College students are known for their poor and unhealthy eating habits. Without mom to ensure they get some semblance of a balanced and nutritious diet, students indulge in copious amounts of cheap foods such as burgers, ramen and pizza. A recent study found that 13 percent of Americans consume pizza on any given day. Right now college students are at the top of that list. About 20% to 22% of children and teens eat pizza on any given day, according to studies published in the medical journal Pediatrics. That doesn’t mean every single student eats a slice every 24 hours. Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that on a typical day, roughly one-fifth of the school-age population has pizza.
Consumption is highest among teenage males and boys aged 6 to 19, with roughly 25% eating pizza on a given day. On the days kids and teens eat pizza, it accounts for roughly 20% to 25% of their total daily calories. Having toiled at the University of New Mexico (UNM), I can attest to how surprisingly good La Posada (UNM’s award-winning dining hall) is. Most university dining hall try to offer a variety of food choices that normally appeal to a younger person’s appetite. Even with so many choices it seems that pizza is the number one choice among college students. Who can blame them?
The primary reason given by students for their consumption of pizza are cost (Students often watch every dollar. A single pizza is cheap, filling, and easy to split among roommates.), convenience (A dense area of young people living in tight neighborhoods makes delivery fast and cheap for the shop) and mostly deliciousness. Most students don’t care much about nuutritious aspects of their collegiate dining experiences, hence the freshman fifteen (or is that fifty?). When students want to feel better about their eating habits, they gravitate toward veggie pizza or opt for a whole-grain crust which means they’re not getting as much of the dough, carbs and empty calories.
Pizzerias thrive near college campuses because pizza fits the exact budget, schedule, and lifestyle of college students. The legendary Saggio’s (formerly Nunzio’s) has been serving Italian comfort food and pizza in Albuquerque since 1977, making it a staple near the University of New Mexico for nearly 50 years. Other purveyors of pizza have come and gone since Nunzio’s reigned supreme among the Duke City’s pizzerias. Many of them have been replaced. One–Dion’s Pizza— at UNM’s Student Union Building (SUB) is situated within a campus hub of activity. It’s a paragon of convenience and deliciousness. Within walking distance from the campus are such student favorites as Tony’s Pizzeria and just a bit further Farina Pizzeria and Il Vicino. Chain pizza parlors abound in the area, too.
In mid-January, 2026 Seemo’s Slices held its soft opening in the Brick Light District near UNM. It’s only fitting that Seemo’s is situated in a space previously occupied by Brickyard Dive, a pizzeria which closed its doors in 2017. Note: Most online and social media sources place Seemo’s at 2300 Central Avenue, but you won’t find a Central Avenue storefront sporting signage saying “Seemo’s Slices.” We had to call to find out Seemo’s is actually located on Harvard. Ironically the back of the restaurant faces Saggio’s. Across the street (Harvard) is Flock of Moons Brewing Company…