2023 Best Value Food Sciences Schools
40
Ranked Colleges
1,812
Degrees Awarded
$15,100
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Food Sciences Schools” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 1,812 people earned their degree in food science, making the major the 305th most popular in the United States.
This year’s “Best Value Food Sciences Schools” ranking looked at 40 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
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” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Food Sciences Schools
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Food Sciences Schools.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Food Science
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brigham Young University - Provo. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Food Sciences Schools. BYU is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Provo, Utah. It awarded 22 ’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
BYU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Food Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Provo is $13,474 for food sciences students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Food Science at Brigham Young University - Provo
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Dakota State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Food Sciences Schools list. South Dakota State is a public institution located in Brookings, South Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
South Dakota State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Food Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota State is $18,578 for Food Sciences students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full South Dakota State Food Science Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Food Sciences Schools list. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 49 ’s food sciences degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fresno State, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Food Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $6,230 for Food Sciences students per year to attend California State University - Fresno.
The low undergrad 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%. 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 Fresno State
Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value Food Sciences Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #4 spot on the list. Brigham Young University - Idaho is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rexburg, Idaho. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Idaho is $6,698 for Food Sciences students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.
Full Brigham Young University - Idaho Food Science Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Food Sciences Schools list. Iowa State is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 48 ’s food sciences degrees to qualified students.
Iowa State also made our “Best Food Science Schools” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $16,002 for food sciences students.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Food Science at Iowa State
University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Food Sciences Schools ranking. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is located in River Falls, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s food sciences degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $13,844 for food sciences students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%.
Read more about Food Science at UW - River Falls
Kansas State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Food Sciences Schools ranking, coming in at #7. K -State is a public institution located in Manhattan, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 63 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
K -State also took the #11 spot in our “Best Food Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for K -State is $18,433 for food sciences students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full K -State Food Science Report
Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Food Sciences Schools ranking, coming in at #8. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 38 ’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Purdue also took the #5 spot in our “Best Food Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $13,377 for Food Sciences students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 93%.
Read more about Food Science at Purdue
University of Nebraska - Lincoln ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Food Sciences Schools list. This large school is located in Lincoln, Nebraska, and it awarded 97 ’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our food sciences students list, UNL has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Food Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNL is $17,013 for food sciences students.
The undergrad 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 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Food Science at University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Food Sciences Schools ranking. This large school is located in College Station, Texas, and it awarded 9 ’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Texas A&M College Station did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Food Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M College Station is $18,919 for Food Sciences students.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Food Science at Texas A&M University - College Station
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Food Sciences Schools list. Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Stillwater, Oklahoma. It awarded 20 ’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $14,237 for Food Sciences students per year to attend OSU.
The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read more about Food Science at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #12, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Food Sciences Schools list. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 37 ’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UGA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Food Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UGA is $14,257 for food sciences students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad 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 full report on Food Science at University of Georgia
North Carolina State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Food Sciences Schools ranking. NC State is a large school located in Raleigh, North Carolina that handed out 44 ’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at NC State, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Food Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,411 for Food Sciences students per year to attend NC State.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, 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%.
Full NC State Food Science Report
University of Arkansas came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Food Sciences Schools ranking. University of Arkansas is a public institution located in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $16,507 for food sciences students per year to attend UARK.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Food Science at University of Arkansas
Washington State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Food Sciences Schools list. Wazzu is located in Pullman, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s food sciences degrees to qualified students.
Wazzu also made our “Best Food Science Schools” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Washington State University is $15,300 for Food Sciences students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 Wazzu
University of Florida came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Food Sciences Schools ranking. UF is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 39 ’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UF also took the #21 spot in our “Best Food Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UF is $5,135 for Food Sciences students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Food Science at UF
Mississippi State University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Food Sciences Schools ranking. Located in Mississippi State, Mississippi, this large public school handed out 38 degrees to qualified ’s food sciences students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Mississippi State University is $16,122 for Food Sciences students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Food Science at Mississippi State
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Food Sciences Schools list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 47 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Food Science Schools” list. It costs about $20,677 for Food Sciences students per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Food Science at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Texas Tech University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Food Sciences Schools ranking. Texas Tech is a large public school situated in Lubbock, Texas. It awarded 11 ’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $16,194 for Food Sciences students per year to attend Texas Tech University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%. 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
University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Food Sciences Schools list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s food sciences degrees to 41 students in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Food Science Schools” list. It costs about $17,234 for Food Sciences students per year to attend UW - Madison.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%.
Read more about Food Science at University of Wisconsin - Madison
With a ranking of #21, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Food Sciences Schools list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 50 degrees to qualified ’s food sciences students in 2020-2021.
UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Food Science Schools” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $17,878 for food sciences students per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UMN Twin Cities Food Science Report
University of Missouri - Columbia ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Food Sciences Schools list. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this large public school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified ’s food sciences students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $16,559 for food sciences students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, 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 undergraduate students.
Read more about Food Science at Mizzou
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Food Sciences Schools ranking, coming in at #23. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 41 ’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $14,304 for Food Sciences students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Food Science at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
With a ranking of #24, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Food Sciences Schools list. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 108 ’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan State also made our “Best Food Science Schools” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $19,058 for food sciences students per year to attend Michigan State University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Food Science at Michigan State
University of Idaho ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Food Sciences Schools list. U of I is a public institution located in Moscow, Idaho. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $13,964 for Food Sciences students per year to attend University of Idaho.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%.
Full U of I Food Science Report
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