Agricultural school enrollment up p1 - Military - College News and Information - Military Times EDGE

A growing number of students are turning to agricultural schools for their emphasis on science and the promise of good jobs after graduation.

Enrollment in agricultural schools across the country increased almost 22 percent from 2005 to 2008, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

At Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, enrollment has risen more than 18 percent in the past five years. More students are coming from nonfarm backgrounds, said Associate Dean Linda Martin, a shift that mirrors changes in the college’s degrees and programs. New programs that focus on food safety, bio-energy and the environment have brought in students who couldn’t imagine working on a farm.

The economy is another reason students are turning to agriculture. More than 90 percent who graduated from the college in 2008 had a job within six months.