2026 Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools in New York

[Food & Nutrition](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/food-nutrition-services/food-nutrition-wellness/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 16 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for food & nutrition students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools in New York
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the food & nutrition degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Food & Nutrition Schools
For return on investment in food & nutrition, no school beat Cuny Hunter College this year. Cuny Hunter College is a very large public school located in the city of New York. Students from in state pay about $7,382 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $15,332. Food & Nutrition graduates carry a median of $11,091 in student loans. Early-career food & nutrition graduates make about $39,756. Set against $11,091 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Cuny Hunter College admits about 54% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in food & nutrition will find it at New York University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of New York, New York University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $62,796. Food & Nutrition graduates carry a median of $21,897 in student loans. Early-career food & nutrition graduates make about $51,020. Set against $21,897 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 9%.
Syracuse University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in food & nutrition, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Syracuse, Syracuse University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $65,528. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the food & nutrition program here. Soon after graduation, food & nutrition degree recipients from Syracuse University generally make around $44,219. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Syracuse University admits about 46% of applicants.
More Food & Nutrition Rankings
View All Food & Nutrition Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 16 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.