Texas Colleges Ranked by Food Quality Because Apparently That’s What Matters Now

In a stunning revelation that will surely shake the foundations of higher education, Niche—the same people who brought you such hard-hitting rankings as "Best Dorms for Introverts" and "Most Instagrammable Libraries"—has released their 2026 list of Texas colleges with the best food. Because nothing says "academic rigor" like debating whether the mystery meat in the dining hall is chicken or a cry for help.

Let’s be real: if you’re choosing a university based on the quality of its chicken tenders, you might as well just enroll in Culinary School and save yourself the student debt. But no, Niche insists that we must know which overpriced meal plan will give us the most bang for our buck—or, more accurately, which dining hall has the least suspicious nacho cheese.

Topping the list is the University of North Texas, where students reportedly enjoy "diverse" and "fresh" options. Translation: they have a salad bar that isn’t just iceberg lettuce and despair. Meanwhile, UT-Austin—home of the Longhorns and, apparently, the ninth-best dining experience in Texas—must be fuming. How dare they be outranked by Texas Tech? The horror. The injustice. The sheer audacity of Lubbock having better pizza.

But let’s not ignore the real scandal here: Rice University, an institution where tuition costs more than a luxury car, barely scrapes into the top 10. What are they feeding their students—gold-leaf avocado toast? Or is this just further proof that even the elite can’t escape the curse of soggy dining hall fries?

And then there’s Texas A&M, sitting pretty at number eight, proving once again that Aggies will happily eat anything as long as it’s maroon. Gig ‘em… with a fork, I guess?

Of course, the rankings don’t account for the real college dining experience: surviving on instant ramen, stolen dining hall bananas, and the free chips at club meetings. But hey, if Niche wants to pretend that students aren’t just here for the degree and the occasional free pizza at career fairs, who are we to argue?

So, prospective students, take note. If you want an education that truly prepares you for the real world, forget STEM programs or humanities—just follow the smell of slightly overcooked garlic bread. Bon appétit, and may your meal plan be ever in your favor.