Best Schools for Food Science & Technology in 2026
25 schools ranked by DegreeWorth Score · Updated 2026
These are the top schools offering Food Science & Technology, ranked by DegreeWorth Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Food Science & Technology graduate earns $49,845/yr across 25 schools.
Programs Ranked
25
Avg Earnings
$49,845/yr
Avg DW Score
70/100
AI Risk
Moderate
36% task exposure
All Food Science & Technology Programs Ranked
Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.
| # | Program | DW Score | Earnings | AI Risk | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Food Science & Technology
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA |
79
74–80 |
$51,883/yr | Moderate | 24.3x |
| 2 |
Food Science & Technology
California State University-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA |
79
75–78 |
$52,806/yr | Moderate | 18.4x |
| 3 |
Food Science & Technology
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA |
76
71–78 |
$52,240/yr | Moderate | 17.6x |
| 4 |
Food Science & Technology
California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA |
76
72–77 |
$45,796/yr | Moderate | 21.6x |
| 5 |
Food Science & Technology
Iowa State University · Ames, IA |
77
75–75 |
$60,351/yr | Moderate | 14.2x |
| 6 |
Food Science & Technology
Kansas State University · Manhattan, KS |
77
76–75 |
$62,479/yr | Moderate | 13.4x |
| 7 |
Food Science & Technology
Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH |
75
73–74 |
$59,889/yr | Moderate | 12.7x |
| 8 |
Food Science & Technology
University of Arkansas · Fayetteville, AR |
76
73–74 |
$53,205/yr | Moderate | 12.6x |
| 9 |
Food Science & Technology
North Carolina State University at Raleigh · Raleigh, NC |
75
73–74 |
$50,631/yr | Moderate | 13.2x |
| 10 |
Food Science & Technology
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville · Knoxville, TN |
71
66–73 |
$48,441/yr | Moderate | 13.7x |
| 11 |
Food Science & Technology
University of California-Davis · Davis, CA |
70
67–70 |
$52,084/yr | Moderate | 10.9x |
| 12 |
Food Science & Technology
University of Massachusetts-Amherst · Amherst, MA |
71
69–70 |
$59,547/yr | Moderate | 9.7x |
| 13 |
Food Science & Technology
Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI |
71
70–70 |
$59,342/yr | Moderate | 10.0x |
| 14 |
Food Science & Technology
Washington State University · Pullman, WA |
70
67–71 |
$47,970/yr | Moderate | 12.6x |
| 15 |
Food Science & Technology
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Blacksburg, VA |
70
69–70 |
$56,274/yr | Moderate | 9.7x |
| 16 |
Food Science & Technology
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN |
67
64–68 |
$49,303/yr | Moderate | 9.6x |
| 17 |
Food Science & Technology
Oregon State University-Cascades Campus · Bend, OR |
67
64–67 |
$43,923/yr | Moderate | 11.2x |
| 18 |
Food Science & Technology
Oregon State University · Corvallis, OR |
66
63–66 |
$43,923/yr | Moderate | 10.4x |
| 19 |
Food Science & Technology
Rutgers University-New Brunswick · New Brunswick, NJ |
66
65–66 |
$51,892/yr | Moderate | 6.5x |
| 20 |
Food Science & Technology
Appalachian State University · Boone, NC |
68
66–66 |
$38,743/yr | Moderate | 11.8x |
| 21 |
Food Science & Technology
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL |
61
58–62 |
$41,150/yr | Moderate | 8.5x |
| 22 |
Food Science & Technology
Cornell University · Ithaca, NY |
61
58–62 |
$64,062/yr | Moderate | 2.2x |
| 23 |
Food Science & Technology
Clemson University · Clemson, SC |
59
56–60 |
$39,600/yr | Moderate | 7.4x |
| 24 |
Food Science & Technology
University of Maine · Orono, ME |
58
56–58 |
$36,255/yr | Moderate | 8.2x |
| 25 |
Food Science & Technology
University of Maryland-College Park · College Park, MD |
53
44–62 |
$24,341/yr | Moderate | 14.1x |
Methodology
Programs are ranked by DegreeWorth Score, which combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), AI automation resilience (based on OpenAI and academic research), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (10-year projected earnings vs. 4-year tuition).
Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best school for Food Science & Technology?
Based on our DegreeWorth Score, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona ranks #1 for Food Science & Technology with a score of 79/100 and graduate earnings of $51,883/yr.
How much do Food Science & Technology graduates earn?
Across 25 schools, Food Science & Technology graduates earn an average of $49,845/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $64,062/yr.
Is Food Science & Technology a good major for AI resistance?
Food Science & Technology has an average AI task exposure of 36%, rated "Moderate". This field has moderate AI exposure — some career paths are more resilient than others.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Last updated 2025.