Students are showing declining interest in working in academia, preferring to pursue roles in industry that include product development, food safety, quality assurance, and lab-based roles, according to Food Science Academic Knowledge Base 2025, presented by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT).
“With more students and PhDs entering industry rather than academia, the 2025 data reveal a robust, globally diverse talent pipeline. That alignment of student interests with applied, product-driven roles offers opportunities for collaborative R&D projects, internships, and new innovations,” says Christina Ginardi, director, academic engagement at IFT. “Meanwhile, declining confidence in job prospects underscores the need for career-readiness programs and stronger ties with industry. Lower job confidence is also an opportunity for employers to differentiate themselves through engagement, mentorship, and visible career pathways.”
Key takeaways:
· Combining quantitative and aggregated institutional data from food science programs around the world, “covers application and enrollment trends, areas of growing and declining interest, as well as key influences.“
· The report is based on a survey conducted by IFT’s Feeding Tomorrow Fund in partnership with the Council of Food Science Administrators and Higher Educational Review Board.
· The study revealed that students are less confident about the job market than two years ago, with economic headwinds and hiring freezes influencing sentiment.
· The report also noted a shift in student major influences with friends and family replacing faculty as the top influencer, noting the importance of early STEM exposure.
· In addition, undergraduate students are discovering food science before the age of 18 at a higher rate as compared to master’s and PhD students who learned of food science later in their academic careers.
