Dairy Management

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Dairy operations are at the heart of producing milk, cheese, ice cream, and butter for consumers. At Ridgewater, students gain the skills to manage all aspects of a dairy operation, including chores, documentation and strategies to maximize quality milk production.

Students choose from three primary areas:

Owner-operator
Employed manager
Agri-business/retail

* Tuition/fees and additional costs are approximate and based on 2025-26 school year.

72 credit degree and diploma
Paid internships
Start in fall or spring

Program Delivery

Willmar campus
In-person labs
M–F (8 am–3 pm)
Paid internships required
Fall and spring start

Program Cost^*

Tuition/Fees

AAS Degree: $15,207
Diploma: $15,207

Additional costs

Books: ~$1,000-$1,100
Special fees: $1,300
A Microsoft^® Windows 11 laptop computer is required for all students enrolled in Ag programs. Tablets, Chromebooks, and Mac/Apple devices are not supported by D2L Brightspace, the system-wide online learning management system.