2026 Best Value Food Processing Bachelor’s Degree Schools
[Food Processing](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/food-processing/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 28 schools to find the best return on investment for food processing students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Food Processing Schools in the United States
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the food processing degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Food Processing Schools
Kansas State University tops our 2026 list of the best value food processing schools in the United States. Located in the city of Manhattan, Kansas State University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,221, compared with $28,568 for out-of-state students. Food Processing graduates carry a median of $23,250 in student loans. Early-career food processing graduates make about $76,052. Set against $23,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Kansas State University admits about 82% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in food processing will find it at Morningside College, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Sioux City, Morningside College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $39,519. Students borrow a median of $26,969 to complete the food processing program here. Food Processing graduates of Morningside College earn a median of $48,505 early in their careers. Set against $26,969 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 71%.
Other Food Processing Degree Levels
Looking for a different degree level? Compare best-value Food Processing rankings across degree levels:
View All Food Processing Rankings >
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 28 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
