[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 6 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value food, nutrition & related services schools.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in food, nutrition & related services, balancing cost against outcomes.
James Madison University earned the #1 spot for value among food, nutrition & related services schools in Virginia. Set in the city of Harrisonburg, James Madison University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,966, with out-of-state students paying around $31,312. Food, Nutrition & Related Services graduates carry a median of $19,000 in student loans. Food, Nutrition & Related Services graduates of James Madison University earn a median of $24,860 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $19,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 72%.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in food, nutrition & related services, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $15,948 in tuition and fees, compared with $37,764 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for food, nutrition & related services graduates is $25,000. Food, Nutrition & Related Services graduates of Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University earn a median of $25,414 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University admits about 55% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 6 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.
