What is the state of student food in universities around the world?

One of the topics that is always criticized by students is the state of university food. In this report, we will take a look at what kind of food do students receive in universities in other countries of the world? How much does food cost and do universities provide free meals?

In this report, we have a look at the food plan and the way of providing nutritional services in different universities of the world; From the type and variety of foods to the cost of meals and how students can access them.

According to Ambassador Arjan, Harvard University has provided unlimited meals for undergraduate students living on its campus, based on what is written on the university's website. Unlimited meal means breakfast, lunch, dinner and light snacks are provided.

By paying $8,942, which is part of the university's overall tuition, undergraduate students can use the university's unlimited meals annually, which is an average of $750 per month. This is while it is possible to use these benefits for students who do not live in the university dormitories by participating in the meal plans and by paying from five meals to 21 meals a week, they can use the facilities of the university's predecessors. The 5-meal plan is $1,538 per semester, the 10-meal plan is $3,060 per semester, and the 21-meal plan is $4,406 per semester.

Summer meal plans are not available to those who do not live on campus or reside in dormitories that are not part of the summer program.

There are 6 paid meal plans for meals at MIT and all students can use these 6 plans. The cost of the program consisting of 21 meals a week for students of this institution is slightly less than Harvard University and is equal to $4051.50.

Other plans with fewer servings cost less, ranging from $1,244.40 to $3,532.10. Also, in some credit programs, there is dining dollar, which students can use as credit in some restaurants, cafes or university food centers.

In the website of this institution, it is mentioned that in addition, students living in the dormitories affiliated to this institution can use the dormitory equipment to cook their own food.

The Stanford University meal plan is mandatory for undergraduate students living in university dormitories, and students can choose one of three main plans of 12, 15, or 19 meals per week. All three programs cost $8,142 per year for the 2026-2027 academic year. Meals are provided in the university dining halls and students can use them for breakfast, lunch, dinner and on some days a snack.

The difference between these three programs is the number of weekly meals and the amount of food credit. On some of the food programs of this university, there are dollar credits that can be used in some cafes, food stores and university food centers.

Students can also pay an additional $250 per year to receive a credit that can be used at more food centers and has a 3% cash back at some of the contracted restaurants. Therefore, in Stanford, food is not free, but it is charged in the form of an annual meal plan, and the student receives a certain number of meals and some additional food credit according to the type of plan.

At the University of Oxford, students can use the college canteen on weekdays for three meals and on weekends for snacks. The use of these meals is not mandatory and students pay for the food on a "pay-per-meal" basis. The menu is varied and vegetarian options are offered daily.

The announced price for students starts from one pound for breakfast, four pounds for lunch and four pounds for dinner.

Students also have access to shared kitchens in some college residences and can prepare some of their own meals. At the start of term, £150 meal credit is placed on each student's meal account via the student card, which can be used to purchase meals. In general, the food system of this university is based on optional food at a cost.

The cost of a meal at Cambridge depends on the college you attend, and the university says typical cafeteria meals at most colleges cost between £3 and £10. The cost of official meals is usually around 12 to 25 pounds. Therefore, unlike some universities, there is no single and free system for students' meals in the entire university, and the cost of meals is mainly paid by the students themselves.

According to the university's estimate for the 2027-2028 academic year, students should spend an average of 255 pounds per month on food. In addition to the cost of each meal, some colleges charge a separate amount for the cost of maintaining and running the kitchen, which in the academic year 2025-2026 in the participating colleges was between 225 and 260 pounds, equivalent to about 300 and 350 US dollars per year. In some colleges, an amount is charged in advance, which is placed in the student's account as credit for the purchase of food.

In the University of Tokyo, there is no meal plan in the form of meal plans, and students can use the university's self-service for each meal for about 400 to 700 yen, about 500 to 900 dollars, based on what this university announced on its website; Eating these meals outside the campus will cost between 800 and 1,500 yen, about a thousand dollars.

At the National University of Singapore (NUS), the student food system depends on where they live. Students who live in the dormitories of this university are required to register in the university meal plan. This program is offered during academic periods and there is no meal plan during university holidays. Students can choose Asian-style vegetarian food or halal food.

The cost of the meal plan is calculated separately from the cost of accommodation, and its payment depends on the conditions and the number of days of meal provision. The university has announced that if the cost is calculated on a relative basis, the daily rate is determined based on the number of days the meal is provided. Therefore, unlike universities where students pay for each meal separately, in this university, students living in dormitories are required to buy a meal plan.

