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# Best Food Science Programs in the United States (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Agriculture Colleges in the United States](/rankings/best-agriculture-colleges/)

This page ranks 30 Food Science programs in the United States by median earnings of Food Science graduates four years after completing. [University of Wisconsin-Madison](/school/university-of-wisconsin-madison/majors/) leads the list at $85,445, followed by [Cornell University](/school/cornell-university/majors/) at $84,147 and [Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus](/school/pennsylvania-state-university-main-campus/majors/) at $83,112.

The median across the listed schools is $70,458, with figures ranging from $85,445 to $38,289.

Public institutions account for 97% of the list, with 29 schools alongside 1 private nonprofit. California State Polytechnic University-Pomona ranks 15th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and University of Florida posts the lowest average net price at $6,541.

## The ranked list

Top 25 of 30 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI | $85,445 | $17,354 | $4,200 | 45.2% |
|  | [University of Wisconsin-Madison](/school/university-of-wisconsin-madison/majors/) ranks 1st on this list, with [median earnings of $85,445](/school/university-of-wisconsin-madison/outcomes/) for its Food Science graduates four years after completing. |
| 2 | Cornell University · Ithaca, NY | $84,147 | $28,690 | $1,776 | 8.8% |
|  | A private nonprofit university in Ithaca, [Cornell University](/school/cornell-university/majors/) [admits 9% of applicants](/school/cornell-university/admissions/) and reports median earnings of $84,147 for its Food Science graduates four years after completing. |
| 3 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus · University Park, PA | $83,112 | $32,875 | $19,845 | 60.6% |
|  | [Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus](/school/pennsylvania-state-university-main-campus/majors/) posts [median earnings of $83,112](/school/pennsylvania-state-university-main-campus/outcomes/) for its Food Science graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $32,875. |
| 4 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick · New Brunswick, NJ | $80,979 | $24,406 | $16,343 | 58.2% |
|  | [Rutgers University-New Brunswick](/school/rutgers-university-new-brunswick/majors/) [ranks 30th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/rutgers-university-new-brunswick/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $80,979 for its Food Science graduates four years after completing. |
| 5 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Blacksburg, VA | $80,161 | $24,953 | $11,689 | 54.8% |
|  | [Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University](/school/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $80,161](/school/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university/outcomes/) for its Food Science graduates four years after completing, with a median federal debt of $26,875 among Food Science completers who borrowed. |
| 6 | Kansas State University · Manhattan, KS | $78,367 | $19,406 | $13,178 | 81.7% |
|  | [Kansas State University](/school/kansas-state-university/majors/) [admits 82% of applicants](/school/kansas-state-university/admissions/) and reports median earnings of $78,367 for its Food Science graduates four years after completing. |
| 7 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst · Amherst, MA | $77,771 | $22,383 | $10,164 | 59.7% |
|  | [University of Massachusetts-Amherst](/school/university-of-massachusetts-amherst/majors/) reports [median earnings of $77,771](/school/university-of-massachusetts-amherst/outcomes/) for its Food Science graduates four years after completing, and graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $22,763 in federal loans. |
| 8 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA | $75,601 | $11,531 | $7,851 | 75.2% |
|  | [California State Polytechnic University-Pomona](/school/california-state-polytechnic-university-pomona/majors/) [ranks 15th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/california-state-polytechnic-university-pomona/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $75,601 for its Food Science graduates four years after completing. |
| 9 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA | $75,466 | $16,665 | $7,529 | 31.3% |
|  | With an [average net price of $16,665,](/school/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo/cost/) [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo](/school/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo/majors/) reports median earnings of $75,466 for its Food Science graduates four years after completing. |
| 10 | Purdue University-Main Campus · West Lafayette, IN | $75,060 | $14,600 | $5,098 | 49.9% |
|  | [Purdue University-Main Campus](/school/purdue-university-main-campus/majors/) reports [median earnings of $75,060](/school/purdue-university-main-campus/outcomes/) for its Food Science graduates four years after completing, and graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $19,500 in federal loans. |
| 11 | University of Maryland-College Park · College Park, MD | $73,677 | $15,678 | $2,962 | 44.8% |
|  | [University of Maryland-College Park](/school/university-of-maryland-college-park/majors/) reports [median earnings of $73,677](/school/university-of-maryland-college-park/outcomes/) for its Food Science graduates four years after completing, with a median federal debt of $23,015 among Food Science completers who borrowed. |
| 12 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh · Raleigh, NC | $72,782 | $17,303 | $6,382 | 41.7% |
|  | [North Carolina State University at Raleigh](/school/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh/majors/) reports [median earnings of $72,782](/school/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh/outcomes/) for its Food Science graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $17,303. |
