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2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

44 Ranked Colleges
1,184 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 1,815 people earned their degree in food science, making the major the 283rd most popular in the United States.

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 $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 44 colleges that offer a degree in food science. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent food science programs, but they also 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Food Science Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Food Science (Income $48-$75k)

#1

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cornell University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Ithaca, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 27 degrees to qualified bachelors’s food sciences students in 2019-2020.

Cornell also took the #1 spot in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell University is $11,869 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 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.

Read full report on Food Science at Cornell

#2

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 $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $9,654 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Food Science Report

#4 in overall quality

Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #3 spot on the list. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 29 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $13,227 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Food Science at UW - Madison

#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 $48-$75k. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s food sciences degrees to 99 students in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $13,351 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIUC.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UIUC Food Science Report

#23 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 53 bachelors’s food sciences degrees to qualified students.

Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $7,549 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Fresno State.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Fresno State Food Science Report

#6

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. University of Florida is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 9 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $8,528 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Food Science at University of Florida

#7

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#10 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $12,556 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Food Science at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Brigham Young University - Idaho came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Rexburg, Idaho, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s food sciences students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho is $6,287 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Brigham Young University - Idaho Food Science Report

#7 in overall quality

University of California - Davis landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 81 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $13,578 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Davis.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Food Science at University of California - Davis

#2 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #2 spot in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $19,407 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Food Science Report

#14 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s food sciences degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

Ohio State also made our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $13,982 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, 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 94%.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Food Science Report

#8 in overall quality

Iowa State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s food sciences degrees to 52 students in 2019-2020.

Iowa State also made our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State University is $14,161 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Read full report on Food Science at Iowa State

#6 in overall quality

University of Nebraska - Lincoln ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UNL is a large public school situated in Lincoln, Nebraska. It awarded 70 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UNL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UNL is $16,197 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, 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 85%.

Full University of Nebraska - Lincoln Food Science Report

#25 in overall quality

Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Provo, Utah, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

BYU also took the #25 spot in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for BYU is $12,466 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Food Science at BYU

#20 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Columbia ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Missouri - Columbia is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 11 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou also took the #20 spot in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $13,145 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Mizzou Food Science Report

#16

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, North Carolina State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. North Carolina State University is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 15 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

NC State also made our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend North Carolina State University is $15,084 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 NC State

#17

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#18 in overall quality

University of Georgia landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Athens, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s food sciences degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

UGA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UGA is $14,748 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read more about Food Science at UGA

#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, North Dakota State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Fargo, North Dakota, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s food sciences degrees 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. It costs about $15,686 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend North Dakota State University.

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

#19

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts
#11 in overall quality

University of Massachusetts Amherst ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Amherst, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s food sciences degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMass Amherst, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $18,104 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Massachusetts Amherst.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Food Science at University of Massachusetts Amherst

#20

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington

With a ranking of #20, Washington State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Washington State University 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 yearly cost to attend Washington State University is $15,548 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read full report on Food Science at Wazzu

#21

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s food sciences students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $13,474 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#22

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas
#16 in overall quality

Kansas State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Kansas State University is a large public school situated in Manhattan, Kansas. It awarded 41 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

K -State also took the #16 spot in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Kansas State University is $16,889 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Food Science at K -State

#21 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school handed out 30 degrees to qualified bachelors’s food sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $14,012 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read full report on Food Science at Cal Poly Pomona

#24

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
#9 in overall quality

Virginia Tech did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. Blacksburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s food sciences degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.

Virginia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $19,067 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read more about Food Science at Virginia Tech

#25

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Lubbock, Texas, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Texas Tech is $17,421 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Texas Tech University Food Science Report

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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