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Nutrition internship education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a nutrition internship. Nutrition interns usually study food and nutrition, dietetics, or nutrition science. 79% of nutrition interns hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,672 real nutrition internship resumes to see exactly what nutrition internship education sections show.

The most common colleges for nutrition interns are the Johnson & Wales University and the Johnson & Wales University.

There are also many online nutrition internship courses to help get the education required to be a nutrition internship.

There are certain nutrition internship certifications that you should consider. These nutrition internship certifications include Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) and ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification.

What education do you need to become a nutrition internship?

What degree do you need to be a nutrition internship?

The most common degree for nutrition interns is bachelor's degree, with 79% of nutrition interns earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 10% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 79%
  • Master's, 10%
  • Associate, 7%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a nutrition internship?

You should major in food and nutrition to become a nutrition internship. 24% of nutrition interns major in food and nutrition. Other common majors for a nutrition internship include dietetics and nutrition science.

Most common colleges for nutrition interns

Nutrition interns often get their degrees at Johnson & Wales University, University of California - Davis, and University of California, Santa Barbara. Here are the most common colleges for nutrition interns in the US based on their resumes.
Nutrition internship common collegePercentages
Johnson & Wales University16.95%
University of California - Davis8.11%
University of California, Santa Barbara8.11%
New York University5.25%
Pennsylvania State University5.01%

Best majors for nutrition interns

RankMajorPercentages
1Food And Nutrition23.6%
2Dietetics22.8%
3Nutrition Science12.9%
4Kinesiology5.9%
5Biology4.7%

Best colleges for nutrition interns

The best colleges for nutrition interns are Northeastern University, Case Western Reserve University, and New York University.

A nutrition internship 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 interns. 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 interns.

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 nutrition interns

Advertising disclosure

1. National Academy of Sports Medicine Nutrition Essentials

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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...

2. Child Nutrition and Cooking

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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...

3. Nutrition Certification: Advanced Diet & Meal Planning

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4.6
(1,607)

Advanced Diet And Nutrition Coach Strategies Dieting Certificate For Meal Plans, Fat Loss, Health & Sports Nutrition...

4. Vegan Nutrition Health Coach Certification

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4.6
(2,112)

Become a Vegan Nutrition Certified Health Coach, Learn Vegan Cooking, Embrace a Holistic Approach to Food...

5. Nutrition Hot Topics and Controversies

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Within the ever-changing nutrition landscape, it becomes difficult to understand current trending topics. Without a doubt, your friends and neighbors will have questions regarding these nutrition hot topics. Most people want to know what to believe or discard from what they hear, but they often lack the tools or the knowledge (or the time) to research topics as they become popular. This course has been designed to take an in-depth approach to explain the science behind many nutrition hot topics...

6. Breastfeeding and Adequate Substitutes

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Ensuring adequate nutrition is essential for infants to reach their full potential, as early-life nutritional imbalances and deficiencies may result in detrimental and often irreversible adverse health consequences. "Breastfeeding and Adequate Substitutes" focuses on the important aspects of human milk composition, human lactation, breastfeeding practices, and the use of breastmilk substitutes. In addition to the theoretical and practical aspects of infant nutrition, we also provide the latest...

7. Health and Nutrition Life Coach Certification (Accredited)

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4.5
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Life Coaching: Create a Workout & Nutrition Plan Based on Your Clients' Fitness, Weight Loss, Dieting & Nutrition Goals...

8. Internationally Accredited Certificate in Nutrition

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4.6
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Learn the Fundamentals of Nutrition Science...

9. Internationally Accredited Diploma in Sports Nutrition

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4.5
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Learn About The Fundamentals Of Sport Nutrition Science And How To Fuel Your Athlete Client...

10. Vegan Nutrition: Build Your Plant Based Diet & Meal Plan

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4.8
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Learn How To Set Up A Vegan Diet For Weight Loss, Building Muscle, Healthy Eating, Meal Planning & Vegan Bodybuilding...

11. Weight Loss And Nutrition: Lose Fat & Get Your Dream Body

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4.7
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Learn The Truth About Dieting For Weight Loss, Healthy Eating, Meal Planning, Fat Loss, Weight Loss Motivation...

12. Nutrition Masterclass: Build Your Perfect Diet & Meal Plan

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4.6
(7,065)

Learn The Truth About Nutrition, Dieting For Weight Loss, Building Muscle, Healthy Eating, Meal Planning, Fat Loss...

13. Fully Accredited Professional Nutritionist Diploma Course

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4.2
(969)

Complete Nutrition For All - Exploring All Elements of Nutrition. Healthy Eating & Nutrition for all ages!...

14. Internationally Accredited Diploma in Diet Planning

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4.4
(2,190)

Learn how to Create Your Clients(or your)perfect diet and nutrition plan based on their goals, preferences and lifestyle...

15. Diet And Nutrition Coach Certification: Beginner To Advanced

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4.6
(7,666)

Become A Nutrition Coach: Create Muscle Growth & Fat Loss Meal Plans, Build A Fitness Diet Business & Be A Health Expert...

16. Nutrition for Inflammation - The Anti-inflammatory Diet

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4.7
(807)

Heal Your Body Using Food as Medicine...

17. Herbalism:: Wild Edible Plants for High Nutrition

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4.8
(460)

Identify and forage common wild foods for exceptional nutrition. This is essential for holistic and natural medicine...

18. Ketogenic Diet: Keto Nutrition Health Coach Certification

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4.5
(2,212)

Keto Nutrition Certified Health Coach Specialized in the Ketogenic Diet, Ketosis (Keto) and Intermittent Fasting...

19. Cook Real Food: How to Make Simple Plant-Based Meals

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4.6
(1,644)

Learn how to cook whole plant foods to make quick, easy, and healthy vegan meals for practical everyday eating...

20. Internationally Accredited Diploma in Weight Loss

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4.7
(1,386)

Learn the science, habits, strategies to lose weight in a healthy manner and keep it off permanently...

Top 10 most affordable universities for nutrition interns

The most affordable schools for nutrition interns are University of Florida, brigham young university, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for nutrition interns 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 interns.

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 nutrition interns

The hardest universities for nutrition interns to get into are Northeastern University, Case Western Reserve University, and New York University.

Some great schools for nutrition interns 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 interns 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 nutrition interns

The easiest schools for nutrition interns 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 nutrition internship 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 interns.

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 nutrition internship salary by education level

According to our data, nutrition interns with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $40,287 annually. Nutrition interns with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $39,547.
Nutrition internship education levelNutrition internship salary
Master's Degree$40,287
Bachelor's Degree$39,547

Nutrition internship education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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