ADBLOCK #102
College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Value Food, Nutrition & Related Services Schools in the The Plains States Region

4 Colleges in the United States
$26,570 Avg Student Debt
$52,958 Avg Median Earnings (10yr)
2026 Best Value Food, Nutrition & Related Services Badge [Food, Nutrition & Related Services](/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/food-nutrition-services/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 17 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for food, nutrition & related services students.

What’s on this page:

ADBLOCK #159
DEBUG: Raw major_slug = ""
DEBUG: Initial offers_url = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/food-nutrition-services/offers.json", major_slug = ""
DEBUG: After cleaning major_slug = ""
DEBUG: Before URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/food-nutrition-services/offers.json"
DEBUG: After TrimSuffix = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/food-nutrition-services/offers.json"
DEBUG: After HTTPS placeholder = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/food-nutrition-services/offers.json"
DEBUG: After slash cleaning = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/food-nutrition-services/offers.json"
DEBUG: After URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/food-nutrition-services/offers.json"
DEBUG: offers_url = https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/family-consumer-human-sciences/food-nutrition-services/offers.json
DEBUG: major_slug = ""
DEBUG: offers_url is valid, proceeding to fetch data
DEBUG: offers_data.offers found, count = 5
DEBUG: Specific major detected (cip4 = 19.05), keeping min_relevance at 0.8
DEBUG: Starting relevance filtering - min_relevance = 0.8, max_relevance = 1
DEBUG: Checking offer "Nutrition (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" with relevance 0.7
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "Nutrition (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" REJECTED (relevance 0.7)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Grad Cert - Nutrition Education (I Have a Bachelors)" with relevance 0.7
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "Grad Cert - Nutrition Education (I Have a Bachelors)" REJECTED (relevance 0.7)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Grad Cert - Nutrition (I Have a Bachelors)" with relevance 0.7
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "Grad Cert - Nutrition (I Have a Bachelors)" REJECTED (relevance 0.7)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Nutrition (I Have a Bachelors)" with relevance 0.7
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "Nutrition (I Have a Bachelors)" REJECTED (relevance 0.7)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Trade & Vocational Programs (Culinary & Pastry)" with relevance 0.5
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "Trade & Vocational Programs (Culinary & Pastry)" REJECTED (relevance 0.5)
DEBUG: relevant_offers count = 0
DEBUG: No relevant offers, showing generic ESYOH widget

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in food, nutrition & related services, balancing cost against outcomes.

1
Lincoln University Missouri crest
Lincoln University Missouri
Jefferson City, MO

Lincoln University Missouri earned the #1 spot for value among food, nutrition & related services schools in the The Plains States Region. Lincoln University Missouri is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Jefferson City. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,796, with out-of-state students paying around $17,692. Food, Nutrition & Related Services graduates carry a median of $32,831 in student loans. Soon after graduation, food, nutrition & related services degree recipients from Lincoln University Missouri generally make around $37,449. Set against $32,831 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.

2

North Dakota State University Main Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in food, nutrition & related services, landing the #2 spot this year. North Dakota State University Main Campus is a large public school located in the city of Fargo. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,910, with out-of-state students paying around $15,564. Typical student debt for food, nutrition & related services graduates is $25,153. Early-career food, nutrition & related services graduates make about $60,498. That is a strong return on a $25,153 median debt. The acceptance rate is 95%.

3

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Nebraska Lincoln earned it the #3 place for food, nutrition & related services. Located in the city of Lincoln, University Of Nebraska Lincoln is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $10,434 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $28,584. Typical student debt for food, nutrition & related services graduates is $25,256. Soon after graduation, food, nutrition & related services degree recipients from University Of Nebraska Lincoln generally make around $39,528. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.

4

Students looking for strong value in food, nutrition & related services will find it at South Dakota State University, which ranked #4. Located in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $9,299 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $12,809. Students borrow a median of $24,989 to complete the food, nutrition & related services program here. Soon after graduation, food, nutrition & related services degree recipients from South Dakota State University generally make around $51,260. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 98%.

5
Waldorf College crest
Waldorf College
Forest City, IA

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Waldorf College earned it the #5 place for food, nutrition & related services. Set in the rural area of Forest City, Waldorf College is a mid-sized private for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $25,978 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $24,622 to complete the food, nutrition & related services program here. Food, Nutrition & Related Services graduates of Waldorf College earn a median of $63,346 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Waldorf College admits about 77% of applicants.

Narrow Food, Nutrition & Related Services Schools by State

ADBLOCK #173
View All Food, Nutrition & Related Services Rankings >

ADBLOCK #115

Notes and References

This ranking is produced 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 · 17 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

ADBLOCK #116

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs
ADBLOCK #613

Compare Your School Options