This College Has The Best Food, According To Students

Wood-fired pizza bubbling with mozzarella, hand-rolled sushi made to order, and mini shrimp tostadas piled as high as they can go are among the many mouthwatering meals that University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) students can grab on any given day. All this yumminess is also the reason that UCLA ranks No. 1 in the nation for best college food, according to Niche, a site that compiles student surveys and college data. Sheer variety makes this collegiate dining program stand out — and that's because it's huge.

The university operates three main residential restaurants, with all-you-can-eat options. Epicuria at Covel serves simple, fresh Mediterranean fare, while De Neve dishes out regional favorites like Chicago deep-dish pizza, arepas, and Texas barbecue brisket. Bruin Plate, often called "B Plate" by students, is UCLA's health-forward dining hall that focuses on sustainable, whole-food cooking. It features dishes like chickpea and oat waffles for breakfast and stone-fired flatbreads for dinner. Together, these residential restaurants create a rotation of dining options that's more like a curated food hall.

The best part is that fans of UCLA dining don't need to live on campus to get a taste — they can bring it into their own kitchens with the official "UCLA's Bruin Plate Cookbook." It features over 100 recipes — served across all of the dining halls — and prepared just the way the students love. The recipes showcase ingredients that highlight freshness, nutrient density, and sustainability, too, like crave-worthy guacamole with kale. It's just another part of a part of UCLA's huge dining ecosystem, one that also includes coffee shops, pop-ups, and full-on restaurants.

UCLA's smaller dining venues bring flexibility and lots of different flavors, too, offering an alternative to the residential dining hubs. Spread across campus, these eateries provide everything from café-style meals to quick, on-the-go options that fit into a busy schedule. Students can grab a croissant and coffee between classes, sit down for a globally inspired dinner, or stop at a food truck for something new and casual. UCLA students may not need these 30 dorm room pantry essentials, after all.

Among the standouts is Bruin Café, a popular spot for fast-casual fare, while Café 1919 is where students can get their Italian fix, with pizza, paninis, and even gelato. Meanwhile, The Study at Hedrick blends a relaxed café atmosphere with the feel of an artisan bakery, and The Drey focuses on fresh, ready-to-eat items like classic San Fran shrimp Louie salad. Additionally, Rendezvous offers a mix of Latin American and Asian build-your-own-bowl options, while Epicuria at Ackerman features all sorts of Mediterranean and Italian eats like turkey caprese sandwiches, butternut squash spaghetti with pomodoro sauce, and frutti de mar. They also serve local beers and wines (to those of legal age, of course).

For those craving strictly Asian, Feast at Rieber is a full restaurant specializing in Pan-Asian cuisine. Food trucks add to the energy, parked at convenient locations with menus that shift. Oh, and they're usually hiring — another perk for incoming students. What a way to bag some culinary skills while getting a degree and washing it all down with the best college food in America. That is California dreaming, for sure.