Back

Food Science & Nutrition

Colleges offering this major Rankings Trends

What you'll do in college

Food science blends chemistry, microbiology, and engineering to understand what food is and how to make it safe, tasty, and shelf-stable. Nutrition tracks focus more on how the body uses food—biochemistry, metabolism, and clinical dietetics. Expect lab-heavy coursework: organic chemistry, food microbiology, sensory evaluation, and product development.

Many programs offer registered dietitian (RD) tracks with clinical rotations, and food science programs frequently partner with major food companies on capstone projects—developing a new cereal, beverage, or plant-based product. Internships at companies like General Mills, Kraft Heinz, or hospitals are typical.

What you'll do after college

Food science graduates work in R&D, quality assurance, and regulatory roles at food and beverage companies, flavor houses, and ingredient suppliers. Nutrition graduates become registered dietitians in hospitals, clinics, sports programs, and public health agencies, or pursue careers in food policy and wellness.

The field is recession-resistant—people always eat—and the rise of plant-based and functional foods has expanded opportunities. Pay is moderate in entry roles but climbs with experience, especially in product development and regulatory affairs.

Selectivity vs. earnings

By acceptance rate

$54,336
1,177
100–85%
$57,327
2,653
85–71%
$60,762
2,609
70–42%
$60,501
1,166
41–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings

By SAT median

$49,579
921
400–1100
$60,072
2,084
1100–1240
$63,013
2,153
1240–1380
$58,325
890
1380–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings

