UNT tops Niche's Texas ranking for college food while some students say service has slipped

The University of North Texas has the best college food in Texas, according to Niche's 2027 rankings, though some students eating in its dining halls this fall say the experience has slipped.

Niche, an online platform that compiles data on colleges nationwide, gave UNT an A+ for campus food, ranked it first in the state and placed it 15th in the country, the North Texas Daily reported Friday.

How the grade is built

The rating leans heavily on students. Answers to a Niche survey question asking students to rate campus food on a five-star scale account for 85% of the food grade, the Daily reported. The remaining 15% reflects the average cost of meal plans, which Niche said it draws mostly from the federal Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.

Those costs have been rising. For 2024-25, the most recent year in the federal data, UNT reported on-campus housing and food charges of $11,194, up 3.6% from the year before.

Semester meal plans currently range from $619.50 for five meals a week to $2,214 for the Everyday Unlimited Combo, one of two plans first-year students living on campus must buy, according to the university's Dining Services. The department told the Daily that average meal plan costs have climbed 8.15% since 2023 and that 9,166 students, faculty and staff hold meal plans this fall.

What students are seeing

The Daily surveyed 106 students at the University Union, Eagle Landing and Bruceteria. Among the 100 who said they eat in the dining halls regularly, 52 scored the food a 7 or 8 out of 10.

A sophomore told the paper he had noticed fewer workers and slower service at Bruceteria, and a senior who transferred in 2025 said the choices at her usual halls have thinned out since last year. Eagle Landing and Bruceteria were the two busiest halls in spring 2026, with 320,004 and 104,228 visits.

Michael Buell, senior general manager at Eagle Landing, has said falling international student enrollment is a major reason for the smaller staff at his location. UNT President Harrison Keller wrote to faculty and staff in February that a steep drop in international enrollment was the main cause of the university's revenue shortfall.

Anthony Hsia, senior director of dining operations, told the Daily the department tries to read what customers want while being willing to try new ideas. He pointed to Mean Greens Café, the university's all-vegan dining hall, and Kitchen West, which is kept free of the nine most common food allergens in the U.S.

Sources

ntdaily.com