Food Science Degree in Ontario, CA — Salary & ROI 2026
Food Science degree analysis for Ontario, CA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$60K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$94K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
6.4 yrs
in Ontario
Cost of Living
120.3
index (100 = avg)
Food Science in Ontario, CA Overview
Ontario, California (pop. 175,265) has 7 colleges offering Food Science programs. The local cost of living index of 120.3 is higher than average, so budget accordingly, with average rent near campus at $1,500/month. Food Science enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Food Safety and Food Processing. The adjusted starting salary in Ontario is approximately $60,150, growing to $93,834 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
7
Public Tuition
$14,500/yr
Private Tuition
$42,000/yr
Room & Board
$14,501/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$11,507/yr
Unemployment
4.3%
Graduation Rate
62%
Food Science Salary in Ontario (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Ontario's cost of living index of 120.3 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Food Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Ontario adjustment factor: 1.20x based on the local cost of living index.
Food Science ROI Calculator for Ontario
Estimate your return on investment for a Food Science degree using local Ontario tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $14,500 | Private avg: $42,000
Ontario avg aid: $11,507/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$116,004
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$18,045
vs HS diploma in Ontario
ROI Payback Period
6.4 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Ontario
$461,436
Lifetime earnings premium ($577,440) minus total education cost ($116,004)
Student Loan Payoff for Food Science in Ontario
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Ontario for Food Science
Ontario State University
public
$15,124/yr
$60,496 total
University of Ontario
public
$13,870/yr
$55,480 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Ontario Community College
$6,160/yr
Top Employers for Food Science in Ontario
Ontario offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Food Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Ontario Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Food Science Job Titles
Food Science in Nearby California Cities
Los Angeles, CA
$71K starting · COL 141
69 colleges
San Diego, CA
$70K starting · COL 140
68 colleges
San Jose, CA
$65K starting · COL 129
95 colleges
San Francisco, CA
$57K starting · COL 114
22 colleges
Fresno, CA
$59K starting · COL 118
37 colleges
Sacramento, CA
$56K starting · COL 112
38 colleges
Long Beach, CA
$58K starting · COL 116
14 colleges
Oakland, CA
$66K starting · COL 132
13 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Ontario
Prompt Engineering
$60K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$114K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$102K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$106K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$99K starting · 3 yr ROI
Astrophysics
$102K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$60K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$96K starting · 3 yr ROI
Food Science Degree in Ontario — 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 Ontario.