Earnings vs. selectivity rank

$48,139p10 $64,556p90 Arts Work College Female-only Liberal Arts Public University Religious University Private University Public University 1–15 Private University 1–30 The New School · $52,023 Johnson & Wales University - Providence · $38,778 College of the Ozarks · $47,322 Meredith College · $55,699 Cedar Crest College · $54,396 Mount Mary University · $55,666 Texas Woman's University · $55,230 St Catherine University · $57,765 Oakwood University · $55,178 Ohio Wesleyan University · $49,023 College of Saint Benedict · $59,162 Lipscomb University · $57,034 Keene State College · $46,837 Linfield University · $57,837 Viterbo University · $58,141 Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University · $48,252 CUNY Hunter College · $61,597 Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo · $68,082 San Diego State University · $48,036 Alabama A&M University · $50,008 Cal State Los Angeles · $49,327 Alcorn State University · $50,525 University of Washington · $58,440 Cal Poly - Pomona · $52,403 Clemson University · $54,575 Delaware State University · $51,456 Florida International University · $54,029 Morgan State University · $60,174 North Carolina A&T State University · $68,922 North Carolina Central University · $51,065 University of Maryland, College Park · $65,225 Cal State Long Beach · $50,507 University of California, Davis · $62,646 Auburn University · $61,465 University of Tennessee, Knoxville · $64,782 Ohio State University · $65,789 Texas A&M University - College Station · $64,556 CUNY Brooklyn College · $58,744 CUNY Queens College · $51,389 Northern Illinois University · $54,351 West Chester University of Pennsylvania · $57,401 University of Connecticut · $54,174 Virginia Tech · $69,612 Pennsylvania State University · $68,260 New Mexico State University · $59,825 Tarleton State University · $54,913 CUNY Lehman College · $54,319 Georgia State University · $52,703 University of Pittsburgh · $62,037 Illinois State University · $55,237 University of Massachusetts - Amherst · $63,716 University of New Mexico · $49,304 Minnesota State University, Mankato · $60,770 Arkansas State University · $57,849 Texas Southern University · $47,089 Winthrop University · $47,719 Appalachian State University · $54,212 Fresno State · $61,277 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities · $62,906 Ball State University · $59,236 Central Michigan University · $58,714 Eastern Michigan University · $61,457 Oklahoma State University · $70,850 Rutgers University - New Brunswick · $61,906 James Madison University · $59,863 Texas Tech University · $62,541 University of Alaska - Anchorage · $56,471 SUNY Oneonta · $54,348 Texas State University · $54,012 University at Buffalo · $67,925 Eastern Illinois University · $62,941 Louisiana State University · $57,417 University of Alabama · $59,502 Louisiana Tech University · $71,528 Cal State Sacramento · $55,760 East Carolina University · $61,160 Georgia Southern University · $54,553 Marshall University · $59,103 Missouri State University - Springfield · $56,717 Montclair State University · $52,089 Murray State University · $55,936 Nicholls State University · $45,272 Northeastern State University · $58,803 Northwest Missouri State University · $53,540 Oakland University · $56,941 Ohio University · $59,901 Southern Illinois University - Carbondale · $61,520 Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville · $52,348 Texas A&M University - Kingsville · $42,946 University of Alabama at Birmingham · $55,411 University of Central Arkansas · $54,439 University of Delaware · $60,550 University of North Carolina at Greensboro · $43,989 University of Northern Colorado · $46,147 University of Southern Indiana · $53,215 University of Texas Rio Grande Valley · $56,407 Western Illinois University · $53,940 Mississippi University for Women · $42,090 Farmingdale State College · $55,153 University of Vermont · $61,025 Miami University - Ohio · $60,640 University of Rhode Island · $54,196 Oregon State University · $59,176 University of Arkansas · $64,887 University of Idaho · $50,269 University of Mississippi · $37,125 Washington State University · $69,885 University of Houston · $56,183 University of Illinois Chicago · $47,864 Rowan University · $57,294 Prairie View A&M University · $50,116 University of Missouri · $61,029 University of North Florida · $54,275 Angelo State University · $54,844 Chico State · $54,121 East Tennessee State University · $57,613 Eastern Kentucky University · $63,779 Middle Tennessee State University · $46,946 University of New Hampshire · $58,277 Youngstown State University · $53,177 Southeast Missouri State University · $59,160 Western Carolina University · $45,668 Metropolitan State University of Denver · $51,779 University of Nebraska, Lincoln · $69,590 San Jose State University · $62,789 Bowling Green State University · $56,383 Colorado State University - Fort Collins · $58,021 Indiana University of Pennsylvania · $48,139 Kent State University at Kent · $53,103 Shepherd University · $50,747 University of Nevada, Las Vegas · $52,570 University of North Dakota · $58,422 Stephen F. Austin State University · $53,722 Western Michigan University · $53,696 University of Nevada, Reno · $58,317 Michigan State University · $62,456 Mississippi State University · $53,681 Wayne State University · $54,647 Framingham State University · $57,989 Cal State San Bernardino · $53,704 Central Washington University · $49,803 Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania · $48,521 Indiana State University · $55,441 Iowa State University · $61,021 Lamar University · $42,102 SUNY Buffalo State University · $51,673 South Dakota State University · $56,404 Southern Utah University · $46,049 University of Akron · $54,823 University of Arizona · $55,433 University of Cincinnati · $61,114 University of Maine · $56,017 University of Massachusetts - Lowell · $64,734 University of Wisconsin - River Falls · $55,275 Arizona State University · $55,847 Cal State Northridge · $56,592 South Carolina State University · $42,650 University of Hawaii at Manoa · $49,963 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee · $53,936 Radford