The 50 US colleges with the best food

Via WashUSome places on campus at Washington University in St. Louis, which took No. 1 on the list, are open until 1 a.m.

Of all the gripes students have about college, the biggest usually has to do with the food. But not every college fails where food is concerned; in fact, some colleges offer food so good that it's just like mom used to make.

To create this list, school information website Niche rounded up data from students at colleges around the US who rated their schools in the quality of both on-campus dining facilities and off-campus dining options.

Many of the colleges on the list are large schools, with plenty of resources devoted to whipping up near-gourmet meals for their students. Others are centered in big college towns (where cheap-yet-satisfying meals are available at every corner) or in big cities (like New York, which is known for its food scene).

We've included some quotes from students on Niche to show why each school made the list.