Key takeaways
- The University of San Diego, University of Southern California, and San Francisco State University are the top-rated foodie schools.
- The Ohio State University, Tulane University, and Georgetown University have the highest percentage of vegan restaurants compared to the national average.
- Dallas Baptist University has the highest percentage of affordable restaurants, while Columbia University has the highest percentage of restaurants rated 4 stars or higher.
- Subway is the most common chain restaurant across all schools, with an average of 6 locations per school.
Picking the right school for your palate
Heading off to college comes with plenty of perks, but bidding farewell to home-cooked meals isn't always one of them. Whether you want to avoid the "freshman 15," have particular dietary preferences, or need your Taco Tuesday fix, it's good to know the food prospects of your chosen school.
To help you satisfy your college cravings, we used Yelp's API to gather info on all the food choices within a 5-mile radius of 417 U.S. colleges and universities. We got the low-down on the schools with the best food options for cravings, diets, budgets, and more. Let's dig in!
The ultimate guide to college food
Let's kick things off with a broad overview of the food scene at schools across the country. Use our interactive table to view the rankings of all 417 colleges and universities we analyzed. To rank each school, we looked at affordability, diversity of options, quality, popularity, and convenience.
From San Diego to San Francisco, schools in California know how to serve up an awesome meal. The top three schools for overall best food were the University of San Diego, University of Southern California, and San Francisco State University.
The University of Southern California took the top spot for quality, followed by Long Island University to the east and Portland State University to the north. But if you're more concerned with quantity than quality, Seattle Pacific University and the University of San Francisco offered the most diverse options.
If you're all about ease of access, consider studying in New York City, as Yeshiva University and Columbia University had the highest convenience rankings. Meanwhile, the University of San Francisco took the metaphorical cake for the most popular restaurants.
Few students know how to work up an appetite quite like college athletes, so we ranked the college sports conferences with the best food for chowing down. The rankings and their final scores were as follows:
- Pac 12 (64)
- Big Ten (62)
- ACC (62)
- Ivy League (59)
- Big 12 (58)
- SEC (57)
Pac 12, Big Ten, and ACC schools were working hard to feed their college athletes winning meals. Athletes with discerning palates may want to take a second look at schools in these conferences to satisfy their competitive spirit and culinary cravings.
Satisfying college cravings
For students looking to chow down on specific dishes, we found the top three schools for various appetites. Whether you're searching for the perfect slice of pizza, can't live without your afternoon sushi fix, or crave a midnight stack of pancakes, these schools will have plenty of options to feed your hunger.
Ironically, Florida International University ranked first in terms of American fare. But runner-ups University of Maryland and San Diego State proved it's possible to find a good steak or hamburger from coast to coast.
If you can't get enough coffee or Chinese food, prepare your application for the University of California Irvine because this Cali school outshone the competition in both categories. Regis University and the University of California Los Angeles also provided lots of options for a caffeine boost to survive late-night study sessions or early-morning lectures.
While Rice University may share a name with everyone's favorite carb, it didn't skimp on the sweets and was ranked first in the dessert category. Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University in Atlanta also served up their fair share of sugary morsels.
We found an unexpected leader in the best schools for Mexican food - Massachusetts. Dominating the top three, Harvard University, the University of Massachusetts Boston, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology were all flan-tastic schools for bingeing on burritos.
Also surprising, you won't find the largest selection of pasta and pizza in New York City or Chicago but at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. Biola University, a private university in California, and Arizona's University of Phoenix were also solid contenders in the quest for a great cannoli.
Tofu, soy milk, and other substitutions
Pursuing higher education doesn't mean you have to leave your chosen diet in the rearview. Let's check out the top three schools for various specialty diets.
Many colleges and universities cater to those with dietary restrictions, but some go the extra mile. For instance, students who keep kosher will find plenty of great food options at the University of California Los Angeles, Northwestern University in Chicago, and St. John's University in New York.
For vegan-friendly schools, look no further than The Ohio State University, Tulane University, and Georgetown University. With the prevalence of vegan food options, no one will raise an eyebrow when you ask for soy.
If you're a vegetarian, you'll be shocked to learn that the University of Texas at Austin was the top-ranked school for vegetarians, despite being smack dab in the middle of the beef capital of the world. You'll also find plenty of leafy greens at the University of Washington and the California Institute of Technology.
Eating on the cheap
Living on a strict student budget? No matter what kind of cuisine you're looking for, these colleges offer plenty of food options that won't break the bank.
The South doesn't mess around when it comes to great food, which is likely why you'll find plenty of affordable restaurants near Dallas Baptist University, Southern University and A&M College, and Our Lady of the Lake University. The Midwest also offered bunches of budget bites, with the University of Michigan-Flint, Briar Cliff University, and Ball State University among the top 10 schools with the most affordable food.
On the other end of the spectrum, the top five least affordable college food scenes were all found in New York City: The New School, Pace University, New York University, Columbia University, and Long Island University.
The crème de la crème of college cuisine
While there's nothing wrong with sharing a first date over Olive Garden's endless breadsticks, some schools have a few more high-quality options than others. Let's see which schools and college towns are cooking up quality meals and which are serving mystery meat.
They say you get what you pay for, and that is definitely the case for the pricey food around New York City's schools. Columbia University, Pace University, New York University, The New School, and Long Island University were the top five least affordable schools but ranked among the top six schools with the highest quality food.
California, on the other hand, has some explaining to do. The state was home to the top six schools on the low-quality food list of shame:
- California State University, East Bay
- University of California, Riverside
- California State University, San Bernardino
- Loma Linda University
- Stanford University
- University of La Verne
In all fairness, it's worth noting that California State University does have over 20 different campuses throughout the state, some of which likely fare better than others. But still.
Food on the run
Fast-food restaurants are a perfect match for college students and their busy schedules. Let's take a look at which are the most popular on U.S. campuses.
Whether you need fuel for a lengthy study session or the comfort of your favorite hangover meal, sometimes nothing fits the bill like fast food. Subway was the most common fast-food chain, boasting an impressive average of six restaurants per campus. McDonald's wasn't far behind, with an average of five campus locations to satisfy all those Big Mac cravings.
Wendy's, Taco Bell, and Burger King all had an average of three spots on campus. Whether you want to enjoy a long-time favorite or need a quick order of something healthy, most fast-food joints have a little something for everyone.
Getting a higher (food) education
College is a time of independence and freedom, but self-reliance can be a challenge come mealtime if you haven't mastered the whole cooking thing just yet. Luckily, most colleges and universities offer loads of delicious and affordable food options for students. And if you're lucky enough to know your way around a kitchen already, college can be a great opportunity to explore new cuisines. So grab your roommate and your meal card, and head out to find a new favorite food.
Methodology
For this study, we leveraged the Yelp API to gather all food and restaurant locations within a 5-mile radius of 417 colleges and universities across the United States. Attributes such as restaurant categories, ratings, review count, and price were collected.
About College Rover
College Rover guides students through their college journey with comprehensive and reliable information. With a focus on assisting students in making informed decisions, we provide valuable insights into college admissions, campus life, scholarships, and more.
Fair use statement
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