Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services graduates earn a median $54,945 four years after finishing — $6,585/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,902/yr net price ($67,608 over four years), that pays back in about 10.3 years. Federal data pools 114 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 2,401 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services ranks #140 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 31% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | VA | $74,005 |
| 2 | University of Delaware | DE | $68,084 |
| 3 | North Carolina A & T State University | NC | $67,054 |
| 4 | The University of Texas at Austin | TX | $64,105 |
| 5 | Morgan State University | MD | $64,007 |
| 6 | Rochester Institute of Technology | NY | $63,750 |
| 7 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | OK | $61,369 |
| 8 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | NE | $61,092 |
| 9 | University of Idaho | ID | $60,241 |
| 10 | University of Central Oklahoma | OK | $60,207 |
| 11 | Montclair State University | NJ | $59,866 |
| 12 | CUNY Hunter College | NY | $59,864 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.
How fast does Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services pay grow after graduation?
From $32,586 one year out to $54,945 four years out — a $22,359 climb, or 69% over three years. Both are federal medians of the same graduating cohorts, so the gap reflects real wage progression rather than a change in who is measured.
How many students graduate in Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services each year?
About 2,401 bachelor's graduates a year across 114 programs in the federal file. Cohort size matters when reading the median: a field this size averages across a wide range of employers, regions and job titles.