Food Insecurity in College: Facts and Statistics

Food insecurity describes when a person has limited access to food. In less severe cases, it describes having limited access to quality foods or a limited variety of foods. An estimated 10.5% of American households were food insecure in 2020.^[5]

Some studies show that as many as half of college students are food insecure, making them a particularly vulnerable population.

Discover food insecurity statistics among college students, including its effects on course performance and graduation rates.

Around 23% of undergraduate students were food insecure in 2020, meaning that they had low or very low food security.^{Note Reference [1]} Another 12% were in the middle (somewhat secure), and 66% of college students had high food security.

Broken down by degree program, those pursuing certificates had the highest rate of food insecurity at 27%.

Broken down by institution type, undergraduates in private, nonprofit, four-year programs had the highest rate of food security at 81%.^{Note Reference [1]} Those in private for-profit, two-year programs had the lowest rate of food security, with 60% of students being food secure.

In 2006, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) introduced new descriptions of the ranges of food security and insecurity. These changes were based on the recommendations of the Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT) of the National Academies, a private, government-funded, nonprofit organization that provides expert opinions in science, engineering, and medicine to inform policy.^[7]

Many college students also do not qualify for federal food assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — formerly known as food stamps.^{Note Reference [6]}

SNAP requires that applicants work 20 hours per week for three or more months within the last 36 weeks prior to the application. College students who do not meet the 20-hour working threshold are ineligible.^[9]

During the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress temporarily waived the work requirement for SNAP college student recipients. College students could qualify with part-time enrollment and a low income.

A 2018 Nutrients study surveyed 692 undergraduate and graduate students during fall 2016 at a rural university in Appalachia. Results showed that food insecurity significantly affected GPA. Food-insecure students had an average GPA of 3.33 out of 4.0, while food-secure students had an average GPA of 3.51.^{Note Reference [3]}

The same study also showed that body mass index (BMI) — a measure of a person’s height and weight — did not greatly differ between food-secure and food-insecure students. However, there was a higher prevalence of obesity in the food-insecure population.^{Note Reference [3]}

In another study in Public Health Nutrition, 44% of food-insecure students completed their undergraduate degrees compared to 68% of their food-secure counterparts.^{Note Reference [4]}

College students who were food insecure were less likely to earn their bachelor’s degrees than those who were food secure (21% vs. 36%).^{Note Reference [4]}

Those who were food insecure and completed a degree were more likely to have attained an associate degree (14% vs. 11%).^{Note Reference [4]}

First-generation college students who were food-insecure finished college at a significantly lower rate than first-generation students who were food-secure (47% vs. 59%).^{Note Reference [4]}

The disparity was even wider between first-generation food-insecure college students and non-first-generation food-secure students (47% vs. 65%).^{Note Reference [4]}

A 2022 Public Health Nutrition study showed that food-insecure students are 42% less likely to graduate.^{Note Reference [4]}

BestColleges spoke with Brandon L. Matthews, the previous co-director of campus resources at the College and University Food Bank Alliance (CUFBA), an organization dedicated to creating and supporting existing campus food banks.

According to Matthews, the struggle with food banks in the late 2000s and mid-2010s was getting institutions to buy into the idea of even having a food bank. College administrations worried about liability if students were to get sick.

Ivy Leagues were also worried about the stigma of having food pantries on their campuses, fearing that alumni would be deterred by the fact that such affluent institutions could have hungry students.

Matthews noted a shift around 2015-2016. Campuses went from focusing on the negative stigma of having food pantries, to really addressing the issue of food insecurity on campus. Since then, many campus dining halls have even supported the movement by donating food and no longer viewing food pantries as competition.

According to Jenna Griffin, a graduate assistant at the University of North Georgia Food Pantry, the biggest misconception now around college students and food insecurity is the assumption that because [college students] are able to go to college, they must have adequate resources to attain basic needs.

Most students are receiving help through scholarships and grants, and those often only cover limited supplies and necessities after tuition, Griffin elaborated.