Best Schools for Food Science and Technology
Food Science and Technology graduates earn a median of $70,104 within four years of graduating, ranking #105 out of 283 tracked majors — 12% above the median across all fields. There are 34 colleges nationwide with tracked earnings for this major, producing 1,068 recent graduates.
Where you study matters: University of Wisconsin-Madison graduates earn $85,445 while Mississippi State University graduates earn $39,940 — a $45,505 difference. Factors like location, employer networks, co-op programs, and curriculum focus drive this gap. Across all fields, though, which major you pick separates earnings more than which college does.
Early career salary growth is modest: Food Science and Technology graduates see an average 3% increase between year 1 and year 2 post-graduation, reflecting career advancement and skill development in the first years after college.
Public vs Private: Food Science and Technology
Private schools produce $7,605 more in early earnings on average for Food Science and Technology graduates. Factor in tuition difference to calculate which offers better ROI.
Food Science and Technology by State
Top Food Science and Technology Schools by Graduate Earnings
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI · Public
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY · Private
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
University Park, PA · Public
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
New Brunswick, NJ · Public
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA · Public
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS · Public
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Amherst, MA · Public
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Pomona, CA · Public
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA · Public
Purdue University-Main Campus
West Lafayette, IN · Public
University of Maryland-College Park
College Park, MD · Public
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, NC · Public
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN · Public
University of California-Davis
Davis, CA · Public
Ohio State University-Main Campus
Columbus, OH · Public
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI · Public
Delaware Valley University
Doylestown, PA · Private
Washington State University
Pullman, WA · Public
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Knoxville, TN · Public
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL · Public
Iowa State University
Ames, IA · Public
California State University-Fresno
Fresno, CA · Public
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL · Public
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR · Public
Oregon State University-Cascades Campus
Bend, OR · Public
Clemson University
Clemson, SC · Public
University of Maine
Orono, ME · Public
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC · Public
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, MS · Public
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR · Public
Texas A&M University-College Station
College Station, TX · Public
University of Georgia
Athens, GA · Public
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, NE · Public
University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia, MO · Public
Majors with Similar Earnings
Frequently Asked Questions
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Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median 2 years after graduation for bachelor's degree holders, from the field-of-study file last updated June 2026. Institution-level figures elsewhere on the site come from the June 2026 release — Scorecard publishes the two separately.
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