Best college food: UGA campus food among best in US

When it comes to the best college grub in the country, one Georgia school is said to serve up a mean plate of hearty, healthy and tasty options.

That's according to a new ranking from review site Niche.com, which named University of Georgia's campus dining among the top in the country.

To come up with the "2018 Best College Food" list, Niche analysts compared their database of comprehensive college data and more than 30 million college reviews.

Self-reported student surveys on campus dining accounted for a majority of the weight whereas statistics on colleges’ average meal cost accounted for about 15 percent.

The top-ranked schools, according to Niche, all offer “outstanding on-campus dining” with access to high-quality, healthy food across a wide range of cuisines and dietary preferences.

The University of California in Los Angeles earned top honors for its organic options and wide array of cuisines, from Mexican to Mediterranean to Chinese and beyond.

The University of Georgia came in at No. 20 with an A+ grade for best grub.

Students raved about the convenience of the school’s dining halls and the variety of fare served up in each, including several vegetarian options.

“You can always get the food you are craving,” one reviewer wrote.

While UGA scored high for campus food, students weren’t thrilled about the costs.

According to UGA's dining website, a 7-day residential meal plan comes out to approximately $1,978 per semester. The university also offers a variety of plans, including a 5-day plan, commuter meal plan and more.

But when on-campus dining isn’t on the menu, several reviewers also noted the restaurants and bars in and around downtown Athens shouldn’t be overlooked.

Athens was also recently recognized as one of the country's best college towns, partly for its "budding restaurant scene."