These 10 Colleges Have the Best Food—Did Yours Make the List?

Ah, college. I remember the days of all-nighters fueled by mugs of cheap coffee and handfuls of chips. But when I needed something more substantial, I would hit up the cafeteria, where I could dive into the salad bar, hot bar and dessert room (yes, my alma mater had an entire room devoted to desserts).

I do miss the days where the only meal planning I had to do was to ask my friends when they wanted to go to dinner. With a swipe of my ID card, I was able to choose whatever I wanted to eat—like a made-to-order stir-fry, which was my favorite meal option.

Niche just released its college rankings for 2026, and amid the many lists available, one stood out to me: the best food. Obviously, there are a lot of reasons to pick a college. But if you’re going to spend four years eating there, I’d say food is pretty important!

What schools have the best college food?

Niche calculated their rankings by factoring in two data points: reviews from students and the cost of the meal plan. “Top-ranked colleges offer outstanding on-campus dining,” the ratings and review company writes on its website. “Students can easily access healthy, quality food across a wide range of cuisines and dietary preferences.”

Student reviews are a great way to assess the quality of food being offered on campus. I mean, who knows better than the people eating the food every day? And factoring in price point is also important—especially as the cost of groceries continues to rise.

Without further ado, I present the top 10 winners:

The Best College Food in America for 2026

1. University of California-Los Angeles
2. Virginia Tech
3. University of Massachusetts Amherst
4. California Baptist University
5. St. Norbert College
6. St. John Fisher University
7. Bates College
8. John Madison University
9. Florida International University
10. University of San Diego

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