Agricultural & Applied Economics - University of Wisconsin-Madison

What Agricultural & Applied Economics - University of Wisconsin-Madison does

The Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics (AAE) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is the first specialized academic department of its kind in the world, established in 1909 under founding chair H.C. Taylor within the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. The department delivers undergraduate majors and certificates, a PhD in Agricultural and Applied Economics, an MS in Agricultural and Applied Economics, and the professionally oriented MS AAE Professional Option (MSPO) with an accelerated 4+1 undergraduate pathway. Its research portfolio spans environmental and resource economics, agricultural economics, international development economics, and community economic development, with recent faculty work extending into U.S. county-level livability measurement across all 3,100 counties and conservation agriculture health impacts in Mexico.

AAE's go-to-market operates through three channels: (1) on-campus degree programs that generate tuition revenue via UW-Madison's pricing structure (specific tier pricing not publicly disclosed); (2) outreach and extension delivered through the Renk Agribusiness Institute and UW Extension's statewide network of county offices, anchored by the annual Wisconsin Agricultural Outlook Forum drawing 130+ agricultural stakeholders; and (3) experiential learning via CALS Consulting (semester-long student consulting projects) and CALS Case Competitions (industry-sponsored competitions with partners including Kerry, Organic Valley, Brakebush, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources). The Renk Agribusiness Institute, endowed in 1996-97 by the Renk families of Sun Prairie, WI, coordinates agribusiness teaching, research, and outreach across CALS, the School of Business, and UW Extension.

The department is housed in Taylor Hall at 427 Lorch St., Madison, WI. As a unit of a public university, AAE is funded through state appropriations, tuition, research grants, and donor support rather than commercial revenue; no revenue figures are disclosed. Supporting infrastructure includes the in-house RESS (Room & Equipment Scheduling System) with Microsoft Office 365 calendar integration, the Renk Scholarship program providing $2,000 per year in tuition assistance, and a JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) Committee formed in 2020.

Name

Agricultural & Applied Economics - University of Wisconsin-Madison

Legal name

Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics - University of Wisconsin-Madison

Website

https://aae.wisc.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1909

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, founded in 1909 as the first such department in the world, offers undergraduate, MS, MSPO, and PhD programs while delivering extension, research, and industry consulting in agricultural, environmental, development, and community economics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education - Agricultural & Applied Economics

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Support Activities for Crop Production (11511)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Agricultural Services (700), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & ESG / Carbon & Conservation Program Advisory (AFACAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable/Regenerative Agriculture & Conservation Practices (EDAOAOAO), Carbon, Sustainability & Farm Certification Support (Agro-Environmental Advisory) (AFACABAL), Soil Health & Regenerative Agronomy Consulting (AFACABAA), Irrigation & Water Use Efficiency Agronomy (AFACABAF)

Keywords

• Agricultural economics education
• Applied economics research
• Graduate degree programs
• Agribusiness outreach
• Extension economics services

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Educational Services: The department generates value through degree programs (PhD, MS Agricultural and Applied Economics, MS AAE Professional Option), undergraduate majors and certificates, continuing education, and professional development for agricultural stakeholders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is an academic department that offers graduate and undergraduate degree programs (PhD, MS Agricultural and Applied Economics, MS AAE Professional Option, undergraduate majors and certificates), conducts research in agricultural, environmental, resource, and development economics, and delivers outreach and extension services to Wisconsin farmers and agribusinesses. It also operates the Renk Agribusiness Institute, which coordinates agribusiness teaching, research, the annual Wisconsin Agricultural Outlook Forum, and scholarship programs.

Product overview

The Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at UW-Madison is an academic department offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs and operational tools. The core academic offerings include PhD and MS degree programs in Agricultural and Applied Economics, the professional MSPO (MS AAE Professional Option) graduate program, and undergraduate majors and certificates. Supporting infrastructure includes the RESS (Room & Equipment Scheduling System) for managing departmental resources including rooms and laptops, and the Renk Agribusiness Institute which coordinates agribusiness research, outreach, and hosts the Wisconsin Agricultural Outlook Forum. Experiential learning is delivered through CALS Consulting (student consulting projects with clients) and CALS Case Competitions (industry partnership competitions). The Renk Scholarship provides financial support to qualified students. The department operates from Taylor Hall at UW-Madison and is affiliated with the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Renk Agribusiness Institute: An institute established to manage and coordinate agribusiness teaching, research, and extension/outreach at the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the School of Business and UW Extension. Currently housed in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics.

