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Nutrition specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a nutrition specialist. Nutrition specialists usually study dietetics, food and nutrition, or business. 54% of nutrition specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,501 real nutrition specialist resumes to see exactly what nutrition specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for nutrition specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online nutrition specialist courses to help get the education required to be a nutrition specialist.
There are certain nutrition specialist certifications that you should consider. These nutrition specialist certifications include Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).
What education do you need to become a nutrition specialist?
What degree do you need to be a nutrition specialist?
- Bachelor's, 54%
- Associate, 15%
- High School Diploma, 12%
- Master's, 10%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become a nutrition specialist?
- Dietetics, 19%
- Food And Nutrition, 18%
- Business, 12%
- Other Majors, 46%
Most common colleges for nutrition specialists
| Nutrition specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 9.29% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 7.65% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.56% |
| Colorado State University | 6.56% |
| University of Delaware | 6.01% |
Best majors for nutrition specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dietetics | 19.1% |
| 2 | Food And Nutrition | 18.3% |
| 3 | Business | 11.7% |
| 4 | Nutrition Science | 5.1% |
| 5 | Psychology | 4.8% |
Best colleges for nutrition specialists
The best colleges for nutrition specialists are New York University, Stanford University, and Cornell University.
A nutrition specialist 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 specialists. 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 specialists.
1. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
2. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
4. Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,105
Enrollment
13,729
5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
6. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
7. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
8. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
10. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
20 best online courses for nutrition specialists
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. Vegan Nutrition Health Coach Certification
Become a Vegan Nutrition Certified Health Coach, Learn Vegan Cooking, Embrace a Holistic Approach to Food...
4. Internationally Accredited Certificate in Nutrition
Learn the Fundamentals of Nutrition Science...
5. Nutrition Hot Topics and Controversies
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. Health and Nutrition Life Coach Certification (Accredited)
Life Coaching: Create a Workout & Nutrition Plan Based on Your Clients' Fitness, Weight Loss, Dieting & Nutrition Goals...
7. 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...
8. Nutrition Certification: Advanced Diet & Meal Planning
Advanced Diet And Nutrition Coach Strategies Dieting Certificate For Meal Plans, Fat Loss, Health & Sports Nutrition...
9. 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...
10. Internationally Accredited Diploma in Sports Nutrition
Learn About The Fundamentals Of Sport Nutrition Science And How To Fuel Your Athlete Client...
11. Nutrition for Inflammation - The Anti-inflammatory Diet
Heal Your Body Using Food as Medicine...
12. 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...
13. Fully Accredited Professional Nutritionist Diploma Course
Complete Nutrition For All - Exploring All Elements of Nutrition. Healthy Eating & Nutrition for all ages!...
14. Get to Know Your Food: Claims, Labels & Ingredients
Learn how to make the healthiest and best food choices amidst processed and packaged foods...
15. 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...
16. Diet And Nutrition Coach Certification: Beginner To Advanced
Become A Nutrition Coach: Create Muscle Growth & Fat Loss Meal Plans, Build A Fitness Diet Business & Be A Health Expert...
17. Herbalism:: Wild Edible Plants for High Nutrition
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
Keto Nutrition Certified Health Coach Specialized in the Ketogenic Diet, Ketosis (Keto) and Intermittent Fasting...
19. 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...
20. ISO 22000:2018. Food Safety Management System
Understand the requirements for a food safety management system applicable for any organization in the food chain...
Top 10 most affordable universities for nutrition specialists
The most affordable schools for nutrition specialists are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for nutrition specialists 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 specialists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
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. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
10. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for nutrition specialists
The hardest universities for nutrition specialists to get into are New York University, Stanford University, and Cornell University.
Some great schools for nutrition specialists 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 specialists 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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
6. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,443
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for nutrition specialists
The easiest schools for nutrition specialists 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 nutrition specialist 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 specialists.
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. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
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. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average nutrition specialist salary by education level
| Nutrition specialist education level | Nutrition specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $60,484 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $59,205 |
Nutrition specialist 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