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Home economist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a home economist. Home economists usually study general education, specific areas, food and nutrition, or dietetics. 74% of home economists hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 134 real home economist resumes to see exactly what home economist education sections show.
The most common colleges for home economists are the Iowa State University of Science and Technology and the Iowa State University of Science and Technology.
There are also many online home economist courses to help get the education required to be a home economist.
What education do you need to become a home economist?
What degree do you need to be a home economist?
- Bachelor's, 74%
- Master's, 10%
- Associate, 9%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a home economist?
- Food And Nutrition, 16%
- Dietetics, 11%
- Education, 7%
- Other Majors, 48%
Most common colleges for home economists
| Home economist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Iowa State University of Science and Technology | 10.34% |
| University of Central Arkansas | 10.34% |
| Louisiana State University and A&M College | 6.90% |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | 6.90% |
| University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | 6.90% |
Best majors for home economists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Education, Specific Areas | 18.2% |
| 2 | Food And Nutrition | 15.9% |
| 3 | Dietetics | 11.4% |
| 4 | Education | 6.8% |
| 5 | Business | 6.8% |
Best colleges for home economists
The best colleges for home economists are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Cornell University.
A home economist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for home economists. 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 home economists.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
3. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
4. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
8. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
9. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
10. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,620
Enrollment
27,730
20 best online courses for home economists
Advertising disclosure
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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...
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5. 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...
6. Health, Housing, and Educational Services
Course 5 discusses policies in four areas: housing, education, healthcare, and immigration, with an optional fifth module in child protection. This course addresses issues of power, oppression, and white supremacy. -First we’ll look at housing policy, with its contrasting supports for homeowners and renters. -Then we’ll interpret the structure that provides education and examine debates about its future. -The third module will differentiate the issues in the U.S. healthcare system and develop...
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The food safety course will help prepare you for safely working in a kitchen and food handler tests like Servesafe...
8. Educational Psychology & Special Education (Certificate)
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9. Sustainable Food Production Through Livestock Health Management
Learn about the impact of infectious disease on sustainable animal-based food production by understanding the science of growth, immunity, and infection and by learning the problem-solving skills needed to advance animal health and food production through optimal management practices. There is a growing global need in agricultural production for a workforce that is capable of integrating knowledge of animal health and production with an understanding of consumer preferences in the context of...
10. ICT in Primary Education: Transforming children's learning across the curriculum
Why and how are teachers integrating ICT (Information and Communication Technology) into primary education? In this course we analyse examples from schools in different parts of the world, and bring professional teachers, headteachers and policymakers together to share their best ideas and inspiring stories. The materials in the course are based on studies carried out for the UNESCO Institute of IT in Education, Moscow. Learning Outcomes: to be aware of the range of reasons for using ICT to...
11. ISO 22000:2018. Food Safety Management System
Understand the requirements for a food safety management system applicable for any organization in the food chain...
12. 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...
13. Modern Food Recipes App - Android Development with Kotlin
Develop beautiful and fully functional Android App in Android Studio using the power of Kotlin programming language...
14. Eat Real Food: How to Eat a Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet
Learn how to be a healthy vegan or vegetarian in a holistic way for best health, weight, and wellbeing...
15. Internationally Accredited Certificate in Nutrition
Learn the Fundamentals of Nutrition Science...
16. Health and Nutrition Life Coach Certification (Accredited)
Life Coaching: Create a Workout & Nutrition Plan Based on Your Clients' Fitness, Weight Loss, Dieting & Nutrition Goals...
17. Basic Food Photography
Learn how to take delicious food photos from scratch...
18. Complete Google Certified Educator Level 1 and 2 Masterclass
Google Certified Educator Level 1 and 2 Training - Mastering Google Classroom - G Suite - Teaching Online - Google Drive...
19. Outcome Based Education (OBE) & Academic Quality Assurance
Master Course for Teachers' Development: Grow Your Teaching-Learning Expertise to World-Class Level...
20. Get to Know Your Food: Claims, Labels & Ingredients
Learn how to make the healthiest and best food choices amidst processed and packaged foods...
Top 10 most affordable universities for home economists
The most affordable schools for home economists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for home economists 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 home economists.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for home economists
The hardest universities for home economists to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Cornell University.
Some great schools for home economists 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 home economists 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for home economists
The easiest schools for home economists to get into are University of the Incarnate Word, d'youville college, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a home economist 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 home economists.
1. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
5. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
6. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
7. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
8. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
9. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
10. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
Average home economist salary by education level
| Home economist education level | Home economist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $54,541 |
| Doctorate Degree | $87,527 |
Home economist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025