Products and services

• PhD in Agricultural and Applied Economics Doctoral program for advanced research training in agricultural economics, environmental and resource economics, development economics, and community economic development, preparing graduates for academic and research careers.
• MS Agricultural and Applied Economics Graduate degree program providing advanced education in agricultural economics, farm management, marketing, and land economics for students seeking academic or applied careers.
• MS AAE Professional Option (MSPO) Professional graduate program designed for students seeking applied, data-driven training that prepares graduates for impactful careers in agricultural and applied economics; available as a 4+1 accelerated pathway for current UW-Madison undergraduates.
• Undergraduate Majors and Certificates Undergraduate majors and certificates in Agricultural & Applied Economics, Agricultural Business Management, and related business management certificates, providing foundational economics, agribusiness, and career development preparation.
• Renk Agribusiness Institute Institute managing and coordinating agribusiness teaching, research, and extension/outreach at UW-Madison (across CALS, the School of Business, and UW Extension), currently housed in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics. Hosts the Wisconsin Agricultural Outlook Forum and administers the Renk Scholarship.
• Renk Scholarship Financial scholarship program providing $2,000 tuition assistance per year, networking opportunities, and internship connections for Agricultural & Applied Economics and Agricultural Business Management students with a 3.0+ GPA.

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• KerryflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational food company and leader in taste and nutrition innovation. Partner for CALS Case Competition Spring 2025 - students developed new chip snack product concepts for Kerry.
• Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner for Spring 2026 CALS Case Competition focusing on nutrient management plan adoption strategies.
• Organic ValleyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganic cooperative partner for Fall 2025 case competition to relaunch high-protein organic recovery shake Fuel.
• BrakebushcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChicken processing company headquartered in Westfield, WI. Partner for Fall 2024 case competition on customer contract options.
• Working Capital for Community Needs (WCCN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit organization. Jordan van Rijn serves as Board Member, connecting faculty expertise with community development.
• UW Center for Financial SecuritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch center at UW-Madison. Jordan van Rijn serves as Fellow, supporting financial inclusion research.
• UW Center for CooperativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity center supporting cooperative education. Jordan van Rijn serves as Faculty Affiliate.
• NCBA Council of Cooperative EconomistsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry council. Jordan van Rijn serves as Member, contributing to cooperative economics expertise.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Purdue University - Department of Agricultural Economics: Purdue Ag Econ is a leading land-grant applied economics program with strong extension, center-based research (Center for Commercial Agriculture), and industry engagement — a near-1:1 functional peer.
• Iowa State University - Department of Economics: Iowa State's economics department (with deep agricultural economics heritage) is the closest direct peer in scope: graduate and undergraduate programs, extension service, and applied research in farm management, commodity economics, and policy — competing head-to-head for students and grants.
• Penn State - Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education: Penn State AESE combines agricultural economics, rural sociology, and education — a peer land-grant structure with extension and applied research programs comparable in mission to UW-Madison AAE.
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics: UIUC ACE is a top-ranked agricultural and consumer economics department at a peer public research university, with comparable graduate programs, farmdoc extension, and applied policy research.
• University of Minnesota - Department of Applied Economics: UMN Applied Economics is a Midwest peer land-grant program with comparable graduate offerings, applied research focus, and extension-style outreach — directly competing for regional talent and grants.
• University of California, Davis - Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics: UC Davis ARE is a leading public-university applied economics department with strengths in environmental/resource economics and agricultural policy — a top-tier peer for faculty recruitment and research competition.
• Cornell University - Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management: Cornell Dyson is an Ivy League applied economics and management school with strong agribusiness and food-industry programs, competing for top graduate students and faculty in applied economics.
• Michigan State University - Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics: MSU AFRE is a top-tier land-grant applied economics department offering PhD, MS, and undergrad programs with extension and outreach to Michigan agriculture — directly comparable in mission, structure, and competitive set.
• Ohio State University - Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics: OSU AEDE is a peer land-grant department offering graduate and undergraduate programs in agricultural, environmental, and development economics with extension and outreach to Ohio agriculture.
• Texas A&M University - Department of Agricultural Economics: Texas A&M Ag Econ is one of the largest U.S. applied economics departments, with extensive extension, research centers, and graduate programs — a comparable scale peer with industry-engagement orientation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UW_AAE
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC-kwjMQHL3QLTqjdxFDld0g
• Facebookfacebook.com/uwmadison.aae
• Instagraminstagram.com/uwmadisonaae
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aae-uwmadison

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Agricultural & Applied Economics - University of Wisconsin-Madison