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Director of food and nutrition services education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a director of food and nutrition services. Directors of food and nutrition services usually study dietetics, food and nutrition, or business. 56% of directors of food and nutrition services hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,766 real director of food and nutrition services resumes to see exactly what director of food and nutrition services education sections show.
The most common colleges for directors of food and nutrition services are the Johnson & Wales University and the Johnson & Wales University.
There are also many online director of food and nutrition services courses to help get the education required to be a director of food and nutrition services.
There are certain director of food and nutrition services certifications that you should consider. These director of food and nutrition services certifications include Certified Dietary Manager (CDM) and Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS).
What education do you need to become a director of food and nutrition services?
What degree do you need to be a director of food and nutrition services?
- Bachelor's, 56%
- Associate, 20%
- Master's, 17%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a director of food and nutrition services?
- Dietetics, 21%
- Food And Nutrition, 20%
- Business, 14%
- Other Majors, 36%
Most common colleges for directors of food and nutrition services
| Director of food and nutrition services common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Johnson & Wales University | 13.90% |
| Culinary Institute of America | 9.42% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.17% |
| University of Florida | 6.28% |
| Michigan State University | 5.83% |
Best majors for directors of food and nutrition services
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dietetics | 21.2% |
| 2 | Food And Nutrition | 20.2% |
| 3 | Business | 13.5% |
| 4 | Hospitality Management | 9.0% |
| 5 | Culinary Arts | 8.8% |
Best colleges for directors of food and nutrition services
The best colleges for directors of food and nutrition services are Cornell University, Boston University, and New York University.
A director of food and nutrition services with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for directors of food and nutrition services. 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 directors of food and nutrition services.
1. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
2. SUNY College at Plattsburgh
Plattsburgh, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,369
Enrollment
5,229
3. University of Akron
Akron, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,463
Enrollment
13,676
4. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
5. SUNY College of Agriculture & Technology at Morrisville
Morrisville, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,670
Enrollment
2,758
6. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
7. University of Alaska Anchorage
Anchorage, AK • Private
In-state tuition
$8,580
Enrollment
10,482
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi
Delhi, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,360
Enrollment
3,142
20 best online courses for directors of food and nutrition services
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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...
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Learn the Fundamentals of Nutrition Science...
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5. 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...
6. Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers
This course is designed with a singular goal: to improve the care you provide to your patients with substance use disorders. By delving into a model case performed by actors, seven Yale instructors from various fields provide techniques to screen your patients for substance use disorder risk, diagnose patients to gauge the severity of their use, directly manage treatment plans, refer out to treatment services, and navigate the various conditions that may limit your patient’s access to treatment...
7. Vegan Nutrition Health Coach Certification
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8. Internationally Accredited Diploma in Yogic Nutrition
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14. Vegan Nutrition: Build Your Plant Based Diet & Meal Plan
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15. Nutrition Certification: Advanced Diet & Meal Planning
Advanced Diet And Nutrition Coach Strategies Dieting Certificate For Meal Plans, Fat Loss, Health & Sports Nutrition...
16. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience
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17. Nutrition Certification Diploma: Diet Planning & Meal Prep
Become A Nutrition Expert: Create Muscle Growth & Fat Loss Meal Plan Dieting Certificate For Health & Sports Nutrition...
18. Nutrition for Inflammation - The Anti-inflammatory Diet
Heal Your Body Using Food as Medicine...
19. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives
Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...
20. Customer Service Basics: Improve your Service now
The basic golden rules to kickstart your service...
Top 10 most affordable universities for directors of food and nutrition services
The most affordable schools for directors of food and nutrition services are USF Sarasota-Manatee, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for directors of food and nutrition services 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 directors of food and nutrition services.
1. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
5. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
10. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for directors of food and nutrition services
The hardest universities for directors of food and nutrition services to get into are Cornell University, Boston University, and New York University.
Some great schools for directors of food and nutrition services 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 directors of food and nutrition services 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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
9. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
Admissions rate
30%
SAT average
1,339
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for directors of food and nutrition services
The easiest schools for directors of food and nutrition services to get into are D'Youville College, life university, and texas woman's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a director of food and nutrition services 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 directors of food and nutrition services.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
3. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
4. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
6. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
7. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
10. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
Average director of food and nutrition services salary by education level
| Director of food and nutrition services education level | Director of food and nutrition services salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $134,171 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $98,504 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $126,734 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $106,378 |
Director of food and nutrition services education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025