Food analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a food analyst. Food analysts usually study biology, business, or food science. 73% of food analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 68 real food analyst resumes to see exactly what food analyst education sections show.

The most common colleges for food analysts are the Northwest Missouri State University and the Northwest Missouri State University.

There are also many online food analyst courses to help get the education required to be a food analyst.

What education do you need to become a food analyst?

What degree do you need to be a food analyst?

The most common degree for food analysts is bachelor's degree, with 73% of food analysts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 10% and master's degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 73%

Master's, 10%

Associate, 8%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a food analyst?

You should major in biology to become a food analyst. 16% of food analysts major in biology. Other common majors for a food analyst include business and food science.

Biology, 16%

Business, 16%

Food Science, 16%

Nutrition Science, 5%

Other Majors, 47%

Most common colleges for food analysts

Food analysts often get their degrees at Northwest Missouri State University, Texas Southern University, and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Here are the most common colleges for food analysts in the US based on their resumes.

Food analyst common college	Percentages
Northwest Missouri State University	9.52%
Texas Southern University	4.76%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey	4.76%
Washington State University	4.76%
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point	4.76%

Show more common food analyst colleges

Best majors for food analysts

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Biology	15.9%
2	Business	15.9%
3	Food Science	15.9%
4	Nutrition Science	4.5%
5	Marketing	4.5%

Show more common food analyst majors

Best colleges for food analysts

The best colleges for food analysts are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A food analyst with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for food analysts. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become food analysts.

1. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

2. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

5. University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Lincoln, NE • Private

In-state tuition

$9,242

Enrollment

20,592

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

8. University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$9,457

Enrollment

7,445

9. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

Knoxville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$13,006

Enrollment

22,653

10. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Fayetteville, AR • Private

In-state tuition

$9,130

Enrollment

23,121

20 best online courses for food analysts

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Top 10 most affordable universities for food analysts

The most affordable schools for food analysts are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for food analysts are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for food analysts.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

10. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for food analysts

The hardest universities for food analysts to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for food analysts are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for food analysts based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

9. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for food analysts

The easiest schools for food analysts to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a food analyst without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for food analysts.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

8. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

9. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

10. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

Average food analyst salary by education level

Food analysts with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $57,686 annually. With a Associate degree, food analysts earn a median annual income of $56,741 compared to $55,248 for food analysts with an High School Diploma degree.

Food analyst education level	Food analyst salary
High School Diploma or Less	$55,248
Bachelor's Degree	$57,686
Some College/ Associate Degree	$56,741

Food analyst education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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