Dietetics & Nutrition Degree

37 schools compared · Average earnings $34,209/yr

Students study clinical nutrition assessment, medical nutrition therapy, food service management, and the therapeutic application of diet to treat and prevent disease. Graduates typically pursue careers as registered dietitians in hospitals, outpatient clinics, long-term care facilities, and private practice, after completing supervised practice requirements. Registered dietitians play a critical role in patient care, with growing demand driven by chronic disease management.

What Dietetics & Nutrition Graduates Do

You’ll translate the science of nutrition into real-world health outcomes for individuals and communities. Many graduates begin as dietetic technicians, working in hospitals or nursing homes to help implement care plans and educate patients on basic dietary changes. With experience and credentials, you can advance to a registered dietitian role. Here, your days are spent conducting detailed patient assessments, creating customized meal plans to manage conditions like heart disease, and providing one-on-one counseling. While the technician path is growing slowly, the demand for dietitians is expanding steadily, driven by a focus on preventative healthcare.

Artificial intelligence will have a noticeable impact. With moderate AI exposure, expect many routine tasks—like analyzing food diaries or drafting initial meal plans—to become automated. This won't eliminate your job, but it will change it substantially. Your most critical work will shift from data management to uniquely human skills: building trust with clients, providing empathetic coaching, and making complex clinical judgments that require a personal touch. Adaptability will be key to leveraging these tools to deliver better care.

Schools Offering
37
Avg Grad Earnings
$34,209/yr
Avg DegreeOutlook Score
35/100
AI Automation Risk
High
54% task exposure

Common Career Paths

Where Dietetics & Nutrition graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 10,200 combined openings per year.

Career Path Salary Range Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Dietitians and nutritionists
$73,850
$61K$85K
6,200 +5.5% 55%
Dietetic technicians
$37,040
$32K$44K
4,000 +2.5% 54%
Dietitians and nutritionists
$73,850
$61K $85K
6,200 openings/yr +5.5% growth 55% AI risk
Dietetic technicians
$37,040
$32K $44K
4,000 openings/yr +2.5% growth 54% AI risk

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Find the top Dietetics & Nutrition schools — ranked by actual earnings data from 37 programs →

Best Schools for Dietetics & Nutrition

Top 20 of 37 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

# School DW Score Earnings ROI
1 Purdue University-Main Campus
West Lafayette, IN
49
43–50
$52,631/yr 12.8x
2 Ohio State University-Main Campus
Columbus, OH
48
42–49
$52,247/yr 10.3x
3 North Dakota State University-Main Campus
Fargo, ND
48
42–49
$49,443/yr 12.0x
4 SUNY Buffalo State University
Buffalo, NY
48
41–48
$46,519/yr 14.5x
5 CUNY Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, NY
47
43–48
$36,834/yr 20.5x
6 The University of Texas at San Antonio
San Antonio, TX
45
39–46
$49,205/yr 12.7x
7 CUNY Queens College
Queens, NY
44
39–44
$36,903/yr 17.5x
8 CUNY Lehman College
Bronx, NY
44
40–44
$34,988/yr 19.1x
9 University of Akron Main Campus
Akron, OH
42
36–43
$47,242/yr 9.1x
10 University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Cincinnati, OH
40
34–41
$48,483/yr 7.9x
11 Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, MI
40
35–41
$40,093/yr 8.8x
12 University of North Florida
Jacksonville, FL
39
36–39
$30,631/yr 20.6x
13 Florida International University
Miami, FL
39
37–39
$29,422/yr 21.4x
14 Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
39
37–40
$29,158/yr 24.7x
15 Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, FL
38
32–39
$49,771/yr 4.4x
16 California State University-Long Beach
Long Beach, CA
38
36–38
$23,110/yr 22.9x
17 Appalachian State University
Boone, NC
36
33–36
$31,934/yr 15.7x
18 Iowa State University
Ames, IA
35
32–36
$33,958/yr 11.7x
19 D'Youville University
Buffalo, NY
33
27–34
$47,888/yr 2.8x
20 East Carolina University
Greenville, NC
33
31–34
$20,900/yr 18.4x

Highest Earning Dietetics & Nutrition Programs

Schools where Dietetics & Nutrition graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

Best ROI for Dietetics & Nutrition

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Dietetics & Nutrition.

School ROI Multiple Earnings DW Score
Florida State University 24.7x $29,158/yr 39
Western Carolina University 23.3x $17,970/yr 29
California State University-Long Beach 22.9x $23,110/yr 38
Florida International University 21.4x $29,422/yr 39
University of North Florida 20.6x $30,631/yr 39
CUNY Brooklyn College 20.5x $36,834/yr 47
CUNY Lehman College 19.1x $34,988/yr 44
East Carolina University 18.4x $20,900/yr 33
CUNY Queens College 17.5x $36,903/yr 44
Appalachian State University 15.7x $31,934/yr 36
Want to compare two Dietetics & Nutrition programs side by side? Use the comparison tool →

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

Consider the Trade Route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Dietetics & Nutrition offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the typical salary after a Dietetics & Nutrition degree?
The median first-year salary across 37 Dietetics & Nutrition programs is $34,209. School selection matters — the gap between the lowest ($17,669) and highest ($52,631) earning programs is significant.
Will AI affect Dietetics & Nutrition careers?
Our analysis classifies Dietetics & Nutrition as "High" for AI risk — approximately 54% of typical job tasks overlap with current AI capabilities. That puts most of the daily work in the automation-sensitive category.
Which school has the best Dietetics & Nutrition program?
Purdue University-Main Campus leads all 37 programs with a DegreeOutlook Score of 49/100. Graduates earn $52,631/yr — the ranking weighs earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size equally.
What's the ROI on a Dietetics & Nutrition degree?
The average 10-year earnings multiple is 11.9x tuition. This is a strong return on investment. The spread between the best and worst programs is wide, so individual school selection has a major impact.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →