Food Science Degree in Lawton, OK — Salary & ROI 2026
Food Science degree analysis for Lawton, OK. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$41K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$64K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
6.8 yrs
in Lawton
Cost of Living
82.5
index (100 = avg)
Food Science in Lawton, OK Overview
While Lawton has a smaller college scene with 4 institutions, Food Science students benefit from lower tuition costs. Room and board averages $12,675/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 Lawton is approximately $41,250, growing to $64,350 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
4
Public Tuition
$8,400/yr
Private Tuition
$24,000/yr
Room & Board
$12,675/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$11,482/yr
Unemployment
3.5%
Graduation Rate
74%
Food Science Salary in Lawton (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Lawton's cost of living index of 82.5 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Food Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Lawton adjustment factor: 0.82x based on the local cost of living index.
Food Science ROI Calculator for Lawton
Estimate your return on investment for a Food Science degree using local Lawton tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $8,400 | Private avg: $24,000
Lawton avg aid: $11,482/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$84,300
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$12,375
vs HS diploma in Lawton
ROI Payback Period
6.8 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Lawton
$311,700
Lifetime earnings premium ($396,000) minus total education cost ($84,300)
Student Loan Payoff for Food Science in Lawton
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Lawton for Food Science
Lawton State University
public
$9,205/yr
$36,820 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Lawton Community College
$4,912/yr
Top Employers for Food Science in Lawton
Lawton offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Food Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Lawton Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Food Science Job Titles
Food Science in Nearby Oklahoma Cities
Oklahoma City, OK
$49K starting · COL 97
37 colleges
Tulsa, OK
$42K starting · COL 84
15 colleges
Norman, OK
$43K starting · COL 86
10 colleges
Broken Arrow, OK
$46K starting · COL 91.8
5 colleges
Edmond, OK
$48K starting · COL 95.2
4 colleges
Moore, OK
$45K starting · COL 89.3
3 colleges
Midwest City, OK
$46K starting · COL 91.1
3 colleges
Stillwater, OK
$44K starting · COL 87.3
3 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Lawton
Prompt Engineering
$41K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$78K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$70K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$73K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$68K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$41K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$66K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$41K starting · 3 yr ROI
Food Science Degree in Lawton — 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 Lawton.