[Food, Nutrition & Related Services](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/food-nutrition-services/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 2 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for food, nutrition & related services students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in food, nutrition & related services, balancing cost against outcomes.
For return on investment in food, nutrition & related services, no school beat The University Of Alabama this year. Located in the city of Tuscaloosa, The University Of Alabama is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,180, compared with $34,172 for out-of-state students. Food, Nutrition & Related Services graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Food, Nutrition & Related Services graduates of The University Of Alabama earn a median of $48,139 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 77%.
Samford University came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value food, nutrition & related services schools. Set in the suburb of Birmingham, Samford University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $40,150. Students borrow a median of $21,039 to complete the food, nutrition & related services program here. Early-career food, nutrition & related services graduates make about $64,132. Set against $21,039 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
