Food Science and Technology: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Food Science and Technology graduates earn a median $70,873 four years after finishing — $22,513/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 3 years. Federal data pools 72 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 1,183 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Food Science and Technology ranks #63 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 69% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | WI | $85,445 |
| 2 | Cornell University | NY | $84,147 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | PA | $83,112 |
| 4 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | NJ | $80,979 |
| 5 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | VA | $80,161 |
| 6 | Kansas State University | KS | $78,367 |
| 7 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | MA | $77,771 |
| 8 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | CA | $75,601 |
| 9 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | CA | $75,466 |
| 10 | Purdue University-Main Campus | IN | $75,060 |
| 11 | University of Maryland-College Park | MD | $73,677 |
| 12 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | NC | $72,782 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.