Food Science Degree in Peoria, IL — Salary & ROI 2026
Food Science degree analysis for Peoria, IL. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$52K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$81K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
4.8 yrs
in Peoria
Cost of Living
104
index (100 = avg)
Food Science in Peoria, IL Overview
While Peoria has a smaller college scene with 5 institutions, Food Science students benefit from lower tuition costs. Room and board averages $10,566/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 Peoria is approximately $52,000, growing to $81,120 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
5
Public Tuition
$8,032/yr
Private Tuition
$38,400/yr
Room & Board
$10,566/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$9,588/yr
Unemployment
5.6%
Graduation Rate
47%
Food Science Salary in Peoria (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Peoria's cost of living index of 104 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Food Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Peoria adjustment factor: 1.04x based on the local cost of living index.
Food Science ROI Calculator for Peoria
Estimate your return on investment for a Food Science degree using local Peoria tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $8,032 | Private avg: $38,400
Peoria avg aid: $9,588/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$74,392
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$15,600
vs HS diploma in Peoria
ROI Payback Period
4.8 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Peoria
$424,808
Lifetime earnings premium ($499,200) minus total education cost ($74,392)
Student Loan Payoff for Food Science in Peoria
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Peoria for Food Science
Bradley University
private
$38,400/yr
$153,600 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Illinois Central College
$4,980/yr
Top Employers for Food Science in Peoria
Peoria offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Food Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Peoria Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Food Science Job Titles
Food Science in Nearby Illinois Cities
Chicago, IL
$55K starting · COL 109
98 colleges
Aurora, IL
$46K starting · COL 92.8
7 colleges
Joliet, IL
$54K starting · COL 108
12 colleges
Naperville, IL
$51K starting · COL 102
13 colleges
Rockford, IL
$45K starting · COL 90
8 colleges
Elgin, IL
$40K starting · COL 79
13 colleges
Springfield, IL
$46K starting · COL 92
9 colleges
Waukegan, IL
$45K starting · COL 90.3
4 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Peoria
Prompt Engineering
$52K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$99K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$88K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$92K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$85K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$52K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$83K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$52K starting · 3 yr ROI
Food Science Degree in Peoria — 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 Peoria.