The best colleges in the country are surely measured by their academic standards, the quality of their professors, and the breadth of their library collections. These qualities are fine, but as your mother might say, "You still have to eat!" The Princeton Review asked college students across the country to critique the food at their schools' cafeterias. Student gourmands found these ten schools to offer the finest in collegiate dining.

1. Bowdoin College (Brunswick, Maine)
Bowdoin College leads the pack for culinary cachet with its students: "The food makes Bowdoin feel like home," they say. Even though "rumor is that the dining budget was cut this year," for many prospectives considering this small Maine school, "the campus's beauty and food sealed the deal."

Students who considered Bowdoin also looked at Amherst College, Bates College, Boston College, Brown University, and Colby College.

2. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering (Needham, Massachusetts)
At this tiny Massachusetts engineering powerhouse, everybody knows your name--and whether you prefer homemade ketchup or herbed mayo with your fries. "On-campus food services are great," says one student fan, echoing his classmates' enthusiasm. "The employees all know us by name and know our tastes."

Students who considered Olin also looked at Columbia University, Duke University, Harvey Mudd College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Swarthmore College.

3. Saint Olaf College (Northfield, Minnesota)
Oles get payback for the cold Minnesota winters at their dining hall: "Caf food pretty much rocks," say students, and "best of all, they sell Ben and Jerry's in the center!"

Students who considered St. Olaf also looked at Beloit College, Gustavus Adolphus College, Macalester College, and University of Wisconsin-Madison.

4. Cornell University (Ithaca, New York)
Further suggesting that cold winters and quality of food are directly related, Cornell University's "simply amazing" food service gets mad props from its student body. "Great salad bars, stir fry, sandwich bars, international meals, seafood, kosher--there's something for everyone," says one freshman; "the food here is definitely excellent," says another.

Students who considered Cornell also looked at Boston University, Duke University, Georgetown University, Syracuse University, and University of Pennsylvania.

5. Wheaton College (Wheaton, Illinois)
Wheaton's epicurean delights--"boiled lobster tail and peppercorn-crusted steak" have been reported in past years--only add to what students call "the great atmosphere of our school." Food service has been known to "try recipes that students suggest."

Students who considered Wheaton also looked at Baylor University, Brigham Young University, Grove City College, and Pepperdine University.

6. James Madison University (Harrisonburg, Virginia)
JMU's culture of "overwhelming niceness" expresses itself even in its food service: "Even the cafeteria ladies seem to brighten your day a little," says one giddy student. "A variety of great food" seems the most direct way to a JMU student's heart. "You will never get bored of eating on campus."

Students who considered James Madison also looked at American University, Clemson University, College of William and Mary, Elon University, and University of Delaware.

7. Colby College (Waterville, Maine)
It's the company--not just the food--that makes for Colby's "spectacular" meals. "Weekend 'war stories' are shared over custom-made omelets (the customary hangover food) in the dining halls on Saturday and Sunday mornings" and "professors eat for free if a student brings them to a meal."

Students who considered Colby also looked at Bates College, Hamilton College, Middlebury College, and Tufts University.

8. Washington University in St. Louis (St. Louis, Missouri)
Wash U's food is "incredible," and students know it. In fact, more than one student has suggested that their school's "mouth-watering food" is so good that maybe, just maybe, "they spend a little too much" on it. 

Students who considered Wash U also looked at Emory University, Northwestern University, Rice University, and University of Chicago.

9. Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, Virginia)
"Really good food" is part and parcel of the laid-back vibe at Virginia Tech. Even though the "dining hall hours are stupid," Hokies voice appreciation for the effort their school puts into feeding them.

Students who considered Virginia Tech also looked at George Mason University, Penn State-University Park, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and University of Virginia.

10. Middlebury College (Middlebury, Vermont)
More than one Middlebury student claims to have factored "food" into their decision to attend. Of course, that could be because they regularly "spend two hours over dinner debating abstract concepts such as the particulars of how population policies in the United States affect command prices of wheat abroad or the merits of locally grown foodstuffs on the global economy."

Students who considered Middlebury also looked at Colgate University, Oberlin College, Swarthmore College, and Williams College.

Voice your own opinion on the Discussion Board of The Princeton Review.

Each year, The Princeton Review surveys tens of thousands of college students to get the inside word on what's going on at the nation's top colleges. For more inside information about these schools, take a look at The Princeton Review's college rankings.