Food Science Degree in Cleveland, OH — Salary & ROI 2026
Food Science degree analysis for Cleveland, OH. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$48K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$75K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
6 yrs
in Cleveland
Cost of Living
96
index (100 = avg)
Food Science in Cleveland, OH Overview
Cleveland, Ohio (pop. 372,624) has 20 colleges offering Food Science programs. The local cost of living index of 96 is near the national average, with average rent near campus at $1,156/month. Food Science enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Food Safety and Food Processing. The adjusted starting salary in Cleveland is approximately $48,000, growing to $74,880 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
20
Public Tuition
$11,270/yr
Private Tuition
$49,395/yr
Room & Board
$10,394/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$7,310/yr
Unemployment
6%
Graduation Rate
69%
Food Science Salary in Cleveland (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Cleveland's cost of living index of 96 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Food Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Cleveland adjustment factor: 0.96x based on the local cost of living index.
Food Science ROI Calculator for Cleveland
Estimate your return on investment for a Food Science degree using local Cleveland tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $11,270 | Private avg: $49,395
Cleveland avg aid: $7,310/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$86,656
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$14,400
vs HS diploma in Cleveland
ROI Payback Period
6 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Cleveland
$374,144
Lifetime earnings premium ($460,800) minus total education cost ($86,656)
Student Loan Payoff for Food Science in Cleveland
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Cleveland for Food Science
Case Western Reserve University
private
$56,480/yr
$225,920 total
Cleveland State University
public
$11,270/yr
$45,080 total
John Carroll University
private
$42,310/yr
$169,240 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Cuyahoga Community College
$4,344/yr
Top Employers for Food Science in Cleveland
Cleveland offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Food Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Cleveland Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Food Science Job Titles
Food Science in Nearby Ohio Cities
Columbus, OH
$52K starting · COL 103
31 colleges
Cincinnati, OH
$51K starting · COL 102
28 colleges
Toledo, OH
$54K starting · COL 108
16 colleges
Akron, OH
$53K starting · COL 105
5 colleges
Dayton, OH
$52K starting · COL 104
9 colleges
Parma, OH
$45K starting · COL 90
4 colleges
Canton, OH
$42K starting · COL 84
4 colleges
Lorain, OH
$43K starting · COL 85.2
3 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Cleveland
Prompt Engineering
$48K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$91K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$82K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$84K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$79K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$48K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$77K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$48K starting · 3 yr ROI
Food Science Degree in Cleveland — 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 Cleveland.