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Child nutrition manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a child nutrition manager. Child nutrition managers usually study business, culinary arts, or criminal justice. 33% of child nutrition managers hold a high school diploma, and 28% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 714 real child nutrition manager resumes to see exactly what child nutrition manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for child nutrition managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online child nutrition manager courses to help get the education required to be a child nutrition manager.
There are certain child nutrition manager certifications that you should consider. These child nutrition manager certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Certified Food Manager (CFM).
What education do you need to become a child nutrition manager?
What degree do you need to be a child nutrition manager?
- High School Diploma, 33%
- Bachelor's, 28%
- Associate, 19%
- Diploma, 10%
- Other Degrees, 10%
What should I major in to become a child nutrition manager?
- Business, 28%
- Culinary Arts, 7%
- Criminal Justice, 6%
- Dietetics, 6%
- Other Majors, 53%
Most common colleges for child nutrition managers
| Child nutrition manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 18.00% |
| Johnson & Wales University | 10.00% |
| Remington College | 6.00% |
| Delaware Technical Community College | 6.00% |
| Grambling State University | 6.00% |
Best majors for child nutrition managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 27.9% |
| 2 | Culinary Arts | 6.7% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 6.3% |
| 4 | Dietetics | 6.3% |
| 5 | General Studies | 5.8% |
Best colleges for child nutrition managers
The best colleges for child nutrition managers are Cornell University, New York University, and Boston University.
A child nutrition manager with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for child nutrition managers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become child nutrition managers.
1. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
2. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi
Delhi, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,360
Enrollment
3,142
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Ponce
Mercedita, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,914
Enrollment
4,155
6. University of Akron
Akron, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,463
Enrollment
13,676
7. SUNY College of Agriculture & Technology at Morrisville
Morrisville, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,670
Enrollment
2,758
8. SUNY College at Plattsburgh
Plattsburgh, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,369
Enrollment
5,229
9. University of Alaska Anchorage
Anchorage, AK • Private
In-state tuition
$8,580
Enrollment
10,482
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
20 best online courses for child nutrition managers
Advertising disclosure
1. Child Nutrition and Cooking
Eating patterns that begin in childhood affect health and well-being across the lifespan. The culture of eating has changed significantly in recent decades, especially in parts of the world where processed foods dominate our dietary intake. This course examines contemporary child nutrition and the impact of the individual decisions made by each family. The health risks associated with obesity in childhood are also discussed. Participants will learn what constitutes a healthy diet for children...
2. National Academy of Sports Medicine Nutrition Essentials
NASM's Nutrition Coaching Essentials enables you to provide evidence-based guidance to those seeking to improve body composition, athletic performance, and health. By successfully completing this program, you will have the knowledge and abilities to leverage nutrition education to increase your client's success, reduce turnover, and maximize adherence. Held to the highest standard of research-based theory and practice, the Nutrition Essentials program teaches you how to provide nutritional...
3. ISO 22000:2018. Food Safety Management System
Understand the requirements for a food safety management system applicable for any organization in the food chain...
4. Vegan Nutrition Health Coach Certification
Become a Vegan Nutrition Certified Health Coach, Learn Vegan Cooking, Embrace a Holistic Approach to Food...
5. Stanford Introduction to Food and Health
Around the world, we find ourselves facing global epidemics of obesity, Type 2 Diabetes and other predominantly diet-related diseases. To address these public health crises, we urgently need to explore innovative strategies for promoting healthful eating. There is strong evidence that global increases in the consumption of heavily processed foods, coupled with cultural shifts away from the preparation of food in the home, have contributed to high rates of preventable, chronic disease. In this...
6. Fun food safety and sanitation course
The food safety course will help prepare you for safely working in a kitchen and food handler tests like Servesafe...
7. Food Safety for Managers and Supervisors
The Highfield Food Safety Level 3 syllabus presented in two hours of video tutorials. Boost your food safety knowledge...
8. ISO 22000 (HACCP and PRPs) for Food Safety
Standards, analysis, control points, and risk management related to ISO 22000 for food industry professionals...
9. Internationally Accredited Certificate in Nutrition
Learn the Fundamentals of Nutrition Science...
10. Cook Real Food: How to Make Simple Plant-Based Meals
Learn how to cook whole plant foods to make quick, easy, and healthy vegan meals for practical everyday eating...
11. Health and Nutrition Life Coach Certification (Accredited)
Life Coaching: Create a Workout & Nutrition Plan Based on Your Clients' Fitness, Weight Loss, Dieting & Nutrition Goals...
12. Fundamentals of Logistics, Supply Chain & Customer Service
Learn Logistics, Supply Chain and Customer Service. 3 Courses in 1...
13. Get to Know Your Food: Claims, Labels & Ingredients
Learn how to make the healthiest and best food choices amidst processed and packaged foods...
14. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer
Master Customer Service using this practical customer care course...
15. Vegan Nutrition: Build Your Plant Based Diet & Meal Plan
Learn How To Set Up A Vegan Diet For Weight Loss, Building Muscle, Healthy Eating, Meal Planning & Vegan Bodybuilding...
16. Nutrition Certification: Advanced Diet & Meal Planning
Advanced Diet And Nutrition Coach Strategies Dieting Certificate For Meal Plans, Fat Loss, Health & Sports Nutrition...
17. Bank Reconciliations & Cash Internal Controls
Mastering Internal Controls and Cash Management: Safeguarding Business Assets and Ensuring Financial Accuracy...
18. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives
Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...
19. Food Photography: Capturing Food in Your Kitchen
With DIY Food Photography, you'll be taking better photos in no time with what you have in your own kitchen!...
20. 3-in-1 Banking, Banking Risk and Compliance Masterclass
The essentials of the banking business (business model, compliance, others), financial risk management and compliance...
Top 10 most affordable universities for child nutrition managers
The most affordable schools for child nutrition managers are USF Sarasota-Manatee, suny farmingdale, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for child nutrition managers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for child nutrition managers.
1. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
10. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for child nutrition managers
The hardest universities for child nutrition managers to get into are Cornell University, New York University, and Boston University.
Some great schools for child nutrition managers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for child nutrition managers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for child nutrition managers
The easiest schools for child nutrition managers to get into are Life University, university of north texas at dallas, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a child nutrition manager without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for child nutrition managers.
1. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
2. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
8. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
9. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
10. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average child nutrition manager salary by education level
| Child nutrition manager education level | Child nutrition manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $53,452 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $37,190 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $49,991 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $40,703 |
Child nutrition manager education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025