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Clinical dietitian education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a clinical dietitian. Clinical dietitians usually study dietetics, food and nutrition, or nutrition science. 73% of clinical dietitians hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 8,870 real clinical dietitian resumes to see exactly what clinical dietitian education sections show.
The most common colleges for clinical dietitians are the Ohio State University and the Ohio State University.
There are also many online clinical dietitian courses to help get the education required to be a clinical dietitian.
There are certain clinical dietitian certifications that you should consider. These clinical dietitian certifications include Registered Dietitian (RD) and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).
What education do you need to become a clinical dietitian?
What degree do you need to be a clinical dietitian?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 3%
- Doctorate, 0%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a clinical dietitian?
- Dietetics, 48%
- Food And Nutrition, 27%
- Food Science, 3%
- Other Majors, 13%
Most common colleges for clinical dietitians
| Clinical dietitian common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Ohio State University | 8.16% |
| Michigan State University | 7.54% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.54% |
| New York University | 6.71% |
| University of Delaware | 6.10% |
Best majors for clinical dietitians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dietetics | 47.6% |
| 2 | Food And Nutrition | 26.6% |
| 3 | Nutrition Science | 9.1% |
| 4 | Food Science | 2.6% |
| 5 | Public Health | 1.6% |
Best colleges for clinical dietitians
The best colleges for clinical dietitians are Northeastern University, Case Western Reserve University, and New York University.
A clinical dietitian with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for clinical dietitians. 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 clinical dietitians.
1. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
2. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
3. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
4. University of Delaware
Newark, DE • Private
In-state tuition
$13,680
Enrollment
19,060
5. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
6. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
7. California State University - Chico
Chico, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,608
Enrollment
16,317
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
9. Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$9,080
Enrollment
30,795
10. Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$14,460
Enrollment
39,208
20 best online courses for clinical dietitians
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1. 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...
2. Value-Based Care: Managing Processes to Improve Outcomes
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3. Internationally Accredited Certificate in Nutrition
Learn the Fundamentals of Nutrition Science...
4. Nutrition Certification: The Correct Dieting & Meal PLaning
Master Nutrition/ Dieting for healthy Weight Loss & Building Muscles (Adapt with COVID-19)...
5. 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...
6. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale
Acute stroke is a time-dependent medical emergency. In acute ischemic stroke, the first objective is to restore brain flow using sistemic thrombolytic treatment and, in patients with large vessel occlusion, by endovascular treatment. In hemorrhagic stroke there are also specific treatments that can improve the clinical outcome. The sooner the initiation of all these therapies the higher the clinical benefit. Thus, the organization of Stroke Code systems coordinated between emergency medical...
7. Fully Accredited Certification in Nutrition & Diet Planning
Learn how to make fitness diet & meal plans Become a Professional Nutrition Coach with International Certification...
8. Internationally Accredited Diploma in Yogic Nutrition
Understand the fundamentals of Yogic Nutrition Science & Learn How to Create Yogic Diets...
9. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care
This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...
10. Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative
Please join us for an exciting and innovative journey, examining one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of the oncology setting: Traditional Herbal Medicine in Supportive Cancer Care. This course is presented with short lectures offering a wide range of issues related to the principles and practice of herbal medicine in cancer care. The course includes interviews with leading world experts from the field of Integrative Oncology, from the U.S. and Canada, as well as Europe, the...
11. Internationally Accredited Diploma in Sports Nutrition
Learn About The Fundamentals Of Sport Nutrition Science And How To Fuel Your Athlete Client...
12. Weight Loss And Nutrition: Lose Fat & Get Your Dream Body
Learn The Truth About Dieting For Weight Loss, Healthy Eating, Meal Planning, Fat Loss, Weight Loss Motivation...
13. 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...
14. Vegan Nutrition Health Coach Certification
Become a Vegan Nutrition Certified Health Coach, Learn Vegan Cooking, Embrace a Holistic Approach to Food...
15. Health and Nutrition Life Coach Certification (Accredited)
Life Coaching: Create a Workout & Nutrition Plan Based on Your Clients' Fitness, Weight Loss, Dieting & Nutrition Goals...
16. Nutrition for Inflammation - The Anti-inflammatory Diet
Heal Your Body Using Food as Medicine...
17. Superfoods, Herbalism, Nutrition Basics and Your Health
Eat For Success. Discover Nutrition Basics For Optimal Performance and Weight Loss...
18. Internationally Accredited Diploma in Diet Planning
Learn how to Create Your Clients(or your)perfect diet and nutrition plan based on their goals, preferences and lifestyle...
19. Sports Nutrition for Athletes and Fitness Enthusiasts
Learn all about sports nutrition with 7 hours of online video content and start training SMARTER instead of HARDER...
20. Nutrition Certification: Advanced Diet & Meal Planning
Advanced Diet And Nutrition Coach Strategies Dieting Certificate For Meal Plans, Fat Loss, Health & Sports Nutrition...
Top 10 most affordable universities for clinical dietitians
The most affordable schools for clinical dietitians are University of Florida, brigham young university, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for clinical dietitians 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 clinical dietitians.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
5. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
6. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
8. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
San Juan, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
11,299
9. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
10. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Cost of attendance
24,514
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for clinical dietitians
The hardest universities for clinical dietitians to get into are Northeastern University, Case Western Reserve University, and New York University.
Some great schools for clinical dietitians 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 clinical dietitians 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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
2. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,443
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
5. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
7. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
Admissions rate
30%
SAT average
1,339
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,309
10. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,345
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for clinical dietitians
The easiest schools for clinical dietitians to get into are Life University, texas woman's university, and d'youville college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a clinical dietitian 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 clinical dietitians.
1. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
2. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
3. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
4. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
5. Central Washington University
Ellensburg, WA • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,062
6. St. Catherine University
Saint Paul, MN • Private
Admissions rate
73%
SAT average
1,124
7. Indiana State University
Terre Haute, IN • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,019
8. California State University - Chico
Chico, CA • Private
Admissions rate
65%
SAT average
1,092
9. South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,149
10. Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
79%
SAT average
1,075
Average clinical dietitian salary by education level
| Clinical dietitian education level | Clinical dietitian salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $63,983 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $63,041 |
Clinical dietitian education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025