Popularity of Vegan Food Explodes on College Campuses Nationwide

peta2’s ‘Vegan Report Card’ Documents Huge Rise in ‘A’ Grades for Schools That Provide Students With Healthy, Tasty Vegan Food

For Immediate Release:
October 7, 2015

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Since the launch of the Vegan Report Card created by peta2, PETA’s youth division, in 2013, more than 160,000 people have checked out the rankings of the vegan-friendly four-year college and university dining programs in the country. And this year’s grades are more impressive than ever—the number of schools earning an A has grown by 111 percent and the number of schools receiving a B has increased by 233 percent since the report card’s inauguration. Among other ways, these schools distinguish themselves by offering clearly marked vegan entrées and desserts at every meal, promoting vegan food on campus, and working with students to improve vegan dining options.

peta2—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—has also made its report card more useful than ever, with an improved interactive map that helps students compare their school’s score to nearby campuses’ as well as a dean’s list that showcases the top 1 percent of A-ranked schools in the country (this year, the top 18 schools nationwide). Students report that they seek out vegan meals out of concern for their health, the environment, and the billions of animals who are killed for food every year.

“More colleges than ever are making the grade when it comes to meeting the skyrocketing demand for healthy, delicious vegan food,” says peta2 Senior Director Marta Holmberg. “peta2’s report card allows current and prospective students alike to see what kind of delicious vegan dishes are on a school’s dining program menu—or if there’s room for improvement.”

One of the schools featured on the dean’s list is Stanford University, the winner among large schools of peta2’s 2015 Favorite Vegan-Friendly College contest. Since last year, Stanford reported a 14 percent reduction in animal protein offerings, including meat, dairy foods, and eggs, and a 29 percent increase in vegetable protein offerings. Other top-ranked schools include the University of North Texas, the University of California–San Diego, and American University, whose “Global Fresh” option is the third all-vegan dining concept established at a U.S. college or university.

For more information, please visit VeganReportCard.com or peta2.com.