[Food, Nutrition & Related Services](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/food-nutrition-services/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for food, nutrition & related services students.
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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.
University Of Central Arkansas earned the #1 spot for value among food, nutrition & related services schools in Arkansas. Located in the city of Conway, University Of Central Arkansas is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $10,523 in tuition and fees, compared with $18,023 for out-of-state students. Food, Nutrition & Related Services graduates carry a median of $22,906 in student loans. Food, Nutrition & Related Services graduates of University Of Central Arkansas earn a median of $43,187 early in their careers. Set against $22,906 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Central Arkansas admits about 90% of applicants.
University Of Arkansas came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value food, nutrition & related services schools. Located in the city of Fayetteville, University Of Arkansas is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,104, with out-of-state students paying around $29,966. Students borrow a median of $24,400 to complete the food, nutrition & related services program here. Early-career food, nutrition & related services graduates make about $31,986. That is a strong return on a $24,400 median debt. University Of Arkansas admits about 74% of applicants.
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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 · 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.
