Education
Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median pay
- $98,700
- Outlook
- As fast as average
Doctoral or professional degree
- Instructing
- Learning Strategies
- Reading Comprehension
ProgramsAgricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields
Food Science and Technology
CIP01.10
76 colleges offer Food Science and Technology. See what it covers, which degree levels are available and what graduates earn and borrow.
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Colleges offering it
- 76
- at its most common level
- Bachelor's earnings
- $70,554
- median, 4 years after
- Bachelor's debt
- $18,456
- median federal loans
Colleges offering it, by degree level
- Certificate
- 76
- Associate's
- 53
- Bachelor's
- 74
- Master's
- 47
- Post-baccalaureate certificate
- 2
- Doctoral
- 33
- Graduate/professional certificate
- 16
What it covers
About Food Science and Technology
Food Science and Technology is part of Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields: instructional programs that focus on agriculture, animal, plant, veterinary, and related sciences and that prepares individuals to apply specific knowledge, methods, and techniques to the management and performance of agricultural and veterinary operations.
Definition: National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs 2020, code 01.10.
Programs in this field
Colleges report these specific programs under CIP 01.10.
- Food Science
- Food Technology and Processing
- Brewing Science
- Zymology/Fermentation Science
By degree level
Earnings and debt by degree level
Medians across colleges of each college's own program median. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid and were working.
| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 76 | $69,2864 yrs after · 1 college | $19,6011 college |
| Associate's | 53 | Not reported | Not reported |
| Bachelor's | 74 | $70,5544 yrs after · 26 colleges | $18,45610 colleges |
| Master's | 47 | $105,9784 yrs after · 5 colleges | $25,8791 college |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 2 | Not reported | Not reported |
| Doctoral | 33 | Not reported | Not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 16 | $53,5211 yr after · 1 college | Not reported |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Colleges with too few graduates have their earnings and debt suppressed, so the number of colleges reporting is smaller than the number offering the program.
Bachelor's programs
Where Food Science and Technology graduates earn the most
Median earnings four years after finishing, among programs with at least 10 graduates in the latest year. Earnings are one measure; cost and graduation rate matter too.
- 1
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI · Public · 16 graduates
$85,445
debt not reported
- 2
Ithaca, NY · Private nonprofit · 27 graduates
$84,147
debt not reported
- 3
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
New Brunswick, NJ · Public · 14 graduates
$80,979
debt $18,673
- 4
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA · Public · 23 graduates
$80,161
debt not reported
- 5
Manhattan, KS · Public · 32 graduates
$78,367
debt $23,250
- 6
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Amherst, MA · Public · 14 graduates
$77,771
debt not reported
- 7
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Pomona, CA · Public · 30 graduates
$75,601
debt not reported
- 8
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA · Public · 107 graduates
$75,466
debt $12,833
- 9
West Lafayette, IN · Public · 23 graduates
$75,060
debt $12,000
- 10
University of Maryland-College Park
College Park, MD · Public · 25 graduates
$73,677
debt $18,240
Careers
Careers this program leads to
Occupations linked to Food Science and Technology by the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, highest national median pay first. Pay and outlook are BLS figures for each occupation.
Management
Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers
- Median pay
- $89,900
- Outlook
- Decline
High school diploma
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Bright outlook
Science
Food Scientists and Technologists
- Median pay
- $88,720
- Outlook
- Faster than average
Bachelor's degree
- Active Learning
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Bright outlook
Science
Soil and Plant Scientists
- Median pay
- $78,850
- Outlook
- Faster than average
Bachelor's degree
- Active Learning
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
Farming, fishing and forestry
First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers
- Median pay
- $59,320
- Outlook
- As fast as average
High school diploma
- Coordination
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Bright outlook
Science
Food Science Technicians
- Median pay
- $52,130
- Outlook
- As fast as average
Associate's degree
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
Production
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Median pay
- $51,610
- Outlook
- Decline
High school diploma
- Operations Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Bright outlook
Production
Food Batchmakers
- Median pay
- $42,290
- Outlook
- Faster than average
High school diploma
- Operations Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
More in Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields
Other programs in the same area of study, by how many colleges offer them.
Every program in this area- Agricultural Business and Management232 colleges
- Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services229 colleges
- Agricultural Production Operations187 colleges
- Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians183 colleges
- Agriculture, General111 colleges
- Animal Sciences99 colleges
- Plant Sciences85 colleges
- Agricultural Mechanization57 colleges
Questions about Food Science and Technology
How many colleges offer Food Science and Technology?
Published colleges on CollegesRef report Food Science and Technology at these degree levels: certificate (76 colleges), associate's (53 colleges), bachelor's (74 colleges), master's (47 colleges), post-baccalaureate certificate (2 colleges), doctoral (33 colleges), graduate/professional certificate (16 colleges). Counts are from College Scorecard field-of-study data (2025).
What do Food Science and Technology graduates earn?
At the median college, bachelor's graduates in Food Science and Technology earn $70,554 a year four years after finishing, across 26 colleges that report earnings. Figures cover graduates who received federal aid.
Where do Food Science and Technology graduates earn the most?
University of Wisconsin-Madison reports the highest median earnings for bachelor's graduates in Food Science and Technology: $85,445 four years after finishing, among programs with at least 10 graduates.