Food Science Degree in Greensboro, NC — Salary & ROI 2026
Food Science degree analysis for Greensboro, NC. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$46K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$71K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
5.3 yrs
in Greensboro
Cost of Living
91
index (100 = avg)
Food Science in Greensboro, NC Overview
Greensboro, North Carolina (pop. 299,035) has 17 colleges offering Food Science programs. The local cost of living index of 91 is near the national average, with average rent near campus at $945/month. Food Science enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Food Safety and Food Processing. The adjusted starting salary in Greensboro is approximately $45,500, growing to $70,980 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
17
Public Tuition
$7,000/yr
Private Tuition
$35,007/yr
Room & Board
$11,140/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$14,503/yr
Unemployment
4.9%
Graduation Rate
71%
Food Science Salary in Greensboro (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Greensboro's cost of living index of 91 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Food Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Greensboro adjustment factor: 0.91x based on the local cost of living index.
Food Science ROI Calculator for Greensboro
Estimate your return on investment for a Food Science degree using local Greensboro tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $7,000 | Private avg: $35,007
Greensboro avg aid: $14,503/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$72,560
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$13,650
vs HS diploma in Greensboro
ROI Payback Period
5.3 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Greensboro
$364,240
Lifetime earnings premium ($436,800) minus total education cost ($72,560)
Student Loan Payoff for Food Science in Greensboro
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Greensboro for Food Science
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
public
$7,337/yr
$29,348 total
North Carolina A&T State University
public
$6,662/yr
$26,648 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Guilford Technical Community College
$2,864/yr
Top Employers for Food Science in Greensboro
Greensboro offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Food Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Greensboro Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Food Science Job Titles
Food Science in Nearby North Carolina Cities
Charlotte, NC
$45K starting · COL 89
39 colleges
Raleigh, NC
$42K starting · COL 83
21 colleges
Durham, NC
$55K starting · COL 109
25 colleges
Winston-Salem, NC
$53K starting · COL 106
26 colleges
Fayetteville, NC
$45K starting · COL 90
15 colleges
Cary, NC
$54K starting · COL 108.5
7 colleges
Wilmington, NC
$48K starting · COL 95
5 colleges
High Point, NC
$42K starting · COL 84.5
5 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Greensboro
Prompt Engineering
$46K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$86K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$77K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$80K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$75K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$46K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$73K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$46K starting · 3 yr ROI
Food Science Degree in Greensboro — 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 Greensboro.