Food Science Degree in Evansville, IN — Salary & ROI 2026
Food Science degree analysis for Evansville, IN. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$43K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$67K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
6.2 yrs
in Evansville
Cost of Living
86
index (100 = avg)
Food Science in Evansville, IN Overview
Evansville, Indiana (pop. 117,298) has 10 colleges offering Food Science programs. The local cost of living index of 86 keeps student expenses low, with average rent near campus at $974/month. Food Science enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Food Safety and Food Processing. The adjusted starting salary in Evansville is approximately $43,000, growing to $67,080 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
10
Public Tuition
$8,448/yr
Private Tuition
$42,316/yr
Room & Board
$11,425/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$12,482/yr
Unemployment
4.8%
Graduation Rate
57%
Food Science Salary in Evansville (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Evansville's cost of living index of 86 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Food Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Evansville adjustment factor: 0.86x based on the local cost of living index.
Food Science ROI Calculator for Evansville
Estimate your return on investment for a Food Science degree using local Evansville tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $8,448 | Private avg: $42,316
Evansville avg aid: $12,482/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$79,492
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$12,900
vs HS diploma in Evansville
ROI Payback Period
6.2 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Evansville
$333,308
Lifetime earnings premium ($412,800) minus total education cost ($79,492)
Student Loan Payoff for Food Science in Evansville
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Evansville for Food Science
University of Evansville
private
$42,316/yr
$169,264 total
University of Southern Indiana
public
$8,448/yr
$33,792 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Ivy Tech Community College Evansville
$4,540/yr
Top Employers for Food Science in Evansville
Evansville offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Food Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Evansville Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Food Science Job Titles
Food Science in Nearby Indiana Cities
Indianapolis, IN
$47K starting · COL 94
25 colleges
Fort Wayne, IN
$52K starting · COL 103
24 colleges
South Bend, IN
$45K starting · COL 89
9 colleges
Carmel, IN
$53K starting · COL 105.2
4 colleges
Fishers, IN
$50K starting · COL 100.5
4 colleges
Bloomington, IN
$42K starting · COL 83
5 colleges
Hammond, IN
$47K starting · COL 93.1
4 colleges
Lafayette, IN
$42K starting · COL 84.8
3 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Evansville
Prompt Engineering
$43K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$82K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$73K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$76K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$71K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$43K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$69K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$43K starting · 3 yr ROI
Food Science Degree in Evansville — 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 Evansville.