Food Science

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Median In-State
Public Tuition

$9,309

growing 0.66%

Median Out-of-State
Private Tuition

$49,607

growing 1.95%

Average Wage

$85,509

growing 7.04%

People in Workforce

562,484

growing 2.02%

Average Employee Age

declining 0.453%

About

In 2023, the locations with the highest concentration of Food Science degree recipients are Champaign, IL, East Lansing, MI, and Ithaca, NY. The most common degree awarded to students studying Food Science is a bachelors degree.

Institutions

Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Food Science and the types of students that study this field. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign awards the most degrees in Food Science in the US, but Alabama A & M University and University of Maryland Eastern Shore have the highest percentage of degrees awarded in Food Science.

Tuition costs for Food Science majors are, on average, $9,309 for in-state public colleges, and $49,607 for out of state private colleges.

The most common sector, by number of institutions, that offers Food Science programs are Public, 4-year or above institutions (58 total). The most common sector, by number of degrees awarded, is Public, 4-year or above (1,341 completions).

Institutions

Institution with the Most Degrees Awarded in Food Science (2023)

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
129 degrees awarded
Michigan State University
91 degrees awarded
Cornell University
90 degrees awarded

The most common sector, by number of degrees awarded in Food Science, is Public, 4-year or above (1,341 completions in 2023).

The following chart shows the share of universities that offer Food Science programs, by the total number of completions, colored and grouped by their sector.

Tuition Costs for Common Institutions

$9,309

Median In-State Public

$49,607

Median Out of State Private

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has the most Food Science degree recipients, with 129 degrees awarded in 2023.

The following bar chart shows the state tuition for the top 5 institutions with the most degrees awarded in Food Science.

Specialized Colleges

Highest Concentration Institution

Alabama A & M University
2.19%
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
1.79%
Bay Path University
1.32%

Out of all institutions that offer Food Science programs and have at least 5 graduates in those programs, Alabama A & M University has the highest percentage of degrees awarded in Food Science, with 2.19%.

Degrees Awarded by County

Counties with the Most Degrees Awarded in Food Science

Champaign County, IL
129 degrees awarded
Ingham County, MI
91 degrees awarded
Tompkins County, NY
90 degrees awarded

This map shows the counties in the United States colored by the highest number of degrees awarded in Food Science by year.

Employment

Information on the businesses and industries that employ Agriculture graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.

The average salary for Agriculture majors is $85,509 and the most common occupations are Farmers, ranchers, & other agricultural managers, Other managers, and Veterinarians.

The industry that employs the most Agriculture majors is Farming, though the highest paying industry, by average wage, is Miscellaneous nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing.

Yearly Income for Common Jobs

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Food Science is from the 2 Digit Course Agriculture.

$85,509

Average Wage in Workforce

± $2,765

7.04%

1 Year Growth

± 4.29%

The average salary for Agriculture majors is $85,509 and the most common occupations are Farmers, ranchers, & other agricultural managers, Other managers, and Veterinarians.

This chart shows the average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Agriculture majors.

Highest Paying Locations

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Food Science is from the 2 Digit Course Agriculture.

Highest Paying Pumas

This map shows the public use micro areas (PUMAs) in the United States colored by the average salary of Agriculture majors.

Note that the census collects information tied to where people live, not where they work. It is possible that Agriculture majors live and work in the same place, but it is also possible that they live and work in two different places.

Most Common

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Food Science is from the 2 Digit Course Agriculture.

The most common occupations Agriculture majors, by number of employees, are Farmers, ranchers, & other agricultural managers, Other managers, and Veterinarians.

Most Specialized

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Food Science is from the 2 Digit Course Agriculture.

Compared to other majors, there are an unusually high number of Agriculture majors working as Agricultural & food scientists, Veterinarians, and Conservation scientists & foresters.

Highest Paid

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Food Science is from the 2 Digit Course Agriculture.

The highest paid occupations by median income for Agriculture majors are Cardiovascular technologists and technicians, Surgeons, and Physicians.

Occupations by Share

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Food Science is from the 2 Digit Course Agriculture.

562,484

2022 Workforce

± 18,379

2.02%

1 Year Growth

± 4.55%

The number of Agriculture graduates in the workforce has been growing at a rate of 2.02%, from 551,328 in 2021 to 562,484 in 2022.

The largest single share of Agriculture graduates go on to work as Farmers, ranchers, & other agricultural managers (5.05%). This chart shows the various jobs filled by those with a major in Agriculture by share of the total number of graduates.

Most Common

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Food Science is from the 2 Digit Course Agriculture.

