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Academic Field / Health Professions

Dietetics & Nutrition

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.

Schools
37
Programs analyzed
Earnings
$34,209
Avg 1-yr grad earnings
Range $17,669–$52,631
AI Risk
High
54% task exposure
Field Overview

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.

You may also want to evaluate Dietetics & Nutrition against Alternative Medicine, Nutrition & Food Science, and Speech-Language Pathology on salary and long-run job outlook.

Career Trajectories

Where Dietetics & Nutrition graduates work

Common career paths for Dietetics & Nutrition graduates, with median salaries, projected growth, and AI exposure per role. Roughly 10,200 combined openings per year across these roles.

Role Median Pay Annual Openings 10-yr Growth AI Exposure
Dietitians and nutritionists
$73,850
$61K–$85K
6,200 +5.5% High · 55%
Dietetic technicians
$37,040
$32K–$44K
4,000 +2.5% High · 54%
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).
Top Institutions

Best schools for Dietetics & Nutrition

Schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score (earnings × AI resilience × ROI × job-market size). Top 10 of 37.

Rank #1 · DegreeOutlook Score 49
Purdue University-Main Campus
West Lafayette, IN · Public
$52,631 1-yr earnings
12.8x ROI multiple
High AI risk
# School DW Score 1-yr Earnings ROI
5 CUNY Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, NY · Public
47 $36,834 20.5x
6 The University of Texas at San Antonio
San Antonio, TX · Public
45 $49,205 12.7x
7 CUNY Queens College
Queens, NY · Public
44 $36,903 17.5x
8 CUNY Lehman College
Bronx, NY · Public
44 $34,988 19.1x
9 University of Akron Main Campus
Akron, OH · Public
42 $47,242 9.1x
10 University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Cincinnati, OH · Public
40 $48,483 7.9x
11 Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, MI · Public
40 $40,093 8.8x
12 University of North Florida
Jacksonville, FL · Public
39 $30,631 20.6x
13 Florida International University
Miami, FL · Public
39 $29,422 21.4x
14 Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL · Public
39 $29,158 24.7x
15 Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, FL · Private nonprofit
38 $49,771 4.4x
16 California State University-Long Beach
Long Beach, CA · Public
38 $23,110 22.9x
17 Appalachian State University
Boone, NC · Public
36 $31,934 15.7x
18 Iowa State University
Ames, IA · Public
35 $33,958 11.7x
19 D'Youville University
Buffalo, NY · Private nonprofit
33 $47,888 2.8x
20 East Carolina University
Greenville, NC · Public
33 $20,900 18.4x
Find the top Dietetics & Nutrition schools — ranked by actual earnings data from 37 programs →

Related majors

Similar fields of study often offered alongside Dietetics & Nutrition.

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.

Compare Dietetics & Nutrition trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Dietetics & Nutrition

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.