[Food, Nutrition & Related Services](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/food-nutrition-services/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong food, nutrition & related services education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 15 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes 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.
For return on investment in food, nutrition & related services, no school beat Central Arizona College this year. Located in the rural area of Coolidge, Central Arizona College is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $2,250, compared with $4,500 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for food, nutrition & related services graduates is $11,635. Early-career food, nutrition & related services graduates make about $48,826. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in food, nutrition & related services will find it at Rio Salado College, which ranked #2. Rio Salado College is a very large public school located in the city of Tempe. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,358, compared with $8,958 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for food, nutrition & related services graduates is $13,679. Early-career food, nutrition & related services graduates make about $48,564. Set against $13,679 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Arizona State University earned it the #3 place for food, nutrition & related services. Arizona State University is a very large public school located in the city of Tempe. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,223, while out-of-state students pay about $33,139. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the food, nutrition & related services program here. Food, Nutrition & Related Services graduates of Arizona State University earn a median of $44,004 early in their careers. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in food, nutrition & related services will find it at University Of Arizona, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Tucson, University Of Arizona is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $13,573, while out-of-state students pay about $39,903. Students borrow a median of $21,861 to complete the food, nutrition & related services program here. Food, Nutrition & Related Services graduates of University Of Arizona earn a median of $50,834 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 86%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Grand Canyon University earned it the #5 place for food, nutrition & related services. Set in the city of Phoenix, Grand Canyon University is a very large private for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,508. Students borrow a median of $30,027 to complete the food, nutrition & related services program here. Soon after graduation, food, nutrition & related services degree recipients from Grand Canyon University generally make around $56,285. Set against $30,027 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Grand Canyon University admits about 79% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 15 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
