Food Science Degree in Arlington, VA — Salary & ROI 2026
Food Science degree analysis for Arlington, VA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$71K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$111K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
5.7 yrs
in Arlington
Cost of Living
142.5
index (100 = avg)
Food Science in Arlington, VA Overview
Arlington, Virginia (pop. 238,643) has 9 colleges offering Food Science programs. The local cost of living index of 142.5 is higher than average, so budget accordingly, with average rent near campus at $2,040/month. Food Science enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Food Safety and Food Processing. The adjusted starting salary in Arlington is approximately $71,250, growing to $111,150 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
9
Public Tuition
$14,200/yr
Private Tuition
$38,000/yr
Room & Board
$16,293/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$10,637/yr
Unemployment
2.2%
Graduation Rate
60%
Food Science Salary in Arlington (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Arlington's cost of living index of 142.5 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Food Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Arlington adjustment factor: 1.43x based on the local cost of living index.
Food Science ROI Calculator for Arlington
Estimate your return on investment for a Food Science degree using local Arlington tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $14,200 | Private avg: $38,000
Arlington avg aid: $10,637/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$121,972
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$21,375
vs HS diploma in Arlington
ROI Payback Period
5.7 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Arlington
$562,028
Lifetime earnings premium ($684,000) minus total education cost ($121,972)
Student Loan Payoff for Food Science in Arlington
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Arlington for Food Science
Arlington State University
public
$14,920/yr
$59,680 total
University of Arlington
public
$14,115/yr
$56,460 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Arlington Community College
$6,397/yr
Virginia Technical College - Arlington
$5,927/yr
Top Employers for Food Science in Arlington
Arlington offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Food Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Arlington Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Food Science Job Titles
Food Science in Nearby Virginia Cities
Virginia Beach, VA
$44K starting · COL 88
13 colleges
Chesapeake, VA
$46K starting · COL 91
12 colleges
Norfolk, VA
$47K starting · COL 93
16 colleges
Richmond, VA
$50K starting · COL 100
11 colleges
Newport News, VA
$46K starting · COL 92.5
7 colleges
Alexandria, VA
$51K starting · COL 102
8 colleges
Hampton, VA
$49K starting · COL 97
7 colleges
Roanoke, VA
$44K starting · COL 88.5
4 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Arlington
Prompt Engineering
$71K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$135K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$121K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$125K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$117K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$71K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$114K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$71K starting · 3 yr ROI
Food Science Degree in Arlington — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Food Science ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Arlington.