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Dietitian education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a dietitian. Dietitians usually study dietetics, food and nutrition, or nutrition science. 66% of dietitians hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 5,650 real dietitian resumes to see exactly what dietitian education sections show.
The most common colleges for dietitians are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online dietitian courses to help get the education required to be a dietitian.
There are certain dietitian certifications that you should consider. These dietitian certifications include Registered Dietitian (RD) and Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS).
What education do you need to become a dietitian?
What degree do you need to be a dietitian?
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Master's, 22%
- Associate, 4%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a dietitian?
- Dietetics, 45%
- Food And Nutrition, 25%
- Food Science, 3%
- Other Majors, 19%
Most common colleges for dietitians
| Dietitian common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 9.09% |
| Ohio State University | 7.47% |
| Michigan State University | 6.33% |
| Kansas State University | 5.68% |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania | 5.68% |
Best majors for dietitians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dietetics | 45.2% |
| 2 | Food And Nutrition | 25.2% |
| 3 | Nutrition Science | 8.5% |
| 4 | Food Science | 2.9% |
| 5 | Business | 2.0% |
Best colleges for dietitians
The best colleges for dietitians are Northeastern University, Case Western Reserve University, and New York University.
A 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 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 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 dietitians
Advertising disclosure
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18. Superfoods, Herbalism, Nutrition Basics and Your Health
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19. Intermittent Fasting Diet: Full Nutrition Certification
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20. Ketogenic Diet: Keto Nutrition Health Coach Certification
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Top 10 most affordable universities for dietitians
The most affordable schools for dietitians are University of Florida, brigham young university, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for 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 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 dietitians
The hardest universities for dietitians to get into are Northeastern University, Case Western Reserve University, and New York University.
Some great schools for 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 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 dietitians
The easiest schools for 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 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 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 dietitian salary by education level
| Dietitian education level | Dietitian salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $63,090 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $62,196 |
Dietitian education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025