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Best Schools for Food Science and Technology in 2026

25 schools ranked by DegreeWorth Score · Updated 2026

These are the top schools offering Food Science and 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 and Technology graduate earns $49,845/yr across 25 schools.

Programs Ranked
25
Avg Earnings
$49,845/yr
Avg DW Score
58/100
AI Risk
Moderate
36% task exposure

All Food Science and Technology Programs Ranked

Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.

# School DW Score Earnings ROI
1 California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Pomona, CA · Public 		69
64–69 		$51,883/yr 24.3x
2 California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA · Public 		68
63–68 		$52,240/yr 17.6x
3 Iowa State University
Ames, IA · Public 		65
60–65 		$60,351/yr 14.2x
4 Ohio State University-Main Campus
Columbus, OH · Public 		65
61–65 		$59,889/yr 12.7x
5 California State University-Fresno
Fresno, CA · Public 		64
59–64 		$45,796/yr 21.6x
6 Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS · Public 		64
60–64 		$62,479/yr 13.4x
7 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Knoxville, TN · Public 		64
60–64 		$48,441/yr 13.7x
8 University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Amherst, MA · Public 		62
58–63 		$59,547/yr 9.7x
9 Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI · Public 		62
58–62 		$59,342/yr 10.0x
10 University of California-Davis
Davis, CA · Public 		61
57–62 		$52,084/yr 10.9x
11 Washington State University
Pullman, WA · Public 		61
57–62 		$47,970/yr 12.6x
12 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA · Public 		60
56–60 		$56,274/yr 9.7x
13 California State University-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA · Public 		59
54–59 		$52,806/yr 18.4x
14 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN · Public 		59
54–59 		$49,303/yr 9.6x
15 University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR · Public 		56
51–56 		$53,205/yr 12.6x
16 Oregon State University-Cascades Campus
Bend, OR · Public 		56
52–56 		$43,923/yr 11.2x
17 North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, NC · Public 		55
51–56 		$50,631/yr 13.2x
18 Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR · Public 		55
51–55 		$43,923/yr 10.4x
19 Cornell University
Ithaca, NY · Private nonprofit 		54
50–55 		$64,062/yr 2.2x
20 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL · Public 		51
47–51 		$41,150/yr 8.5x
21 Rutgers University-New Brunswick
New Brunswick, NJ · Public 		50
45–50 		$51,892/yr 6.5x
22 Appalachian State University
Boone, NC · Public 		48
44–48 		$38,743/yr 11.8x
23 University of Maryland-College Park
College Park, MD · Public 		46
44–46 		$24,341/yr 14.1x
24 Clemson University
Clemson, SC · Public 		46
42–46 		$39,600/yr 7.4x
25 University of Maine
Orono, ME · Public 		42
39–42 		$36,255/yr 8.2x

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 and Technology?
Based on our DegreeWorth Score, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona ranks #1 for Food Science and Technology with a score of 69/100 and graduate earnings of $51,883/yr.
How much do Food Science and Technology graduates earn?
Across 25 schools, Food Science and Technology graduates earn an average of $49,845/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $64,062/yr.
Is Food Science and Technology a good major for AI resistance?
Food Science and 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.