CHICAGO — College students across the country are holing up in libraries and dorms for finals week, the last burst of intense studying before the end of the semester. They're not leaving their desks for anything, including food.
According to data released by the take-out ordering app GrubHub, food deliveries increase during the early and late hours on college campuses during finals. The number of deliveries to libraries more than doubled during finals in 2014.
GrubHub took a look at about 300 college campuses where the company has a strong presence, and found that some had a larger spike last year than others (Hover over schools to see their stats).
Ivy League schools saw a larger spike in orders during finals week than public schools, making up three of the top 20 schools with the largest increases. Overall, Ivy League campuses had spikes that were 16 percent larger than those at state schools.
Previous looks at college students' dining habits on GrubHub have showed that students prefer ordering Italian and Chinese food, with calzones, chicken with broccoli and General Tso's chicken delivered at almost twice the rate of non-students.
This week's data show similar preferences in students' finals week orders.
Foods that spike during finals
| Food | Increase during finals week |
|---|---|
| Popcorn Chicken | 96% |
| Spicy Fried Rice | 73% |
| Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza | 60% |
| Steak Fries | 56% |
| Maki | 50% |
| Pad See Ew | 49% |
| Chicken Parmesan | 39% |
| Chicken with Garlic Sauce | 39% |
| Gyro Sandwiches | 35% |
| Falafel Sandwiches | 32% |