by our College Data Analytics Team
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Food & Nutrition is the 228th most popular major in the country with 3,131 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major” ranking analyzed 156 colleges that offered a degree in food and nutrition. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in food and nutrition.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major” list to help you make the college 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 colleges and universities below are the best for food & nutrition students.
Out of the 156 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Lincoln University landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Jefferson City, Missouri, and it awarded 26 ’s food and nutrition degrees in 2020-2021.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cedar Crest College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major. Cedar Crest is located in Allentown, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 ’s food and nutrition degrees to qualified 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Meredith College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major. Meredith is a small school located in Raleigh, North Carolina that handed out 26 ’s food and nutrition degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Framingham State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major list. Framingham State is a small school located in Framingham, Massachusetts that handed out 48 ’s food and nutrition degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bluffton University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major list. Bluffton University is located in Bluffton, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 ’s food and nutrition degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #6, University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major list. UNL is a large public school situated in Lincoln, Nebraska. It awarded 174 ’s food and nutrition degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read full report on Food & Nutrition at University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Virginia Tech came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major ranking. Blacksburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s food and nutrition degrees to 283 students in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte ranked #8 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major list. JWU Charlotte is a private not-for-profit institution located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Food & Nutrition at Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte
With a ranking of #9, Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major list. Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus is located in Indiana, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 60 ’s food and nutrition degrees to qualified students.
Read more about Food & Nutrition at Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus
Johnson & Wales University - Providence did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major ranking, coming in at #10. This medium-sized school is located in Providence, Rhode Island, and it awarded 30 ’s food and nutrition degrees in 2020-2021.
Benedictine University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major ranking. Benedictine University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lisle, Illinois. It awarded 34 ’s food and nutrition degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.9% 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 #12, Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major list. This large school is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and it awarded 111 ’s food and nutrition degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Saint Joseph came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major ranking. University of Saint Joseph is a private not-for-profit institution located in West Hartford, Connecticut. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Simmons University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major ranking. Simmons University is a medium-sized school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 49 ’s food and nutrition degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Samford University ranked #15 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major list. Located in Birmingham, Alabama, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 28 diplomas to qualified ’s food and nutrition students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, 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 87%.
Wayne State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major ranking. Wayne State University is a large school located in Detroit, Michigan that handed out 106 ’s food and nutrition degrees in 2020-2021.
Arizona State University - Skysong did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major ranking, coming in at #17. Arizona State University - Skysong is a large public school situated in Scottsdale, Arizona. It awarded 182 ’s food and nutrition degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
American University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major list. American University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, District of Columbia. It awarded 56 ’s food and nutrition degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Middle Tennessee State University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major 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.
Read more about Food & Nutrition at Middle Tennessee State University
With a ranking of #20, Lamar University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major list. Lamar University is a public institution located in Beaumont, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 57 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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 #21, University of Arkansas did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major list. UARK is a large school located in Fayetteville, Arkansas that handed out 71 ’s food and nutrition degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.
South Carolina State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major ranking. South Carolina State University is located in Orangeburg, South Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s food and nutrition degrees to qualified students.
Read more about Food & Nutrition at South Carolina State University
The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major ranking, coming in at #23. The University of Texas at Austin is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 158 ’s food and nutrition degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
With a ranking of #24, Waldorf University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major list. Located in Forest City, Iowa, this small private for-profit school awarded 8 degrees to qualified ’s food and nutrition students in 2020-2021.
Morgan State University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Food & Nutrition Major ranking. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this medium-sized public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified ’s food and nutrition students in 2020-2021.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
