Food Science Degree in Lawrence, KS — Salary & ROI 2026
Food Science degree analysis for Lawrence, KS. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$54K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$84K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
4.7 yrs
in Lawrence
Cost of Living
108
index (100 = avg)
Food Science in Lawrence, KS Overview
While Lawrence has a smaller college scene with 5 institutions, Food Science students benefit from lower tuition costs. Room and board averages $12,971/year, and the car-friendly layout shapes the student experience. Food Science enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Food Safety and Food Processing. The adjusted starting salary in Lawrence is approximately $54,000, growing to $84,240 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
5
Public Tuition
$5,898/yr
Private Tuition
$33,400/yr
Room & Board
$12,971/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$12,187/yr
Unemployment
6.5%
Graduation Rate
53%
Food Science Salary in Lawrence (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Lawrence's cost of living index of 108 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Food Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Lawrence adjustment factor: 1.08x based on the local cost of living index.
Food Science ROI Calculator for Lawrence
Estimate your return on investment for a Food Science degree using local Lawrence tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $5,898 | Private avg: $33,400
Lawrence avg aid: $12,187/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$75,476
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$16,200
vs HS diploma in Lawrence
ROI Payback Period
4.7 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Lawrence
$442,924
Lifetime earnings premium ($518,400) minus total education cost ($75,476)
Student Loan Payoff for Food Science in Lawrence
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Lawrence for Food Science
University of Kansas
public
$11,166/yr
$44,664 total
Haskell Indian Nations University
public
$630/yr
$2,520 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Johnson County Community College
$3,564/yr
Top Employers for Food Science in Lawrence
Lawrence offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Food Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Lawrence Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Food Science Job Titles
Food Science in Nearby Kansas Cities
Wichita, KS
$52K starting · COL 104
20 colleges
Overland Park, KS
$52K starting · COL 103
13 colleges
Kansas City, KS
$41K starting · COL 82.5
6 colleges
Olathe, KS
$48K starting · COL 96.8
6 colleges
Topeka, KS
$42K starting · COL 84
14 colleges
Shawnee, KS
$43K starting · COL 86.5
3 colleges
Lenexa, KS
$48K starting · COL 96.2
3 colleges
Manhattan, KS
$48K starting · COL 95
6 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Lawrence
Prompt Engineering
$54K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$103K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$92K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$95K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$89K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$54K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$86K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$54K starting · 3 yr ROI
Food Science Degree in Lawrence — 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 Lawrence.