Iowa State students are getting more bite for their buck.

According to a recent survey released from the National Association of College and University Food Service, meal plans at ISU are 25 percent cheaper than other large universities.

“We are more efficient than the national average,” said Stewart Burger, associate director of Dining Services.

The 20-meals-a-week plan costs ISU students $1,590 each year. The national average for other large universities is $2,076.

Per meal, ISU dining halls charge $5.81, while the national average is $6.14.

Burger said the two reasons for ISU’s low board costs are efficiency and making meal items from scratch rather than purchasing ready-to-serve items.

“A lot of places buy food that is pre-prepared, and we make almost 100 percent of our meals from scratch,” he said. “Because of our volume, we are able to make most of our things from scratch, where other operations don’t have that luxury.”

The survey, which used figures from the 1997-98 school year, also showed that ISU pays its food service employees higher-than-average wages.

At the time of the survey, ISU paid its employees $5.81 per hour compared to the national average of $5.42 per hour.

“Part of our budgeting process is we look at our salaries and what we can afford to pay and what we need to pay to stay competitive,” Burger said. “We want to be competitive with both the campus and the off-campus market.”

Carol Peterson, manager of Friley Dining Hall, said students will be getting another raise this semester. Under a new payment plan, the more students work, the more they make per hour. “We are trying to encourage students to work more, so we are paying them more,” she said.

Employees who work 16 hours or more each week will make $7 an hour.

Despite the low prices ISU students pay, food service is getting mixed reviews.

Adam Horak, sophomore in computer engineering, thinks the quality of food could be improved.

“I feel the price is all right, but the selection of food isn’t very good. The price compared to the quality is not very good,” Horak said. “I would pay a little more just in general if the food was better.”

Alicia Shafer, sophomore in biology, said she would prefer to pay per item for the times when she’s not as hungry.

“I think the first week or so of school, they try to impress everyone, and it just gets worse from then on,” she said.

But for some students the benefits of food service outweigh the occasional complaints.

Patrick Kipp, junior in graphic design, said he is thankful he doesn’t have to cook or wash dishes.

“There are days that they don’t serve anything that is to your fancy, but for the most part it’s a pretty good deal,” he said.

Even though ISU charges less for board plans on average compared to other large universities, dining hall profits reached $3.4 million last year.

Those profits are given to the Department of Residence where they are combined with profits from residence hall and apartment housing, said Gary Schwartz, associate director of residence for operations. Next year, $3.8 million of the combined profits will be spent on residence halls.

“Really, all of the money that comes in from each of the different areas goes to paying the operational expenses,” he said. “We try to take [the profit] as far as it will go to improve the quality of services we provide.”

Schwartz encouraged any students who are less than satisfied with their dining hall experience to compare the cost of the meal plan to how much it would cost in the community.

“What you need to take a look at is not just the physical facilities but all of the opportunities you have in the residence halls,” he said. “Those are things I would hope people living in the residence halls would value.”