Food Science Degree in Lincoln, NE — Salary & ROI 2026
Food Science degree analysis for Lincoln, NE. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$43K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$66K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
6.2 yrs
in Lincoln
Cost of Living
85
index (100 = avg)
Food Science in Lincoln, NE Overview
Lincoln, Nebraska (pop. 291,082) has 9 colleges offering Food Science programs. The local cost of living index of 85 keeps student expenses low, with average rent near campus at $867/month. Food Science enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Food Safety and Food Processing. The adjusted starting salary in Lincoln is approximately $42,500, growing to $66,300 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
9
Public Tuition
$9,242/yr
Private Tuition
$36,730/yr
Room & Board
$10,611/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$13,317/yr
Unemployment
5.9%
Graduation Rate
57%
Food Science Salary in Lincoln (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Lincoln's cost of living index of 85 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Food Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Lincoln adjustment factor: 0.85x based on the local cost of living index.
Food Science ROI Calculator for Lincoln
Estimate your return on investment for a Food Science degree using local Lincoln tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $9,242 | Private avg: $36,730
Lincoln avg aid: $13,317/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$79,412
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$12,750
vs HS diploma in Lincoln
ROI Payback Period
6.2 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Lincoln
$328,588
Lifetime earnings premium ($408,000) minus total education cost ($79,412)
Student Loan Payoff for Food Science in Lincoln
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Lincoln for Food Science
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
public
$9,242/yr
$36,968 total
Nebraska Wesleyan University
private
$36,730/yr
$146,920 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Southeast Community College
$3,540/yr
Top Employers for Food Science in Lincoln
Lincoln offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Food Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Lincoln Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Food Science Job Titles
Food Science in Nearby Nebraska Cities
Other STEM Majors in Lincoln
Prompt Engineering
$43K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$81K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$72K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$75K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$70K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$43K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$68K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$43K starting · 3 yr ROI
Food Science Degree in Lincoln — 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 Lincoln.