| 13 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN | $70,705 | $16,778 | $6,642 | 79.8% |
|  | [University of Minnesota-Twin Cities](/school/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities/majors/) reports [median earnings of $70,705](/school/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities/outcomes/) for its Food Science graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $16,778. |
| 14 | University of California-Davis · Davis, CA | $70,571 | $14,741 | $9,211 | 41.8% |
|  | With a 42% admission rate, [University of California-Davis](/school/university-of-california-davis/majors/) [ranks 18th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/university-of-california-davis/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. |
| 15 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $70,537 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
|  | [Ohio State University-Main Campus](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/majors/) shows [median federal debt of $18,750](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/cost/) among Food Science completers who borrowed, and its graduates four years after completing earn a median of $70,537. |
| 16 | Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI | $70,380 | $19,680 | $7,068 | 84.8% |
|  | [Michigan State University](/school/michigan-state-university/majors/) ranks 16th on this list, with an [average net price of $7,068](/school/michigan-state-university/cost/) for families earning under $30,000. |
| 17 | Washington State University · Pullman, WA | $68,719 | $14,971 | $7,074 | 86.6% |
|  | [Washington State University](/school/washington-state-university/majors/) posts [median earnings of $68,719](/school/washington-state-university/outcomes/) for its Food Science graduates four years after completing, from a cohort of 32 graduates in the earnings cohort. |
| 18 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville · Knoxville, TN | $68,114 | $18,976 | $10,029 | 41.6% |
|  | A public university in Knoxville, [The University of Tennessee-Knoxville](/school/the-university-of-tennessee-knoxville/majors/) [admits 42% of applicants](/school/the-university-of-tennessee-knoxville/admissions/) and reports an average net price of $18,976. |
| 19 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL | $66,226 | $14,355 | $2,038 | 42.4% |
|  | [University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/majors/) [ranks 35th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/) among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Food Science graduates four years after completing earn a median of $66,226. |
| 20 | Iowa State University · Ames, IA | $65,943 | $18,589 | $10,582 | 88.7% |
|  | [Iowa State University](/school/iowa-state-university/majors/) reports [median federal debt of $23,530](/school/iowa-state-university/cost/) among Food Science completers who borrowed, alongside an average net price of $10,582 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 21 | California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA | $64,225 | $7,000 | $5,105 | 95.3% |
|  | [California State University-Fresno](/school/california-state-university-fresno/majors/) ranks 21st on this list, with a 95% admission rate and [median earnings of $64,225](/school/california-state-university-fresno/outcomes/) for its Food Science graduates four years after completing. |
| 22 | University of Florida · Gainesville, FL | $64,078 | $6,541 | $1,982 | 24.2% |
|  | [University of Florida](/school/university-of-florida/majors/) carries the lowest average net price on the page at $6,541, and its Food Science graduates four years after completing earn a [median of $64,078](/school/university-of-florida/outcomes/). |
| 23 | Oregon State University · Corvallis, OR | $63,531 | $19,604 | $12,107 | 77.3% |
|  | [Oregon State University](/school/oregon-state-university/majors/) [ranks 126th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/oregon-state-university/) among nonprofit four-year institutions, and reports median federal debt of $20,945 among Food Science completers who borrowed. |
| 24 | Clemson University · Clemson, SC | $63,501 | $22,253 | $13,607 | 38.3% |
|  | [Clemson University](/school/clemson-university/majors/) posts [median earnings of $63,501](/school/clemson-university/outcomes/) for its Food Science graduates four years after completing, from a cohort of 59 graduates in the earnings cohort. |
| 25 | Appalachian State University · Boone, NC | $53,369 | $16,836 | $9,325 | 90.1% |
|  | [Appalachian State University](/school/appalachian-state-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $53,369](/school/appalachian-state-university/outcomes/) for its Food Science graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $9,325 for families earning under $30,000. |

Continue by region[Best Food Science Programs in the Midwest](/rankings/best-food-science-programs-in-the-midwest/)[Best Food Science Programs in the South](/rankings/best-food-science-programs-in-the-south/)[Best Food Science Programs in the West](/rankings/best-food-science-programs-in-the-west/)

## How this list is ordered

Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Food Science graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the United States appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after graduation. For 4 of the 30 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost of attendance, or the characteristics of the students a program admits. The range and median below cover the 30 schools with a published figure. The gap between first-ranked University of Wisconsin-Madison and second-ranked Cornell University is $1,298, while the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $47,156.

## Related rankings

-   [Best Agriculture Colleges in the United States](/rankings/best-agriculture-colleges/)
-   Agriculture Colleges for Social Mobility