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Nutrition counselor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a nutrition counselor. Nutrition counselors usually study dietetics, food and nutrition, or nutrition science. 68% of nutrition counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,096 real nutrition counselor resumes to see exactly what nutrition counselor education sections show.
The most common colleges for nutrition counselors are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online nutrition counselor courses to help get the education required to be a nutrition counselor.
There are certain nutrition counselor certifications that you should consider. These nutrition counselor certifications include Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) and Health Coach Certification.
What education do you need to become a nutrition counselor?
What degree do you need to be a nutrition counselor?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Master's, 13%
- Associate, 11%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a nutrition counselor?
- Dietetics, 25%
- Food And Nutrition, 21%
- Nutrition Science, 10%
- Psychology, 7%
- Other Majors, 37%
Most common colleges for nutrition counselors
| Nutrition counselor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 9.21% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 9.21% |
| San Diego State University | 6.58% |
| California State University - Northridge | 5.92% |
| Arizona State University | 5.26% |
Best majors for nutrition counselors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dietetics | 24.8% |
| 2 | Food And Nutrition | 20.7% |
| 3 | Nutrition Science | 10.3% |
| 4 | Psychology | 6.8% |
| 5 | Business | 5.1% |
Best colleges for nutrition counselors
The best colleges for nutrition counselors are Northeastern University, Case Western Reserve University, and New York University.
A nutrition counselor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for nutrition counselors. 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 nutrition counselors.
1. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
2. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
3. University of Delaware
Newark, DE • Private
In-state tuition
$13,680
Enrollment
19,060
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
6. California State University - Chico
Chico, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,608
Enrollment
16,317
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
8. Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$14,460
Enrollment
39,208
9. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
10. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,260
Enrollment
25,799
20 best online courses for nutrition counselors
Advertising disclosure
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. 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...
3. Nutrition Certification: The Correct Dieting & Meal PLaning
Master Nutrition/ Dieting for healthy Weight Loss & Building Muscles (Adapt with COVID-19)...
4. Fully Accredited Certification in Nutrition & Diet Planning
Learn how to make fitness diet & meal plans Become a Professional Nutrition Coach with International Certification...
5. 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...
6. Vegan Nutrition Health Coach Certification
Become a Vegan Nutrition Certified Health Coach, Learn Vegan Cooking, Embrace a Holistic Approach to Food...
7. Nutrition Certification: Advanced Diet & Meal Planning
Advanced Diet And Nutrition Coach Strategies Dieting Certificate For Meal Plans, Fat Loss, Health & Sports Nutrition...
8. Nutrition Certification Diploma: Diet Planning & Meal Prep
Become A Nutrition Expert: Create Muscle Growth & Fat Loss Meal Plan Dieting Certificate For Health & Sports Nutrition...
9. Health and Nutrition Life Coach Certification (Accredited)
Life Coaching: Create a Workout & Nutrition Plan Based on Your Clients' Fitness, Weight Loss, Dieting & Nutrition Goals...
10. Internationally Accredited Certificate in Nutrition
Learn the Fundamentals of Nutrition Science...
11. 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...
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. Internationally Accredited Diploma in Yogic Nutrition
Understand the fundamentals of Yogic Nutrition Science & Learn How to Create Yogic Diets...
14. Internationally Accredited Diploma in Sports Nutrition
Learn About The Fundamentals Of Sport Nutrition Science And How To Fuel Your Athlete Client...
15. Superfoods, Herbalism, Nutrition Basics and Your Health
Eat For Success. Discover Nutrition Basics For Optimal Performance and Weight Loss...
16. Nutrition Masterclass: Build Your Perfect Diet & Meal Plan
Learn The Truth About Nutrition, Dieting For Weight Loss, Building Muscle, Healthy Eating, Meal Planning, Fat Loss...
17. Nutrition for Inflammation - The Anti-inflammatory Diet
Heal Your Body Using Food as Medicine...
18. Ketogenic Diet: Keto Nutrition Health Coach Certification
Keto Nutrition Certified Health Coach Specialized in the Ketogenic Diet, Ketosis (Keto) and Intermittent Fasting...
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. Fully Accredited Professional Nutritionist Diploma Course
Complete Nutrition For All - Exploring All Elements of Nutrition. Healthy Eating & Nutrition for all ages!...
Top 10 most affordable universities for nutrition counselors
The most affordable schools for nutrition counselors are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and lehman college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for nutrition counselors 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 nutrition counselors.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for nutrition counselors
The hardest universities for nutrition counselors to get into are Northeastern University, Case Western Reserve University, and New York University.
Some great schools for nutrition counselors 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 nutrition counselors 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
9. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
10. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for nutrition counselors
The easiest schools for nutrition counselors to get into are D'Youville College, adventhealth university, and life university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a nutrition counselor 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 nutrition counselors.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
3. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
4. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
5. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
6. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
7. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
8. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
10. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
Average nutrition counselor salary by education level
| Nutrition counselor education level | Nutrition counselor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $56,558 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $55,209 |
Nutrition counselor 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