The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) has published a new report on the state of food science education. Combining quantitative and aggregated institutional data from food science programs around the world, Food Science Academic Knowledge Base 2025 covers application and enrollment trends, areas of growing and declining interest, and key influences.

The report is based on a survey that was conducted by IFT’s Feeding Tomorrow Fund in partnership with the Council of Food Science Administrators and Higher Educational Review Board.

Part 1 of the research report was published in 2018 with 456 students participating across 16 domestic institutions. The second report, published in 2023, included participation from 757 students across 33 domestic and international institutions. This year’s report includes responses from 919 students across 42 institutions in 15 countries, including Canada, China, Ecuador, Honduras, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, South Africa, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam.

The 2025 report found students’ declining interest in working in academia, preferring to pursue roles in industry that include product development, food safety, quality assurance, and lab-based work. Additionally, students are less confident about the job market than two years ago with economic headwinds and hiring freezes influencing sentiment.

The growing number of students and Ph.D. degree-holders entering industry rather than academia suggests a robust, globally diverse talent pipeline, according to Christina Ginardi, Director of Academic Engagement at IFT.  At the same time, declining confidence in job prospects underscores the need for career-readiness programs and stronger ties with industry. Ms. Ginardi emphasizes that lower job confidence offers an opportunity for employers to recruit talent through engagement, mentorship, and visible career pathways.

The report also noted a shift in student major influences, with friends and family replacing faculty as their top influencers, underlining the importance of early Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) exposure. Additionally, undergraduate students are discovering food science before the age of 18 at higher rates than master’s and Ph.D. students, who report learning about food science later in their academic careers.