University · $55,138 Northern Arizona University · $57,070 University of Kentucky · $61,397 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point · $54,989 Southwest Minnesota State University · $51,389 University of Texas at San Antonio · $73,986 University of Wisconsin - Stout · $61,249 North Dakota State University · $62,471 University of Southern Mississippi · $57,192 Grand Valley State University · $55,008 San Francisco State University · $53,065 Utah State University · $53,207 Idaho State University · $43,369 Kansas State University · $66,126 University of Wyoming · $51,963 Sam Houston State University · $52,868 Montana State University · $53,229 Weber State University · $42,139 Saint Louis University · $60,070 Texas Christian University · $58,475 Azusa Pacific University · $54,219 Madonna University · $55,323 Baylor University · $66,399 Andrews University · $61,131 University of Dayton · $60,753 Olivet Nazarene University · $56,376 Harding University · $60,038 Merrimack College · $58,028 Ashland University · $53,151 California Baptist University · $52,140 Brigham Young University · $49,947 Pepperdine University · $57,249 Abilene Christian University · $56,886 Concordia College at Moorhead · $55,171 Regis College · $57,218 Ouachita Baptist University · $61,312 Seton Hill University · $49,442 University of Saint Joseph · $52,931 Carson-Newman University · $57,025 Benedictine University · $55,354 Immaculata University · $61,139 Lakeland University · $57,833 La Salle University · $54,157 Marywood University · $56,601 Gannon University · $60,434 Point Loma Nazarene University · $57,916 Samford University · $61,290 Dominican University · $56,087 Seattle Pacific University · $51,796 University of the Incarnate Word · $52,828 Brigham Young University - Idaho · $52,828 University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne · $58,411 Tuskegee University · $50,596 Syracuse University · $61,168 Howard University · $53,738 George Washington University · $63,700 Illinois Institute of Technology · $62,002 Bradley University · $58,258 Rochester Institute of Technology · $61,144 Delaware Valley University · $68,359 Long Island University · $54,114 University of New England · $59,333 University of New Haven · $57,486 Russell Sage College · $59,558 Bluffton University · $49,733 Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science · $39,885 Drexel University · $57,520 Utica University · $51,382 Culinary Institute of America · $57,004 Nova Southeastern University · $60,440 National-Louis University · $42,179 University of California, Berkeley · $67,584 University of Florida · $41,538 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · $34,777 University of Georgia · $79,741 Purdue University · $66,786 North Carolina State University · $65,637 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · $62,705 University of Texas at Austin · $62,784 University of Wisconsin - Madison · $68,297 Florida State University · $58,868 Cornell University · $71,464 New York University · $63,916 Boston University · $64,488 Case Western Reserve University · $61,578 Arts: mean $45,401 Work College: mean $47,322 Female-only: mean $55,751 Liberal Arts: mean $54,745 Public University: mean $56,153 Religious University: mean $56,763 Private University: mean $56,189 Public University 1–15: mean $60,872 Private University 1–30: mean $65,362 All colleges: p10 $48,139 All colleges: p90 $64,556
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees ▼ Male/Female Intl Earnings Employment
Food Science & Nutrition 261 7,656 22% / 78% 5% $57,934 95%
Nutrition Sciences 74 1,194 19% / 81% 4% $56,816 96%
Nutritional Sciences 16 887 19% / 81% 6% $57,623 95%
Food Science 47 746 34% / 66% 16% $65,937 94%
Dietetics 68 733 16% / 84% 3% $56,473 95%
Foods, Nutrition, and Wellness Studies 29 684 21% / 79% 1% $56,068 92%
Dietetics/Dietitian 26 591 13% / 87% 2% $55,542 94%
Nutrition 14 584 16% / 84% 2% $58,456 95%
Human Nutrition 20 363 15% / 85% 4% $55,050 92%
Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise 1 203 29% / 71% 0% $69,820 96%
Nutrition Science 4 202 20% / 80% 10% $59,215 96%
Nutrition and Dietetics 13 188 18% / 82% 6% $54,255 97%
Culinary Arts 6 117 50% / 50% 5% $45,406 97%
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services 4 112 21% / 79% 1% $56,562 91%
Nutrition and Food Sciences 3 111 15% / 85% 2% $53,658 93%
Nutritional Science 2 98 31% / 69% 0% $63,436 92%
Food and Nutrition 3 94 20% / 80% 4% $50,436 95%
Food Science and Technology 8 85 51% / 49% 5% $64,033 93%
Dietetics and Nutrition 3 81 19% / 81% 10% $59,806 89%
Viticulture and Enology 5 79 41% / 59% 3% $68,462 94%
Baking and Pastry Arts 3 63 10% / 90% 8% $44,915 97%
Culinary Science/Culinology 3 61 54% / 46% 15% $52,983 100%
Culinary Arts/Chef Training 2 45 44% / 56% 4% $42,254 93%
Fermentation Science 1 39 23% / 77% 13% $77,732 100%
Nutrition, Food Science, and Packaging 1 38 29% / 71% 5% $62,789
Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion 1 29 14% / 86% 3% $53,084 96%
Culinary Science 3 26 54% / 46% 12% $46,835 95%
Clinical Nutrition/Nutritionist 2 25 8% / 92% 4% $59,108 93%
Agricultural and Food Products Processing 2 23 39% / 61% 0% $80,254 97%
Dietetic Technician 1 23 13% / 87% 0% $55,008
Nutrition and Wellness 4 19 11% / 89% 0% $56,108 96%
Nutrition and Food Science 3 19 11% / 89% 5% $54,656 100%
Food Technology and Processing 5 15 40% / 60% 0% $57,748 100%
Biobehavioral Nutrition and Wellness 1 13 15% / 85% 0% $55,411
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services 2 11 18% / 82% 0% $58,114
Applied Culinary Arts 1 10 70% / 30% 0% $57,004 100%
Brewing Science 1 8 88% / 12% 0% $58,443
Zymology/Fermentation Science 2 7 57% / 43% 0% $53,613
Food, Nutrition, and Dietetics 1 5 40% / 60% 0% $51,746 100%
Foods and Nutrition 1 5 20% / 80% 0% $51,180 90%
Cooking and Related Culinary Arts, General 2 4 50% / 50% 50%
Agricultural Food Science 1 3 33% / 67% 0% $54,844
Clinical Nutrition 1 3 33% / 67% 33% $54,114 93%
Culinology 1 3 67% / 33% 0% $59,452
Food Safety 1 3 0% / 100% 0% $67,865
Food Studies 2 2 0% / 100% 0% $48,224
Dietetics, Nutrition and Food Sciences 1 1 0% / 100% 0% $56,406 100%
Nutrition and Foods 1 1 0% / 100% 0% $42,650