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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Food Science (Income $0-$30k)

44 Ranked Colleges
1,184 Degrees Awarded
$8,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Food Science is the 283rd most popular major in the country with 1,815 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,184 food science graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 44 colleges that offer a degree in food science. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great food science programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the food science program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Food Science (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cornell University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Cornell University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 27 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Cornell is $7,484 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Food Science at Cornell

#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $4,367 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about Food Science at UW - Madison

#3

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #3 spot on the list. UF is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $1,994 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Florida.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Florida Food Science Report

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 99 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $5,477 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Food Science at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#5

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. Purdue is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s food sciences degrees to qualified students.

Purdue also took the #3 spot in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,483 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Food Science at Purdue University - Main Campus

#23 in overall quality

California State University - Fresno came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $3,264 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fresno Food Science Report

#14 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Ohio State has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $8,194 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Food Science at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#8

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#15 in overall quality

Michigan State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $6,686 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Food Science at Michigan State University

#9

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UMN Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also took the #10 spot in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $7,266 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Food Science Report

Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. BYU - I is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Rexburg, Idaho. It awarded 10 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,637 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho.

The low student loan default rate of 3.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full BYU - I Food Science Report

#11

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland

With a ranking of #11, University of Maryland - College Park did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in College Park, Maryland, this large public school awarded 49 degrees to qualified bachelors’s food sciences students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $8,054 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UMCP Food Science Report

#12

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#22 in overall quality

North Carolina State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

NC State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend NC State is $7,285 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Food Science at NC State

#2 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 36 bachelors’s food sciences degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $12,475 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Food Science at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Iowa State University is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 52 bachelors’s food sciences degrees to qualified students.

Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $10,054 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Food Science at Iowa State University

#15

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#18 in overall quality

University of Georgia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. University of Georgia is located in Athens, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s food sciences degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UGA has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,541 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UGA.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Food Science at University of Georgia

#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 81 bachelors’s food sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $9,842 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Davis Food Science Report

#17

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington

Washington State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Wazzu is located in Pullman, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s food sciences degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Wazzu is $9,334 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Wazzu Food Science Report

#6 in overall quality

University of Nebraska - Lincoln came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UNL is a large school located in Lincoln, Nebraska that handed out 70 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNL, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,216 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNL.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Food Science at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

#19

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #19, University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 2 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $8,366 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Food Science at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

#25 in overall quality

Brigham Young University - Provo ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brigham Young University - Provo is a large school located in Provo, Utah that handed out 24 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

BYU also made our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend BYU is $8,834 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Food Science at BYU

#21

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
#9 in overall quality

Virginia Tech ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 bachelors’s food sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Virginia Tech, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,138 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Virginia Tech.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Virginia Tech Food Science Report

#22

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lubbock, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s food sciences degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,317 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas Tech University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Food Science at Texas Tech

#21 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s food sciences degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $8,596 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Food Science at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

#24

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts
#11 in overall quality

University of Massachusetts Amherst came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMass Amherst is a large public school situated in Amherst, Massachusetts. It awarded 32 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Amherst also took the #11 spot in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMass Amherst is $13,137 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Food Science at University of Massachusetts Amherst

#12 in overall quality

North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Fargo, North Dakota, this fairly large public school handed out 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s food sciences students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Dakota State University, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus is $11,524 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Food Science at North Dakota State University - Main Campus

Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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