Best Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services 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
52
Colleges with salary data
Average 20-Yr Net ROI
-$144,202
Across all programs
Average Annual Cost
$33,132
Cost of attendance
| # | College | State | 20-Yr Net ROI | Median Salary | Annual Cost | Avg Debt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
University of Georgia
Grad rate: 87.6% |
GA | +$141,496 | $54,562 | $27,436 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 2 |
Oklahoma State University-Main Campus
Grad rate: 65.4% |
OK | +$134,501 | $55,230 | $25,915 | $19,584 | Full ROI → |
| 3 |
California State University-Chico
Grad rate: 63.9% |
CA | +$100,208 | $53,432 | $25,590 | $19,312 | Full ROI → |
| 4 |
University of Akron Main Campus
Grad rate: 48.0% |
OH | +$85,440 | $51,183 | $24,555 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 5 |
Kansas State University
Grad rate: 69.5% |
KS | -$5,644 | $46,806 | $25,441 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 6 |
Sam Houston State University
Grad rate: 55.6% |
TX | -$8,788 | $46,464 | $24,517 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 7 |
University of Missouri-Columbia
Grad rate: 75.7% |
MO | -$19,911 | $48,391 | $28,948 | $23,659 | Full ROI → |
| 8 |
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Grad rate: 83.1% |
MA | -$21,436 | $47,606 | $33,389 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 9 |
James Madison University
Grad rate: 81.0% |
VA | -$23,882 | $48,131 | $30,213 | $19,000 | Full ROI → |
| 10 |
Stephen F Austin State University
Grad rate: 52.4% |
TX | -$28,814 | $47,093 | $24,231 | $25,000 | Full ROI → |
| 11 |
Rochester Institute of Technology
Grad rate: 71.5% |
NY | -$35,596 | $54,563 | $71,714 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 12 |
Utah State University
Grad rate: 55.8% |
UT | -$37,639 | $44,984 | $21,050 | $9,718 | Full ROI → |
| 13 |
Montclair State University
Grad rate: 64.8% |
NJ | -$40,754 | $46,900 | $25,926 | $25,963 | Full ROI → |
| 14 |
Oregon State University-Cascades Campus
Grad rate: 53.7% |
OR | -$56,505 | $46,373 | $27,461 | $25,275 | Full ROI → |
| 15 |
Cedar Crest College
Grad rate: 60.2% |
PA | -$56,680 | $50,414 | $56,240 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 16 |
Oregon State University
Grad rate: 70.3% |
OR | -$66,365 | $46,373 | $29,926 | $25,275 | Full ROI → |
| 17 |
Ohio University-Main Campus
Grad rate: 65.7% |
OH | -$80,371 | $45,397 | $28,529 | $25,330 | Full ROI → |
| 18 |
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
Grad rate: 85.3% |
CA | -$88,412 | $43,563 | $29,918 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 19 |
Framingham State University
Grad rate: 52.0% |
MA | -$88,745 | $44,671 | $26,539 | $26,674 | Full ROI → |
| 20 |
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Grad rate: 86.3% |
VA | -$89,630 | $45,614 | $32,040 | $25,000 | Full ROI → |
| 21 |
Indiana State University
Grad rate: 42.5% |
IN | -$90,800 | $42,155 | $23,475 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 22 |
Ohio State University-Main Campus
Grad rate: 87.9% |
OH | -$103,962 | $44,465 | $29,320 | $26,654 | Full ROI → |
| 23 |
Benedictine University
Grad rate: 52.4% |
IL | -$116,663 | $47,277 | $46,548 | $26,675 | Full ROI → |
| 24 |
Baylor University
Grad rate: 80.8% |
TX | -$118,301 | $51,917 | $70,130 | $26,757 | Full ROI → |
| 25 |
The University of Texas at Austin
Grad rate: 87.7% |
TX | -$124,223 | $43,141 | $29,842 | $20,500 | Full ROI → |
| 26 |
Texas A&M University-College Station
Grad rate: 83.7% |
TX | -$129,680 | $41,933 | $32,085 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 27 |
University of Arkansas
Grad rate: 69.6% |
AR | -$130,724 | $42,343 | $26,161 | $24,400 | Full ROI → |
| 28 |
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Grad rate: 65.4% |
NE | -$159,379 | $40,804 | $25,341 | $25,256 | Full ROI → |
| 29 |
Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Grad rate: 66.8% |
CO | -$160,504 | $39,914 | $29,696 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 30 |
University of Central Oklahoma
Grad rate: 36.4% |
OK | -$173,312 | $39,912 | $25,913 | $20,667 | Full ROI → |
| 31 |
Texas Tech University
Grad rate: 67.1% |
TX | -$178,248 | $38,582 | $27,472 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 32 |
Seattle Pacific University
Grad rate: 63.8% |
WA | -$178,624 | $43,866 | $53,986 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 33 |
Syracuse University
Grad rate: 82.4% |
NY | -$182,114 | $50,796 | $80,396 | $27,000 | Full ROI → |
| 34 |
University of Idaho
Grad rate: 61.0% |
ID | -$192,590 | $38,900 | $22,669 | $29,566 | Full ROI → |
| 35 |
Texas State University
Grad rate: 56.0% |
TX | -$193,819 | $39,155 | $26,348 | $23,354 | Full ROI → |
| 36 |
Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus
Grad rate: 52.2% |
PA | -$213,050 | $38,451 | $26,405 | $27,000 | Full ROI → |
| 37 |
Georgia Southern University
Grad rate: 52.4% |
GA | -$213,792 | $36,223 | $24,563 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 38 |
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Grad rate: 27.4% |
AZ | -$217,590 | $32,808 | N/A | $25,000 | Full ROI → |
| 39 |
University of Houston
Grad rate: 64.0% |
TX | -$219,399 | $37,371 | $25,056 | $19,700 | Full ROI → |
| 40 | Johnson & Wales University-Online | RI | -$237,170 | $37,037 | $25,365 | $27,000 | Full ROI → |
| 41 |
Texas Woman's University
Grad rate: 46.2% |
TX | -$250,836 | $34,490 | $20,399 | $14,104 | Full ROI → |
| 42 |
University of Kentucky
Grad rate: 69.3% |
KY | -$261,208 | $37,036 | $32,291 | $24,270 | Full ROI → |
| 43 |
Winthrop University
Grad rate: 61.1% |
SC | -$263,290 | $36,713 | $30,275 | $27,000 | Full ROI → |
| 44 |
New York University
Grad rate: 87.8% |
NY | -$290,724 | $43,288 | $79,121 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 45 |
Wayne State University
Grad rate: 58.3% |
MI | -$296,948 | $34,047 | $26,794 | $22,750 | Full ROI → |
| 46 |
Middle Tennessee State University
Grad rate: 54.3% |
TN | -$310,137 | $32,789 | $22,754 | $25,853 | Full ROI → |
| 47 |
Lamar University
Grad rate: 37.4% |
TX | -$312,844 | $32,133 | $21,626 | $21,482 | Full ROI → |
| 48 |
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Grad rate: 67.4% |
AZ | -$329,778 | $32,808 | $28,047 | $25,000 | Full ROI → |
| 49 |
University of Central Arkansas
Grad rate: 51.7% |
AR | -$346,923 | $31,053 | $24,265 | $22,906 | Full ROI → |
| 50 |
Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte
Grad rate: 52.4% |
NC | -$359,666 | $37,037 | $55,989 | $27,000 | 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 Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services Degrees by State
Browse Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services programs ranked by 20-year ROI in every state that offers this degree.