Food Science Degree in Mesa, AZ — Salary & ROI 2026
Food Science degree analysis for Mesa, AZ. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$55K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$86K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
6.2 yrs
in Mesa
Cost of Living
110
index (100 = avg)
Food Science in Mesa, AZ Overview
Mesa is one of Arizona's top college towns, with 31 institutions and a student population of 36,638. Public tuition averages $12,467/year here — near the national average for public universities. Food Science enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Food Safety and Food Processing. The adjusted starting salary in Mesa is approximately $55,000, growing to $85,800 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
31
Public Tuition
$12,467/yr
Private Tuition
$36,100/yr
Room & Board
$13,027/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$15,459/yr
Unemployment
3.5%
Graduation Rate
54%
Food Science Salary in Mesa (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Mesa's cost of living index of 110 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Food Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Mesa adjustment factor: 1.10x based on the local cost of living index.
Food Science ROI Calculator for Mesa
Estimate your return on investment for a Food Science degree using local Mesa tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $12,467 | Private avg: $36,100
Mesa avg aid: $15,459/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$101,976
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$16,500
vs HS diploma in Mesa
ROI Payback Period
6.2 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Mesa
$426,024
Lifetime earnings premium ($528,000) minus total education cost ($101,976)
Student Loan Payoff for Food Science in Mesa
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Mesa for Food Science
Arizona State University Polytechnic
public
$12,467/yr
$49,868 total
A.T. Still University
private
$42,500/yr
$170,000 total
Benedictine University Mesa
private
$29,700/yr
$118,800 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Mesa Community College
$2,580/yr
Top Employers for Food Science in Mesa
Mesa offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Food Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Mesa Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Food Science Job Titles
Food Science in Nearby Arizona Cities
Phoenix, AZ
$76K starting · COL 152
72 colleges
Tucson, AZ
$58K starting · COL 116
24 colleges
Chandler, AZ
$62K starting · COL 124
22 colleges
Gilbert, AZ
$60K starting · COL 119
26 colleges
Glendale, AZ
$53K starting · COL 105
16 colleges
Scottsdale, AZ
$63K starting · COL 126
16 colleges
Peoria, AZ
$52K starting · COL 103.8
7 colleges
Tempe, AZ
$57K starting · COL 113
5 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Mesa
Prompt Engineering
$55K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$105K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$94K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$97K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$90K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$55K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$88K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$55K starting · 3 yr ROI
Food Science Degree in Mesa — 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 Mesa.