The 5 colleges with the best food in America — and the 5 with the worst
Is there any location on a university campus that can evoke the same degree of mixed emotions than a college dining hall can?
Depending on the school — and the student — in question, a dining hall is either a place where undergrads are exposed to exciting new cuisines for the first time ever, or is a dreaded building serving up puddles of grease and badly cooked meat.
When Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse surveyed more than 1,000 students at two and four-year universities about their desires for on-campus dining, 41% wanted a greater variety and quality of food, 38% cited a desire for fewer ultra-processed meals served, and 33% asked for a greater variety of cuisines.
When the same survey asked students about the accessibility of meals on campus, 51% of students at public universities cited affordability as an issue, compared to 39% of students at private schools. Nearly a quarter of Jewish and Muslim students cited a desire for more detailed food labels, to ensure the meals adhered to dietary restrictions, compared to nine percent of students overall.
Each year, the Princeton Review assesses the quality of on-campus dining based on students’ responses to the question, “how do you rate the food on campus?”
At the University of Massachusetts Amherst, which has long topped the Princeton Review’s list of the best dining hall food in the country, prioritizing the quality of on-campus meals is part of the college’s commitment to ensuring a positive experience for the student body.
The UMass dining team is “committed to delivering an outstanding dining experience for our students every day,” Ken Toong, assistant vice chancellor of UMass Auxiliary Enterprises, said in a statement. “We believe that good food is essential to the well-being of our community, and we will continue to push the boundaries of what campus dining can be.”
Continue reading to learn more about the five universities with the best food – and the five with the worst, according to the Princeton Review.
5th Best: Cornell University
Where is it?
Ithaca, New York
What kind of school is it?
Cornell is a private, coeducational land grant research university
How many students attend?
16,063
4th Best: Bowdoin College
Where is it?
Brunswick, Maine
What kind of school is it?
Bowdoin is a private, coeducational liberal arts college.
How many students attend?
1,850
3rd Best: University of Richmond
Where is it?
Richmond, Virginia
What kind of school is it?
The University of Richmond is a private, coeducational, liberal arts college.
How many students attend?
3,045
2nd Best: Washington University in St. Louis
Where is it?
St. Louis, Missouri
What kind of school is it?
WashU is a private, coeducational research university.
How many students attend?
8,267
Best: UMass Amherst
Where is it?
Amherst, Massachusetts
What kind of school is it?
UMass Amherst is a public, coeducational research university.
How many students attend?
23,936
5th Worst: Ohio Wesleyan University
Where is it?
Delaware, Ohio
What kind of school is it?
Ohio Wesleyan is a private, coeducational liberal arts college.
How many students attend?
1,525
4th Worst: Clarkson University
Where is it?
Potsdam, New York
What kind of school is it?
Clarkson University is a private, coeducational research university.
How many students attend?
2,513
3rd Worst: Kettering University
Where is it?
Flint, Michigan
What kind of school is it?
Kettering University is a private, coeducational university.
How many students attend?
1,212
2nd Worst: Lawrence Technological University
Where is it?
Southfield, Michigan
What kind of school is it?
Lawrence Technological University is a private, coeducational university.
How many students attend?
2,579
Worst: Hampden-Sydney College
Where is it?
Hampden-Sydney, Virginia
What kind of school is it?
Hampden-Sydney is a private liberal arts college for men.
How many students attend?
876