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2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Food Science

53 Ranked Colleges
1,167 Degrees Awarded
$32,800 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor's

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 1,812 people earned their degree in food science, making the major the 305th most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,167 food science graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 53 colleges that offer a degree in food science. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in food science.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Food Science Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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More Food Sciences Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 “Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s” 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. 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.

Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s

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

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 81 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 undergraduate students.

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

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s. This large school is located in Lincoln, Nebraska, and it awarded 77 bachelors’s food sciences degrees 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 2.2% 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 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Food Science Report

3
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Clemson University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s list. Clemson is a public institution located in Clemson, South Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 71 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Read more about Food Science at Clemson

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Davis. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 57 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

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 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 Food Science at University of California - Davis

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s list. California State University - Fresno is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 49 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

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

6

With a ranking of #6, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s 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 44 bachelors’s 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

7

Iowa State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school awarded 42 degrees to qualified bachelors’s food sciences students in 2020-2021.

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

Full Iowa State University Food Science Report

8

With a ranking of #8, University of Maryland - College Park did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s list. UMCP is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Food Science at University of Maryland - College Park

8

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #8. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, 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 Cal Poly Pomona

10
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

With a ranking of #10, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s list. Michigan State is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 38 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, 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 91%.

Read full report on Food Science at Michigan State

10
Mississippi State crest
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, Mississippi

Mississippi State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #10. Mississippi State University is located in Mississippi State, Mississippi and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 38 bachelors’s food sciences degrees to qualified students.

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

Read more about Food Science at Mississippi State

12
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Rutgers University - New Brunswick came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Rutgers University - New Brunswick is a public institution located in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The school has a large population, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 Rutgers University - New Brunswick

13
K -State crest
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #13. Kansas State University is located in Manhattan, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 35 bachelors’s food sciences degrees to qualified 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 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%.

Read full report on Food Science at Kansas State University

14
Oregon State crest
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon

Oregon State University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Oregon State University is a public institution located in Corvallis, Oregon. The school has a large population, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.

Full Oregon State Food Science Report

14

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. UMN Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 33 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 more about Food Science at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

16
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s list. Cornell University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 29 bachelors’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 undergraduate 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cornell University Food Science Report

17

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s list. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 25 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 full report on Food Science at University of Wisconsin - Madison

17
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Blacksburg, Virginia, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Food Science at Virginia Tech

19

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville ranked #19 on this year’s Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Knoxville, Tennessee, this large public school awarded 23 degrees to qualified bachelors’s food sciences students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad 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 UT Knoxville

20
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

With a ranking of #20, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Food Science Report

20

University of Massachusetts Amherst ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s list. UMass Amherst is located in Amherst, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s food sciences degrees to qualified students.

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

Read more about Food Science at UMass Amherst

22
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #22. UF is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 19 bachelors’s food sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.

Read more about Food Science at University of Florida

22

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school awarded 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s food sciences students in 2020-2021.

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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

24
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 18 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s food sciences students in 2020-2021.

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

Read more about Food Science at North Carolina State University

24
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Food Sciences Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Athens, Georgia, this large public school awarded 18 degrees to qualified bachelors’s food sciences students in 2020-2021.

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 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%.

Read more about Food Science at University of Georgia

Notes and References

References

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