[Food, Nutrition & Related Services](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/food-nutrition-services/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value food, nutrition & related services schools.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the food, nutrition & related services degrees they offer, see the list below.
Leading the list is North Dakota State University Main Campus, our #1 best value for food, nutrition & related services in the The Plains States Region. Located in the city of Fargo, North Dakota State University Main Campus is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,910, while out-of-state students pay about $15,564. Food, Nutrition & Related Services graduates carry a median of $25,153 in student loans. Soon after graduation, food, nutrition & related services degree recipients from North Dakota State University Main Campus generally make around $60,498. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 95% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Nebraska Lincoln came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value food, nutrition & related services schools. Set in the city of Lincoln, University Of Nebraska Lincoln is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,434, with out-of-state students paying around $28,584. Food, Nutrition & Related Services graduates carry a median of $25,256 in student loans. Early-career food, nutrition & related services graduates make about $39,528. That is a strong return on a $25,256 median debt. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Waldorf College came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value food, nutrition & related services schools. Waldorf College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Forest City. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $25,978. Food, Nutrition & Related Services graduates carry a median of $24,622 in student loans. Soon after graduation, food, nutrition & related services degree recipients from Waldorf College generally make around $63,346. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 77%.
A rank of #4 makes South Dakota State University one of the best values for food, nutrition & related services. Located in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,299, with out-of-state students paying around $12,809. Typical student debt for food, nutrition & related services graduates is $24,989. Early-career food, nutrition & related services graduates make about $51,260. Set against $24,989 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