Of course, not all dormitories have such a requirement, and the type of accommodation determines whether the student must buy a meal plan or not, and in the included dormitories, meals are considered part of the student's accommodation and living expenses, and university food is not free.

At the University of Melbourne, Australia, there is no mandatory meal plan or free meals for all students, and students can use a variety of food options on campus. However, the university, in partnership with student unions to ease cost-of-living pressures, offers a range of food access programs that include free meals, subsidized meals and regular-priced meal options.

Some of these programs include free frozen meals and free breakfast, brunch and lunch programs during the semester. For example, students can receive free breakfast on certain days of the week or participate in free brunch and lunch programs. This service is also provided for different groups of students, including international students and graduate students.

Alongside these support programmes, the University of Melbourne offers subsidized meals and a wide range of paid food and drink on campus. Therefore, the university's nutrition system is based more on student free choice and food support for those facing cost-of-living pressures, rather than a mandatory meal plan for all students.

In August 2026, the University of Sydney, Australia, launched a special canteen for students, where breakfast, lunch and dinner are offered at a subsidized price of 5 Australian dollars. These meals are served at specific times and on a priority basis with the clients, and the menu changes every week. With a significant investment in this plan, the university provides part of the staff costs and food subsidy so that students can get fresh and nutritious food at a lower cost.

The menu includes a variety of options, including vegetarian options, and information about allergens is included in the online menu.

This canteen is supposed to provide about 130,000 subsidized meals annually; That is, on average, about 750 meals per training day. The implementation of this plan began after the success of a pilot program in 2025, during which more than 60,000 five-dollar meals were distributed to students between August 2025 and May 2026. As a result, the university decided to turn this plan into a permanent canteen to provide space for interaction and presence of students on campus in addition to providing cheap food.

At the Federal University of Zurich (ETH Zurich), students do not receive a mandatory meal plan or free meals and can use the various canteens, cafeterias and restaurants of the university. Meals are purchased separately and students are free to choose the type and number of meals. Campus cafeterias also offer a variety of daily, vegetarian, and vegan options.

One of the features of this system is different pricing for different groups; Students usually have subsidized prices and the cost of their food is lower than the usual price of other customers. Therefore, the university covers part of the cost of food in the form of a subsidy, but the meal is not free for the student and he pays for each meal when he buys it.

In canteens of the University of Zurich, in addition to daily dishes, vegetarian and vegan options and various international dishes are also offered. As a result, the nutrition model of this university can be considered a combination of paid and subsidized food; The student does not have to buy a specific meal plan, but because of the university's support, he can get meals at a lower price than regular customers.

Shinhua University has a great variety of food. According to the official information of the university, its campus has more than 10 dining halls and in addition to Chinese food, food for Muslims and western food are also provided.

Peking University also offers a variety of food, and the food provided in both of these universities is subsidized, and according to the Peking University website, it is about 5 to 6 yuan per meal.

Interestingly, in 2026, the university will charge a compensation fee of 33% on the domestic price of food for non-members of the university; This shows that the price of students' food is deliberately kept lower.

According to King Saud University's website, the Nutrition Department works with the Student Fund to provide low-income students with low-cost meals.

Student restaurants, which include breakfast, lunch and dinner, are located in the student campus with a price of two Rials for breakfast, four Rials for lunch and three Rials for dinner. For international students, there is also a program called "Feeding". In the announcement of September 2026, a monthly subscription of 150 rials for breakfast and lunch has been announced.

The Middle East Technical University of Turkey also provides food at reasonable prices for students in its restaurants, which varies between 80 and 120 liras for each lunch.

Istanbul Technical University also offers similar conditions for students, with the difference that it provides food scholarships for 2,000 students every year so that needy students can enjoy one free meal a day.

A look at the experience of these universities shows that student food in many prominent universities in the world, although it is not completely free, is provided with different models such as university subsidy, meal plans and special pricing for students, and in many cases, it has considerable variety and quality. On the other hand, in Iran, a significant part of the cost of food for students is provided by the government and the university, and full-time students of public universities who have the privilege of free education can receive food in the form of a subsidy and pay a small part of the cost of each meal, but this subsidy does not necessarily mean having high quality and variety.

In this way, comparing the experience of different universities shows that it is not just a matter of "free" or "paid" food; Moreover, the quality of raw materials, variety of menu, nutritional value, amount of subsidy and the way of management of nutrition services also play a role in the final experience of the student. The

Sources: Website of Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford, Oxford, Cambridge, Tokyo, Singapore, Melbourne, Sydney, Zurich and other universities mentioned in this report.