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2023 Food Processing Degree Guide

Students who major in Food Processing work to ensure that crops and animal products are healthy and safe for consumption.

In this field, you will take classes on nutrition, health and safety standards, food processing and packaging to learn how to improve the quantity and quality of crops. You will spend time studying math, chemistry, business, agricultural economics, and computer science concepts and how they relate to agricultural production. By the time you finish your degree, you will be able to conduct research and help improve farmers' outputs.

Food Processing Degrees Decreasing

#339 Most Popular Major
237 Degrees Awarded
-5.9% Increase in Graduates

Food Processing was the 339th most popular major in the 2020-2021 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 237 degrees in this year alone. This 14 less than the prior year, a decrease of 5.9%.

This year's Best Food Processing Schools ranking compares 6 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of food processing programs later in this article.

2023 Best Colleges for Food Processing
2023 Overall Best Food Processing Colleges >

Best Food Processing Schools by Degree

Associate Degrees in Food Processing
Bachelor's Degrees in Food Processing

Food Processing Degree Requirements

Food Processing is a great career for anyone who enjoys science and performing experiments. Since the products harvested from farms are being used to feed the general population, it is important that the food is continually tested for nutrition and packaged safely. If you choose to focus on crops, you will work on ways to improve processing, packing, and distributing food. Focusing on animals will allow you to find the best ways to preserve products during distribution and advice farmers on the best way increase production.

A career in Agricultural and Food Products Processing requires analytical and critical-thinking skills. You must be able to analyze data with precision and reach conclusions with good judgment and accuracy. This career also requires a strong background in sciences, specifically nutrition, agronomy and crop science, and food science. Depending on the type of food you wish to study, you may be required to have a background in applied chemistry, animal science, and biology.

The best way to gain experience in this field is through an internship. You will work with experienced scientists to learn how to properly conduct experiments, gather data, and analyze your findings.

Getting Accepted Into a Food Processing Program

A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required for most food processing degree programs and many students will need a minimum GPA and SAT/ACT score depending on the school. In addition to these basic food processing program qualifications, to serve in some food processing careers, special certification may be required outside of your degree.

Food Processing Degree Types

There are various different levels of food processing degrees. You can spend many years getting as high as a in food processing to something that takes less time like a . Food Processing programs can take anywhere between one to four or more years for a full-time student to complete.

Degree Credit Requirements Typical Program Length
Associate Degree 60-70 credits 2 years
Bachelor’s Degree 120 credits 4 years
Master’s Degree 50-70 credits 1-3 years
Doctorate Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation At least 4 years

A doctor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to food processing, with approximately 18.4% of workers getting one. See the the most common levels of education for food processing workers below.

Level of Education Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma 34.0%
Doctoral Degree 15.0%
Some College Courses 11.4%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 8.9%
Bachelor’s Degree 8.8%

The chart below shows what degree level those who work in food processing have obtained.

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The education level required is different depending on the food processing career you are seeking.

Career Opportunities for A Degree In Food Processing Graduate

Below Average Number of Jobs
$54.2k Average Starting Salary
4% Growth Job Outlook 2016-26

Graduates who study Food Processing often find jobs as agricultural technicians inspecting food and crops to ensure they comply with safety standards. Other career possibilities include food science technicians, soil and plant scientists, and animal scientists. Typically, food scientists and technologists, as well as soil and plant scientists, earn a bachelor's degree, while most animal scientists earn a Ph.D.

Growth Projected for Food Processing Careers

Want a job when you graduate with your food processing degree? Food Processing careers are expected to grow 3.5% between 2016 and 2026.

The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to food processing.

Occupation Name Projected Jobs Expected Growth
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Worker Supervisors 49,700 2.1%
Agricultural Inspectors 16,300 4.5%
Agricultural Sciences Professors 13,600 7.9%

How Much Money Do Food Processing Grads Make?

Recently graduated food processing students earned an average of $54,206 in 2019-2020. Earnings can range from as low as $41,442 to as high as $66,969. As you might expect, salaries for food processing graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.

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Highest Paid Food Processing Careers

Salaries for food processing graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers food processing grads often go into.

Occupation Name Median Average Salary
Agricultural Sciences Professors $90,890
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Worker Supervisors $50,790
Agricultural Inspectors $45,970

Getting Your Food Processing Degree

With over 44 different food processing degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased food processing school rankings to help you with this.

Food Processing is one of 16 different types of Agriculture & Agriculture Operations programs to choose from.

Majors Similar to Food Processing

Related Major Annual Graduates
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians 8,646
Animal Science 8,294
Agricultural Economics & Business 8,098
General Agriculture 3,370
Horticulture 3,234

View All Food Processing Related Majors >

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