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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Food Science

44 Ranked Colleges
1,184 Degrees Awarded
$15,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s” 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.

This year’s “Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking looked at 44 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in food science. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality food science programs that also have a lower cost than 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree food sciences students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Food Science

#25 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Provo. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. BYU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Provo, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

BYU also took the #25 spot in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,322 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students per year to attend Brigham Young University - Provo.

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%. 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 full report on Food Science at Brigham Young University - Provo

#2

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota
#19 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend South Dakota State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s. This fairly large school is located in Brookings, South Dakota, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree food sciences students list, South Dakota State has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota State is $19,252 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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 South Dakota State

#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s 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 $16,584 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students per year to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Food Science at North Dakota State University

Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #4 spot on the list. BYU - I is a large school located in Rexburg, Idaho that handed out 10 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,167 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students per year to attend BYU - I.

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%.

Read full report on Food Science at Brigham Young University - Idaho

#5

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized public school situated in River Falls, Wisconsin. It awarded 2 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $13,748 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students.

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 more about Food Science at UW - River Falls

#23 in overall quality

California State University - Fresno landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s food sciences degrees to 53 students in 2019-2020.

Fresno State also made our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $5,464 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

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

Read more about Food Science at California State University - Fresno

#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Iowa State is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 52 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State also took the #8 spot in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State University is $15,496 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Food Science at Iowa State

#8

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#3 in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Purdue 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.

Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $13,986 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Food Science Report

#9

Framingham State University

Framingham, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #9, Framingham State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Framingham State is a public institution located in Framingham, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $20,001 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students per year to attend Framingham State University.

Full Framingham State Food Science Report

#6 in overall quality

University of Nebraska - Lincoln landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s 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. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $17,208 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students.

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%. 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 UNL

#2 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a large public school situated in San Luis Obispo, California. It awarded 36 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

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. It costs about $21,595 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, 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%.

Read full report on Food Science at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

#12

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas
#16 in overall quality

Kansas State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Manhattan, Kansas, this large public school handed out 41 degrees to qualified bachelors’s food sciences students in 2019-2020.

K -State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend K -State is $18,285 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students.

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

Read more about Food Science at K -State

#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s food sciences degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona also took the #21 spot in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $12,734 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, 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 Cal Poly Pomona

#14

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. 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.

The estimated yearly cost for Texas Tech is $17,571 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students.

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 University

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Stillwater, Oklahoma. It awarded 5 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend OSU is $14,648 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

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

#16

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, Arkansas

With a ranking of #16, University of Arkansas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, this large public school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s food sciences students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UARK is $16,381 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Food Science at University of Arkansas

#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. University of Missouri - Columbia is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $16,001 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students.

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

Read full report on Food Science at University of Missouri - Columbia

#18

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
#9 in overall quality

Virginia Tech landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Blacksburg, Virginia, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree food sciences students list, Virginia Tech has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $21,198 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Food Science at Virginia Tech

#19

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington

Washington State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. 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.

It costs about $16,358 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students per year to attend Washington State University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Food Science at Washington State University

#20

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. UGA 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.

UGA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UGA is $13,649 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students.

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 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%.

Full UGA Food Science Report

#21

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#22 in overall quality

North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #21. NC State is a public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree food sciences students list, NC State has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,458 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students per year to attend North Carolina State University.

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

Read full report on Food Science at NC State

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #22. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s food sciences degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University is $15,060 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Food Science Report

#23

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #23. University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s food sciences degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $6,302 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students per year to attend UF.

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

Read more about Food Science at UF

#24

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#10 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 36 bachelors’s food sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Food Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,740 for bachelor’s degree food sciences students per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Food Science at UMN Twin Cities

#25

Utah State University

Logan, Utah

Utah State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Food Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Logan, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s food sciences degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Utah State University is $13,634 for Bachelor’s Degree Food Sciences students.

Read more about Food Science at USU

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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