Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 51 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$145,927 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
23.7 yrsModeled economic break-even
−58%Modeled 10-year ROI
$55,659Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$55,659Median reported earnings · year 4
$54,294Average reported earnings · year 5
$25,256Median federal debt
35thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
51Reporting programs
51With year-4 earnings
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $41,066
- Federal debt
- $12,363
- Reporting programs
- 1
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $47,446
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $55,659
- Federal debt
- $25,256
- Reporting programs
- 51
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $67,447
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $65,918
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 26
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$50,571National median$55,65975th percentile$59,501
51 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University$74,0052University of Delaware$68,0843North Carolina A&T State University$67,0544The University of Texas at Austin$64,1055Morgan State University$64,0076Rochester Institute of Technology$63,7507Oklahoma State University-Main Campus$61,3698University of Nebraska-Lincoln$61,0929University of Idaho$60,24110University of Central Oklahoma$60,207Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Dietitians and NutritionistsSOC 29-1031 · 4 crosswalk linksFamily and Consumer Sciences Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1192 · 4 crosswalk linksCooks, Institution and CafeteriaSOC 35-2012 · 1 crosswalk linksDietetic TechniciansSOC 29-2051 · 1 crosswalk linksFirst-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving WorkersSOC 35-1012 · 1 crosswalk linksFood Service ManagersSOC 11-9051 · 1 crosswalk links
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Blacksburg, VA | $74,005 | $25,000 | +4% | Positive payoff |
| 2 | University of DelawareBachelor's Degree | Newark, DE | $68,084 | $25,536 | -8% | Negative payoff |
| 3 | North Carolina A&T State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Greensboro, NC | $67,054 | $31,000 | -1% | Negative payoff |
| 4 | The University of Texas at AustinBachelor's Degree | Austin, TX | $64,105 | $20,500 | -26% | Negative payoff |
| 5 | Morgan State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Baltimore, MD | $64,007 | $34,537 | -21% | Negative payoff |
| 6 | Rochester Institute of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Rochester, NY | $63,750 | Not available | -41% | Negative payoff |
| 7 | Oklahoma State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Stillwater, OK | $61,369 | $19,584 | -34% | Negative payoff |
| 8 | University of Nebraska-LincolnBachelor's Degree | Lincoln, NE | $61,092 | $25,256 | -36% | Negative payoff |
| 9 | University of IdahoBachelor's Degree | Moscow, ID | $60,241 | $29,566 | -36% | Negative payoff |
| 10 | University of Central OklahomaBachelor's Degree | Edmond, OK | $60,207 | $20,667 | -40% | Negative payoff |
| 11 | Montclair State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Montclair, NJ | $59,866 | $25,963 | -39% | Negative payoff |
| 12 | CUNY Hunter CollegeBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $59,864 | Not available | -23% | Negative payoff |
| 13 | Eastern Kentucky UniversityBachelor's Degree | Richmond, KY | $59,838 | Not available | -34% | Negative payoff |
| 14 | James Madison UniversityBachelor's Degree | Harrisonburg, VA | $59,501 | $19,000 | -47% | Negative payoff |
| 15 | Framingham State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Framingham, MA | $59,202 | $26,674 | -42% | Negative payoff |
| 16 | Oregon State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Corvallis, OR | $59,184 | $25,275 | -45% | Negative payoff |
| 17 | Oregon State University-Cascades CampusBachelor's Degree | Bend, OR | $59,184 | $25,275 | -44% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | Wayne State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Detroit, MI | $58,871 | $22,750 | -40% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | Lamar UniversityBachelor's Degree | Beaumont, TX | $58,631 | $21,482 | -37% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | Texas A&M University-College StationBachelor's Degree | College Station, TX | $58,156 | Not available | -50% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | Syracuse UniversityBachelor's Degree | Syracuse, NY | $58,038 | $27,000 | -61% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | Ohio State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Columbus, OH | $57,859 | $26,654 | -48% | Negative payoff |
| 23 | Stephen F Austin State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Nacogdoches, TX | $57,742 | $25,000 | -46% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | The University of AlabamaBachelor's Degree | Tuscaloosa, AL | $57,002 | $27,000 | -55% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | University of Missouri-ColumbiaBachelor's Degree | Columbia, MO | $55,747 | $23,659 | -59% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | Ohio University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Athens, OH | $55,659 | $25,330 | -60% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | University of KentuckyBachelor's Degree | Lexington, KY | $55,633 | $24,270 | -58% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | Radford UniversityBachelor's Degree | Radford, VA | $55,422 | Not available | -56% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | University of ArkansasBachelor's Degree | Fayetteville, AR | $55,275 | $24,400 | -59% | Negative payoff |
| 30 | Middle Tennessee State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Murfreesboro, TN | $54,070 | $25,853 | -61% | Negative payoff |
| 31 | Texas Woman's UniversityBachelor's Degree | Denton, TX | $53,716 | $14,104 | -62% | Negative payoff |
| 32 | Arizona State University Campus ImmersionBachelor's Degree | Tempe, AZ | $53,318 | $25,000 | -65% | Negative payoff |
| 33 | Arizona State University Digital ImmersionBachelor's Degree | Scottsdale, AZ | $53,318 | $25,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 34 | Texas State UniversityBachelor's Degree | San Marcos, TX | $52,836 | $23,354 | -68% | Negative payoff |
| 35 | Indiana University of PennsylvaniaBachelor's Degree | Indiana, PA | $52,115 | $27,000 | -71% | Negative payoff |
| 36 | Georgia Southern UniversityBachelor's Degree | Statesboro, GA | $52,038 | Not available | -71% | Negative payoff |
| 37 | California State University, ChicoBachelor's Degree | Chico, CA | $51,491 | $19,312 | -73% | Negative payoff |
| 38 | Johnson & Wales University-ProvidenceBachelor's Degree | Providence, RI | $50,571 | $27,000 | -82% | Negative payoff |
| 39 | Johnson & Wales University-CharlotteBachelor's Degree | Charlotte, NC | $50,571 | $27,000 | -81% | Negative payoff |
| 40 | Johnson & Wales University-OnlineBachelor's Degree | Providence, RI | $50,571 | $27,000 | -79% | Negative payoff |
| 41 | Sam Houston State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Huntsville, TX | $50,512 | Not available | -78% | Negative payoff |
| 42 | University of HoustonBachelor's Degree | Houston, TX | $49,724 | $19,700 | -80% | Negative payoff |
| 43 | Winthrop UniversityBachelor's Degree | Rock Hill, SC | $48,702 | $27,000 | -85% | Negative payoff |
| 44 | University of Central ArkansasBachelor's Degree | Conway, AR | $48,556 | $22,906 | -86% | Negative payoff |
| 45 | Utah State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Logan, UT | $48,270 | $9,718 | -86% | Negative payoff |
| 46 | Southern Utah UniversityBachelor's Degree | Cedar City, UT | $47,654 | $15,050 | -88% | Negative payoff |
| 47 | Bluffton UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bluffton, OH | $47,378 | $27,000 | -91% | Negative payoff |
| 48 | Benedictine UniversityBachelor's Degree | Lisle, IL | $46,788 | $26,675 | -93% | Negative payoff |
| 49 | University of New Mexico-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Albuquerque, NM | $46,674 | $24,000 | -93% | Negative payoff |
| 50 | Baylor UniversityBachelor's Degree | Waco, TX | $45,554 | $26,757 | -98% | Negative payoff |
| 51 | University of Puerto Rico-Rio PiedrasBachelor's Degree | San Juan, PR | $40,076 | Not available | -123% | Negative payoff |
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.