central universities admit through CUET (ICAR-UG) at UG level and ICAR AIEEA (PG) for postgraduate study.
Do agriculture students get scholarships?+
Yes. Government agricultural universities are heavily subsidised, and at the postgraduate level candidates who qualify ICAR AIEEA (PG) with a good rank receive an ICAR Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) stipend for the two-year M.Sc. Various state and central merit-cum-means scholarships also apply.
What government jobs can agriculture graduates get?+
Popular options include Agriculture Field Officer at banks (IBPS AFO), Agriculture/Horticulture Development Officer and Extension Officer via state PSCs, NABARD roles, and — after an M.Sc/PhD — ICAR research scientist posts through the ARS-NET examination. Veterinary graduates additionally sit state PSC exams for Veterinary Officer posts.