Foods & Nutrition graduates earn $54,945 four years out. The middle 50% of earners fall between $39,143 and $70,678. Where you land depends on specialization, employer, and how far you advance in the field.
This page covers Foods & Nutrition as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Family & Consumer Sciences and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.
Foods & Nutrition is a focused area of study within Family & Consumer Sciences. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $54,945 four years out, a solid return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 265 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 4,014 students complete it each year, most walking away with a bachelor's. Coursework pairs research methods with the applied study of people and institutions.
Median Earnings · 1yr
$32,286
Median Earnings · 4yr
$54,945
Colleges Offering
265
Graduates / Year
4,014
Avg Net Price / yr
$21,157
How Much Do Foods & Nutrition Graduates Earn?
Four years after finishing Foods & Nutrition, a typical graduate earns $54,945, below average for bachelor's degree holders. Half of earners land somewhere between $39,143 and $70,678, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Do not judge the field on a starting paycheck alone: pay tends to jump in the first few years, climbing from $32,286 at one year out to $54,945 by year four. Source: College Scorecard.
Starting salaries only. Earnings in this field grow substantially in the first 3 to 5 years.
$54,945
4-Year National Median
Below average for bachelor's degree holders.
$55,659
4-Year Institutional Median
Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.
Earnings Range
Not every Foods & Nutrition graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out a moderate amount, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Degree level and sector drive the gap. Graduate-level government and research roles anchor the top; entry-level social services and nonprofit roles anchor the bottom.
$39,14325th pct.
$54,945Median
$70,67875th pct.
A Solid Financial Return
Solid ROI. At median 4-year earnings of $54,945 and an estimated $84,628 four-year net cost, the typical graduate reaches earnings breakeven in roughly 3.4 years.
Based on outcomes from 122 schools.
Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.
Who Studies This? Credential Breakdown
Of the 4,014 students who complete Foods & Nutrition programs each year, the majority (57%) earn a bachelor's degree.
The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
57%30%
Bachelor's57%
Master's30%
Associate's9%
What Can You Do With a Foods & Nutrition Degree?
This degree does not lock you into one job. Foods & Nutrition graduates show up in 2 different occupations, and Dietitian pays the most at $76,400/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.
SpeakingJudgment and Decision MakingCritical ThinkingSocial PerceptivenessReading Comprehension
Day-to-day responsibilities
Plan and conduct food service or nutritional programs to assist in the promotion of health and control of disease. May supervise activities of a department providing quantity food services, counsel individuals, or conduct nutritional research.
Assess nutritional needs, diet restrictions, and current health plans to develop and implement dietary-care plans and provide nutritional counseling.
Evaluate laboratory tests in preparing nutrition recommendations.
Counsel individuals and groups on basic rules of good nutrition, healthy eating habits, and nutrition monitoring to improve their quality of life.
Assist in the provision of food service and nutritional programs, under the supervision of a dietitian. May plan and produce meals based on established guidelines, teach principles of food and nutrition, or counsel individuals.
Observe and monitor patient food intake and body weight, and report changes, progress, and dietary problems to dietician.
Conduct nutritional assessments of individuals, including obtaining and evaluating individuals' dietary histories, to plan nutritional programs.
Prepare a major meal, following recipes and determining group food quantities.
Top Colleges for Foods & Nutrition
Not sure where to study Foods & Nutrition? These 20 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.
Ranked by Foods & Nutrition graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats.
Read our methodology →
Related Family & Consumer Sciences Programs
Foods & Nutrition is not the only path through Family & Consumer Sciences: 7 other specializations sit alongside it. The comparison below ranks them by 4-year median earnings so you can see where this one lands.
Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page
into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Foods & Nutrition program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find
schools that match your profile.
The data on Foods & Nutrition shows 2 measurable strengths and 3 real trade-offs. All points are sourced from College Scorecard earnings, BLS projections, and IPEDS graduate counts.
PROS
Strong salary growthMedian earnings climb from $32,286 at graduation to $54,945 four years later, a clear sign of career momentum in this field.
Positive job outlookRelated careers project up to +7.7% job growth over the next 10 years, a solid signal for long-term demand.
CONS
Modest median earningsFour-year median of $54,945 lags STEM and business fields, affecting ROI at higher-cost programs.
Advanced degree often expectedTop roles in this field typically expect a master's degree or higher. A bachelor's may be a starting point rather than a terminal credential for the most competitive positions.
High earnings varianceGap between 25th ($39,143) and 75th ($70,678) percentile is wide. Where you land depends heavily on employer, role, and location.
$54,945 four years after finishing the program. Half of graduates land between $39,143 and $70,678, so employer, role, and location move that number more than the degree itself. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the starting salary for a Foods & Nutrition degree?
$32,286 in the first year out. That grows to $54,945 by year four, so do not judge this field on the entry-level number alone. Most of the gain shows up once you clear the first few years and move past entry-level roles. Source: College Scorecard.
What jobs can you get with a Foods & Nutrition degree?
Dietitian is one path, and it pays a median of $76,400 a year. It is not the only one: the Career Paths section below lists every occupation graduates actually go into, with wages and 10-year growth for each.
How long does a Foods & Nutrition program take?
Four years of full-time study for a Foods & Nutrition bachelor's degree, the standard timeline for this field. If you want a faster route into the workforce, community colleges offer a two-year associate option instead.
How many colleges offer Foods & Nutrition?
265 colleges and universities, so you are not short on options. That range runs from community colleges granting certificates and associate degrees to research universities with full doctoral tracks. Source: IPEDS.
Is a Foods & Nutrition degree worth it?
$54,945 median earnings four years out against $21,157 a year in average net price. That is a reasonable payback window, best at lower-cost schools and in high-demand roles. Use the Top Colleges section below to compare specific schools before deciding. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the difference between Foods & Nutrition and Family & Consumer Sciences?
Foods & Nutrition is the narrower of the two: Family & Consumer Sciences covers the full discipline, while this program limits the curriculum to Foods & Nutrition-specific courses, skills, and career tracks. Pick the specialization once you already know this is the direction you want; it gets you a more targeted credential, not a broader one.
What skills do employers look for in Foods & Nutrition graduates?
Coursework alone will not get you hired. Employers hiring Foods & Nutrition graduates consistently look for research methodology, interpersonal communication, and policy understanding. Experience with surveys, qualitative interviews, or statistical tools is often a differentiator in government, nonprofit, and research roles. Build those into your coursework and internships now, and the job search later gets easier.
What is the job outlook for Foods & Nutrition graduates?
Outlook is moderate overall: related occupations average +5.2% projected job growth over the next 10 years. Dietitian is among the strongest-growth roles at +7.7%. That average hides real differences by role and location, so check the Career Paths section below for the projection on each specific occupation before you count on any single number.
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