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Registered dietician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a registered dietician. Registered dieticians usually study dietetics, food and nutrition, or business. 75% of registered dieticians hold a bachelor's degree, and 8% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 64 real registered dietician resumes to see exactly what registered dietician education sections show.
The most common colleges for registered dieticians are the Lindenwood University and the Lindenwood University.
There are also many online registered dietician courses to help get the education required to be a registered dietician.
What education do you need to become a registered dietician?
What degree do you need to be a registered dietician?
- Bachelor's, 75%
- Master's, 8%
- Associate, 6%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become a registered dietician?
- Dietetics, 33%
- Food And Nutrition, 13%
- Business, 5%
- Other Majors, 44%
Most common colleges for registered dieticians
| Registered dietician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Lindenwood University | 8.33% |
| Liberty University | 8.33% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 8.33% |
| University of Central Missouri | 8.33% |
| Western Washington University | 4.17% |
Best majors for registered dieticians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dietetics | 33.3% |
| 2 | Food And Nutrition | 12.8% |
| 3 | Business | 5.1% |
| 4 | Nutrition Science | 5.1% |
| 5 | Public Health | 5.1% |
Best colleges for registered dieticians
The best colleges for registered dieticians are Northeastern University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo.
A registered dietician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for registered dieticians. 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 registered dieticians.
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. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
5. University of Delaware
Newark, DE • Private
In-state tuition
$13,680
Enrollment
19,060
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
7. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
8. California State University - Chico
Chico, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,608
Enrollment
16,317
9. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
10. Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$9,080
Enrollment
30,795
20 best online courses for registered dieticians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for registered dieticians
The most affordable schools for registered dieticians are University of Florida, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and lehman college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for registered dieticians 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 registered dieticians.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
3. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
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 registered dieticians
The hardest universities for registered dieticians to get into are Northeastern University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo.
Some great schools for registered dieticians 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 registered dieticians 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. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
3. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
Admissions rate
30%
SAT average
1,339
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
6. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
7. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,443
8. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for registered dieticians
The easiest schools for registered dieticians to get into are Life University, texas woman's university, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a registered dietician 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 registered dieticians.
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. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
5. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
7. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
8. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
9. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
10. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
Average registered dietician salary by education level
| Registered dietician education level | Registered dietician salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $61,477 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $59,944 |
Registered dietician education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025