by our College Data Analytics Team
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 3,131 people earned their degree in food and nutrition, making the major the 228th most popular in the United States.
For this year’s “Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 49 colleges that offer a degree in food and nutrition. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great food and nutrition programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the food and nutrition program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lehman College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Lehman is a public institution located in Bronx, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Lehman is $2,614 for Food & Nutrition students with aid.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hunter College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid. Hunter College is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 44 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Hunter College is $2,158 for Food & Nutrition students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Central New Mexico Community College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid. Central New Mexico Community College is a fairly large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 18 ’s food and nutrition degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,322 for food & nutrition students with aid per year to attend CNM.
Read full report on Food & Nutrition at Central New Mexico Community College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Tech. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Blacksburg, Virginia, this large public school handed out 283 diplomas to qualified ’s food and nutrition students in 2020-2021.
Virginia Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Food & Nutrition Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $21,301 for food & nutrition students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Out of the 49 schools in the Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Delaware landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Delaware is a public institution located in Newark, Delaware. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UD also took the #3 spot in our “Best Food & Nutrition Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Delaware is $18,967 for Food & Nutrition students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
University of Nebraska - Lincoln ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Lincoln, Nebraska is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s food and nutrition degrees to 174 students in 2020-2021.
UNL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Food & Nutrition Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $17,013 for Food & Nutrition students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #7, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UT Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 158 ’s food and nutrition degrees to qualified students.
UT Austin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Food & Nutrition Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Austin is $18,350 for Food & Nutrition students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Fresno City College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Fresno City College is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 6 ’s food and nutrition degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Fresno City College is $2,584 for Food & Nutrition students with aid.
Texas State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Texas State is a large public school situated in San Marcos, Texas. It awarded 75 ’s food and nutrition degrees in 2020-2021.
Texas State also made our “Best Food & Nutrition Schools” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Texas State University is $14,887 for food & nutrition students with aid.
Texas Woman’s University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Texas Woman’s University is located in Denton, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s food and nutrition degrees to qualified students.
TWU also made our “Best Food & Nutrition Schools” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $9,684 for food & nutrition students with aid per year to attend TWU.
North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. North Dakota State University is located in Fargo, North Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s food and nutrition degrees to qualified students.
North Dakota State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Food & Nutrition Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Dakota State University - Main Campus is $16,998 for Food & Nutrition students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Food & Nutrition at North Dakota State University
Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Arizona State University - Tempe is a large public school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 138 ’s food and nutrition degrees in 2020-2021.
ASU - Tempe did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Food & Nutrition Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Arizona State University - Tempe is $13,107 for food & nutrition students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of Missouri - Columbia ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of Missouri - Columbia is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 50 ’s food and nutrition degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mizzou, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Food & Nutrition Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mizzou is $16,559 for Food & Nutrition students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Scottsdale, Arizona, and it awarded 182 ’s food and nutrition degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at ASU - Skysong, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Food & Nutrition Schools” ranking.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
With a ranking of #15, Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, this large public school handed out 111 diplomas to qualified ’s food and nutrition students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our food & nutrition students with aid list, OSU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Food & Nutrition Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is $14,237 for food & nutrition students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Sam Houston State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Huntsville, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s food and nutrition degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Sam Houston State University is $15,035 for Food & Nutrition students with aid.
University of Arkansas did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. UARK is located in Fayetteville, Arkansas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 71 ’s food and nutrition degrees to qualified students.
UARK did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Food & Nutrition Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Arkansas is $16,507 for Food & Nutrition students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
North Carolina A & T State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. North Carolina A & T State University is a fairly large school located in Greensboro, North Carolina that handed out 14 ’s food and nutrition degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend North Carolina A & T State University is $10,563 for food & nutrition students with aid.
Read full report on Food & Nutrition at North Carolina A & T State University
East Carolina University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Greenville, North Carolina, and it awarded 7 ’s food and nutrition degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend ECU is $16,550 for food & nutrition students with aid.
Middle Tennessee State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Middle Tennessee State University is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 51 ’s food and nutrition degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Middle Tennessee State University is $12,752 for Food & Nutrition students with aid.
Read more about Food & Nutrition at Middle Tennessee State University
University of Kentucky came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Lexington, Kentucky, and it awarded 39 ’s food and nutrition degrees in 2020-2021.
UK not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Food & Nutrition Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Kentucky is $18,203 for Food & Nutrition students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
With a ranking of #22, University of New Mexico - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It awarded 33 ’s food and nutrition degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of New Mexico - Main Campus is $14,424 for food & nutrition students with aid.
Full University of New Mexico - Main Campus Food & Nutrition Report
Utah State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Logan, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s food and nutrition degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Utah State University is $13,257 for Food & Nutrition students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Wayne State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. Wayne State is located in Detroit, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 106 ’s food and nutrition degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wayne State, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Food & Nutrition Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wayne State University is $13,962 for Food & Nutrition students with aid.
University of Idaho came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Moscow, Idaho, and it awarded 18 ’s food and nutrition degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our food & nutrition students with aid list, U of I has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Food & Nutrition Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Idaho is $13,964 for Food & Nutrition students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies