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Food quality technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a food quality technician. Food quality technicians usually study food science, biology, or business. 63% of food quality technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 92 real food quality technician resumes to see exactly what food quality technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for food quality technicians are the Ohio State University and the Ohio State University.
There are also many online food quality technician courses to help get the education required to be a food quality technician.
What education do you need to become a food quality technician?
What degree do you need to be a food quality technician?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Associate, 13%
- High School Diploma, 11%
- Master's, 10%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a food quality technician?
- Food Science, 24%
- Biology, 18%
- Business, 10%
- Microbiology, 6%
- Other Majors, 42%
Most common colleges for food quality technicians
| Food quality technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Ohio State University | 7.69% |
| University of California - Davis | 7.69% |
| Saint Cloud State University | 7.69% |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 7.69% |
| University of Wisconsin Colleges | 7.69% |
Best majors for food quality technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Food Science | 23.5% |
| 2 | Biology | 17.6% |
| 3 | Business | 9.8% |
| 4 | Microbiology | 5.9% |
| 5 | Agriculture | 3.9% |
Best colleges for food quality technicians
The best colleges for food quality technicians are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A food quality technician 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 quality technicians. 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 quality technicians.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
4. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
5. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
8. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
20 best online courses for food quality technicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for food quality technicians
The most affordable schools for food quality technicians are University of Florida, california state university - bakersfield, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for food quality technicians 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 quality technicians.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
4. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
8. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
9. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
10. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for food quality technicians
The hardest universities for food quality technicians to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for food quality technicians 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 quality technicians 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
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for food quality technicians
The easiest schools for food quality technicians to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a food quality technician 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 quality technicians.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
8. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
9. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
10. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
Average food quality technician salary by education level
| Food quality technician education level | Food quality technician salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $41,986 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $44,124 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $43,294 |
Food quality technician education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025