2018 ASHS Annual Conference

Over the past several years, horticulture programs appear to have experienced a decline in undergraduate enrollment or have been eliminated completely. The scale of this phenomenon remains to be quantified and characterized. In order to determine the accuracy of these observations and identify existing trends, we compared post-secondary horticulture educational programs offered in the U.S. in 1997, which issued certificates and 2- and 4-year degrees, with those offered in 2012 and 2017. Sources for the 1997 data included college blue books, state horticulture-related associations, and local industry professionals. Data for 2012 were obtained through an internet search and phone calls, while the 2017 data were obtained through internet searches only. In 1997, 446 schools in the U.S. offered degrees and/or certificates in horticulture. In 2012, this number had decreased by 43% to 253 schools, which consisted of 98 offering 4-year-degree-, 215 offering 2-year-degrees, and 330 offering certificate programs. In 2017, the total number of schools offering horticulture-related degrees or certificates decreased to 209, which represents a 17% decrease from 2012. All considered, in 2017 85 schools offered four-year degrees, 133 schools offered two-year degrees, and 265 schools offered certificate programs. These represent a 13% decrease, 38% decrease, and 29% decrease between 2012 and 2017 for schools offering 4-year, 2-year and certificate programs, respectively. Overall, these findings indicate a 53% drop in the number of schools with horticulture programs between 1997 and 2017. The trajectory toward the elimination of 2-year and certificate programs is of particular concern for industries and agencies that rely on horticultural knowledge to satisfy workforce needs.