by Barb Hopkins

Created on: May 17, 2009   Last Updated: May 23, 2009

Thin crust, thick crust, deep dish, by the slice, and frozen; pizza has many shapes, styles and sizes. It is the ultimate meal for college students because of several simple but important factors.

Pizza is a complete meal.

Bread, cheese, meat, and veggies combined into one filling meal cannot be beat. Pizza can be customized to suit every taste and dietary preferences from meat lovers to vegetarian to low-carb and gluten-free crusts.

Pizza is cheap.

College students do not want to have to spend a lot of money on food. Being able to buy a complete meal for little money fills the belly without emptying the wallet. Pizza chains and restaurants continually run promotions, offer online discounts, and even sell cash-and-carry pizza's for as little as $5 for a large pizza. Many groceries and superstores sell frozen pizzas cheap. Some brands can be found on sale for under $2 for a twelve-inch one-topping pizza. Even a $15 dollar pizza shared by two people costs less per person than many fast food options, and there might be leftovers.

Pizza is convenient.

Pizza is everywhere; you can even buy it at gas stations. In Charleston, Illinois, population 21,000 and home to Eastern Illinois University a hungry college student can look up "pizza" in the phone book and choose from 11 different businesses, not including grocery stores. Can't be bothered with leaving the dorm room or apartment? Pizza delivers. Pizza delivers late night, long after other eateries lock their doors. A college student sitting in class can even place an order online and time it to be delivered right after they arrive home.

Pizza is fast.

In about thirty minutes, a hot and fresh pizza can be delivered to your door. At a pizza chain like Little Caesar's, large pepperoni pizzas are available on demand as a cash-and-carry purchase, no waiting, no ordering necessary. Even a frozen pizza takes less than thirty minutes to bake in the oven.

Pizza is the perfect meal to share.

Whether it is a party crowd of thirty or three roommates, pizza pleases. Pizza brings friends together or is a casual meal to share with a new friend. Many pizza restaurants allow toppings to be divided into sections to accommodate various tastes. A half-onion, half-pepperoni works great for you and the roommate while three large loaded pizzas satisfy the guys after intramural basketball.

Pizza is portable with minimal cleanup.

Pizza does not require any pots, pans, dishes, or cleanup other than recycling its cardboard box. It can be eaten hot, luke-warm, or cold. Cold leftover pizza is the ultimate college breakfast and way more satisfying than a Pop tart or frozen waffle. A piece of pizza fits snugly into a napkin or paper towel and can be eaten on the walk to class or while typing a term paper.

Burgers may be bar food and tacos may satisfy spicy cravings but cheesy, hot pizza scores big as the ultimate college meal.

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