by our College Data Analytics Team
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major” 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 “Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major” ranking looked at 78 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in food science. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in food science.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
The food sciences school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major”.
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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for food sciences students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Alabama A & M University. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major. This medium-sized school is located in Normal, Alabama, and it awarded 20 ’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois Institute of Technology. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major list. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 38 ’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Out of the 78 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Nebraska - Lincoln landed the #3 spot on the list. UNL is a public institution located in Lincoln, Nebraska. The school has a large population, and it awarded 97 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad 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%. 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 Nebraska - Lincoln
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Delaware Valley University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major. DelVal is located in Doylestown, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s food sciences degrees to qualified students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Mount Mary University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s food sciences degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
University of Wisconsin - Stout landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major ranking. University of Wisconsin - Stout is a public institution located in Menomonie, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad 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%.
Read full report on Food Science at University of Wisconsin - Stout
Kansas State University ranked #7 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major list. Located in Manhattan, Kansas, this large public school handed out 63 diplomas to qualified ’s food sciences students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #8, Clemson University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major list. Clemson University is located in Clemson, South Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 77 ’s food sciences degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #9 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 129 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #10, Cornell University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major list. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 67 ’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Fresno landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major ranking. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 49 ’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.
Full California State University - Fresno Food Science Report
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 47 ’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. 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 full report on Food Science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
University of Maryland Eastern Shore landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major ranking. UMES is located in Princess Anne, Maryland and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s food sciences degrees to qualified students.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
With a ranking of #14, University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major list. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a medium-sized public school situated in River Falls, Wisconsin. It awarded 12 ’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #15, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major list. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 108 ’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 full report on Food Science at Michigan State University
Mississippi State University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major ranking. Located in Mississippi State, Mississippi, this large public school handed out 38 diplomas to qualified ’s food sciences students in 2020-2021.
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 full report on Food Science at Mississippi State University
University of Maine landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major ranking. UMaine is a fairly large public school situated in Orono, Maine. It awarded 17 ’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Davis ranked #18 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 75 ’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Chapman University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #19. Orange, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s food sciences degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #20. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 41 ’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University ranked #21 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major list. Florida A&M University is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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 Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Iowa State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major ranking. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s food sciences degrees to 48 students in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
With a ranking of #23, Hampshire College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major list. This small school is located in Amherst, Massachusetts, and it awarded 1 ’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Massachusetts Amherst ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major list. Amherst, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s food sciences degrees to 42 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, 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 89%.
Read more about Food Science at University of Massachusetts Amherst
Clarke University ranked #25 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Food Sciences Major list. Located in Dubuque, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified ’s food sciences students in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