The most common industries that employ Agriculture majors, by number of employees, are Farming, Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges, and Elementary & secondary schools.

Highest Paid

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Food Science is from the 2 Digit Course Agriculture.

The highest paying industries of Agriculture majors, by average wage, are Miscellaneous nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing, Sporting & athletic goods, & doll, toy & game manufacturing , and Aerospace products & parts manufacturing.

Industries by Share

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Food Science is from the 2 Digit Course Agriculture.

562,484

2022 Workforce

± 18,379

2.02%

1 Year Growth

± 4.55%

The number of Agriculture graduates in the workforce has been growing at a rate of 2.02%, from 551,328 in 2021 to 562,484 in 2022.

The industry which employs the most Agriculture graduates by share is Farming, followed by Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges. This visualization shows the industries that hire those who major in Agriculture.

Specialty Locations

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Food Science is from the 2 Digit Course Agriculture.

PUMAS with a relatively high number of Agriculture majors

This map shows the public use micro areas (PUMAs) in the United States where there are a relatively high population of Agriculture majors.

Diversity

Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Agriculture in the United States.

The average age of a person in the workforce with a degree in Agriculture is 44.

The most common degree type these workers hold is a Bachelors Degree. Female employees are more likely to hold Agriculture degrees, and White students are the most common race/ethnicty group awarded degrees in Agriculture (772 students).

Workforce Age

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Food Science is from the 2 Digit Course Agriculture.

Average Age in 2022

± 0.467 Years

0.453%

1 Year Change

± 1.5%

This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Agriculture. The most common ages of employees with this major are 26 and 24 years old, which represent 2.83% and 2.73% of the population, respectively.

Degrees Awarded

The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Food Science are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Research Doctorate.

Workforce Degrees

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Food Science is from the 2 Digit Course Agriculture.

The most common degree types held by the working population in Agriculture are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Professional degree.

Sex Imbalance for Common Institutions

Female (67.8%)

Most Common Sex with a Degree in this Field

This chart shows the granted degrees by sex at the 5 institutions that graduate the most students in Food Science.

Race & Ethnicity by Degrees Awarded

Most Common Race or Ethnicity

White
772 degrees awarded
Non-resident Alien
362 degrees awarded
Asian
141 degrees awarded

This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Food Science for each race & ethnicity. White students earned the largest share of the degrees with this major.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Race/Ethnicity and Sex Combination

N/A
N/A degrees awarded
N/A
N/A degrees awarded
N/A
N/A degrees awarded

This chart illustrates the differences by sex for each race & ethnicity of N/A recipients in Food Science.

N/A students, who earn most of the degrees in this field, are the most common combination of race/ethnicity and sex.

Global Diversity

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Food Science is from the 2 Digit Course Agriculture.

Most Common Countries of Origin

China
7,210 degree recipients
Mexico
6,638 degree recipients
India
5,959 degree recipients

High Relative Number of Students

Zimbabwe
5.32 times more than expected
Eastern Africa, Not Specified
4.92 times more than expected
Georgia (country)
4.65 times more than expected

There are a relatively high number of people that were born in Zimbabwe that hold Agriculture degrees (5.32 times more than expected), and the most common country of origin by total numbers for non-US students earning a degree in this field is China (7,210 degree recipients).

Skills

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Food Science field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Food Science majors need many skills, but most especially Reading Comprehension. The revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Food Science majors need more than the average amount of Equipment Maintenance, Repairing, and Quality Control Analysis.

These two visualizations, one a radial chart and one a bar chart, show the same information, a rating of how necessary the following skills are for Food Science majors. Toggle between "value" and "RCA" to see the absolute rating of that skill (value) and the revealed comparative advantage (RCA), or how much greater or lesser that skill's rating is than the average. The longer the bar or the closer the line comes to the circumference of the circle, the more important that skill is. The importance of Equipment Maintenance is very distinctive for majors, but the Reading Comprehension, Writing, and Speaking are the three most important skills for people in the field.

Food Science

About

Institutions

Institutions

Tuition Costs for Common Institutions

Specialized Colleges

Degrees Awarded by County

Employment

Yearly Income for Common Jobs

Highest Paying Locations

Most Common

Most Specialized

Highest Paid

Occupations by Share

Most Common

Highest Paid

Industries by Share

Specialty Locations

Diversity

Workforce Age

Degrees Awarded

Workforce Degrees

Sex Imbalance for Common Institutions

Race & Ethnicity by Degrees Awarded

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Global Diversity

Skills

Radar Distribution

Bar Chart