Best Food Science and Technology Degrees in the US by ROI
Top colleges ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all active states. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Programs Analyzed
26
Colleges with salary data
Average 20-Yr Net ROI
+$46,919
Across all programs
Average Annual Cost
$30,411
Cost of attendance
| # | College | State | 20-Yr Net ROI | Median Salary | Annual Cost | Avg Debt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
University of Georgia
Grad rate: 87.6% |
GA | +$400,536 | $67,514 | $27,436 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 2 |
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
Grad rate: 85.3% |
CA | +$392,445 | $69,000 | $29,918 | $20,654 | Full ROI → |
| 3 |
Washington State University
Grad rate: 62.0% |
WA | +$366,243 | $66,745 | $27,176 | $14,780 | Full ROI → |
| 4 |
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Grad rate: 89.3% |
WI | +$307,880 | $62,948 | $27,770 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 5 |
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Grad rate: 83.1% |
MA | +$268,484 | $62,102 | $33,389 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 6 |
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Grad rate: 66.5% |
CA | +$214,789 | $58,455 | $22,672 | $17,498 | Full ROI → |
| 7 |
Cornell University
Grad rate: 95.2% |
NY | +$210,193 | $70,212 | $83,196 | $15,750 | Full ROI → |
| 8 |
Michigan State University
Grad rate: 81.9% |
MI | +$113,858 | $55,486 | $30,528 | $25,000 | Full ROI → |
| 9 |
Ohio State University-Main Campus
Grad rate: 87.9% |
OH | +$103,159 | $54,408 | $29,320 | $20,534 | Full ROI → |
| 10 |
Kansas State University
Grad rate: 69.5% |
KS | +$87,256 | $53,128 | $25,441 | $24,844 | Full ROI → |
| 11 |
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Grad rate: 84.6% |
MN | +$78,770 | $53,162 | $29,013 | $21,050 | Full ROI → |
| 12 |
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Grad rate: 84.8% |
IL | +$78,014 | $53,610 | $32,134 | $19,000 | Full ROI → |
| 13 |
Texas A&M University-College Station
Grad rate: 83.7% |
TX | +$65,800 | $51,707 | $32,085 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 14 |
University of Maryland-College Park
Grad rate: 88.9% |
MD | +$53,582 | $51,963 | $28,073 | $24,730 | Full ROI → |
| 15 |
University of California-Davis
Grad rate: 85.7% |
CA | +$16,639 | $51,441 | $38,067 | $14,750 | Full ROI → |
| 16 |
California State University-Fresno
Grad rate: 55.5% |
CA | -$24,735 | $45,607 | $18,650 | $16,500 | Full ROI → |
| 17 |
Oregon State University-Cascades Campus
Grad rate: 53.7% |
OR | -$52,499 | $46,281 | $27,461 | $20,945 | Full ROI → |
| 18 |
Oregon State University
Grad rate: 70.3% |
OR | -$62,359 | $46,281 | $29,926 | $20,945 | Full ROI → |
| 19 |
Mississippi State University
Grad rate: 63.0% |
MS | -$80,069 | $45,033 | $26,922 | $24,475 | Full ROI → |
| 20 |
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Grad rate: 86.3% |
VA | -$88,641 | $45,790 | $32,040 | $26,875 | Full ROI → |
| 21 |
Iowa State University
Grad rate: 75.0% |
IA | -$103,838 | $43,242 | $23,309 | $26,254 | Full ROI → |
| 22 |
University of Florida
Grad rate: 90.7% |
FL | -$134,936 | $39,597 | $21,719 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 23 |
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Grad rate: 73.0% |
TN | -$176,685 | $41,090 | $32,658 | $20,632 | Full ROI → |
| 24 |
Clemson University
Grad rate: 86.6% |
SC | -$192,086 | $40,982 | $34,494 | $25,000 | Full ROI → |
| 25 |
University of Maine
Grad rate: 55.9% |
ME | -$304,782 | $33,867 | $26,418 | $27,000 | Full ROI → |
| 26 |
Brigham Young University
Grad rate: 80.4% |
UT | -$317,116 | $30,320 | $20,879 | N/A | Full ROI → |
How ROI is calculated
20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.
Find Best Food Science and Technology Degrees by State
Browse Food Science and Technology programs ranked by 20-year ROI in every state that offers this degree.