Northwestern University, for the second consecutive year, came in as the No. 1 small college in the nation in terms of vegan friendliness, while the University of Illinois came in eighth among large colleges in annual rankings by Peta2, the youth division of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
In its citation, Peta2 noted that between 35 and 55 percent of students at Northwestern select a vegetarian or vegan entrée every day, “and with options such as tofu French toast, country-fried seitan steak with vegan mashed potatoes, and vegan curried tofu with jasmine rice, it’s easy to see why.”
Topping the list of large U.S. schools was the University of California-Santa Cruz, but No. 8 Illinois, the only other school in Illinois that made either list, was lauded for its “vegan corner” in each dining location that “helps students stock up on vegan cheese, soy meat, and other tasty treats, while the chefs whip up flavorful recipes like vegan Caprese sandwiches (with soy cheese), pumpkin lasgne, spring rolls, and more vegan versions of meat-based Asian dishes than you can shake a stick at,” according to the raters.
The complete list of winners is on the Peta2 website.