There are dozens of great colleges that might be under consideration, so a huge need like BEING ABLE TO EAT is a legitimate factor to narrow down the list.
My celiac nieces had terrible issues at their colleges and ended up fixing food in their dorm rooms. Cross contamination is a big deal and the dining services lost their trust.
I agree wholeheartedly with @prodesse . There are many schools that take a proactive approach towards food allergies. Students should not have to prep their own meals in dorms. They should should have easily accessible, safe food options just like any other student.
I totally (but respectively) disagree with @compmom. Students entering colleges have so much to deal with. One thing they should not have to deal with is wondering if their food is OK each time they sit for a meal. They should not have to dine alone in their dorm room. Parents should ask, ask early, and look for universities that have established programs, training, and options for students with food allergies. There are many.
We made support for food allergies a key requirement as we helped our son research schools to apply to. There are many that have good support (and the number is growing). There are a few that have great support, and we were so happy that our son landed at one.
As I said, celiac/allergies were the least of my kidās health problems believe me. Perhaps that makes me more activist in my approach.
I feel that if we each just take care of our own and seek out schools that have the best possible accommodations, nothing will change at the other schools. My kid did indeed end up teaching her college quite a few things, not only about how to make it safe to eat, but how to persevere and still succeed despite severe life-altering health conditions, plural.
My only other point and then I will stop posting 
It can be hard to get to the truth of the actual experience at schools before accepted. Once a kid is actually going to a school, schools may accommodate more than expected from the earlier contacts.
ps If my kid got glutened at the college dining hall, I would encourage her to meet with dining services and raise holy hell. This is not just about her. There will be countless other kids who may want to attend, who have celiac, and pushing the school to do better will benefit many in the future. As it turned out, a college that did not seem terribly aware did a great job for her when she actually attended so no need.
My point is that if a college cannot articulate itās policies, procedures, and capabilities in advance, I would question itās ability to deliver. Particularly so when it comes to life threatening conditions.
Hadnāt looked back at this thread in a while and didnāt realize the discussion was continuing without me. @compmom - I realize what you are saying here, but I think an important element is the studentās personality and assertiveness. If you have a child that is likely to be a strong advocate, then your approach may make more sense. OTOH, if your child is less assertive and more likely to just suffer in silence, then careful screening, as @Rivet2000 suggests, is important.
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Compmom is correct in that all allergy people are advocates for themselves, and the people who come after them. Mine was always embarassed when I asked about the food on college tours, but we figured the schools needed to know that it was going to cost them students if they didnāt get current.
He was, in fact, part of an advisory student group, that helped shape much better accomodations. My studentās particular set of medical issues (like compmom, we have a bunch going on) made a place where a policy was poor just not a safe choice.
What are current visits turning up? Do we see trends like separate dining or dorm kitchens? PSU is remodeling old dorms with public-space kitchens in response to demand for a cooking area.
Mass hysteria
@barrons What do you mean? The dining hall being sloppy with cross contamination has sent my niece to the hospital.