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Sports nutritionist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a sports nutritionist. Sports nutritionists usually study dietetics, food and nutrition, or kinesiology. 64% of sports nutritionists hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 106 real sports nutritionist resumes to see exactly what sports nutritionist education sections show.
The most common colleges for sports nutritionists are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.
There are also many online sports nutritionist courses to help get the education required to be a sports nutritionist.
What education do you need to become a sports nutritionist?
What degree do you need to be a sports nutritionist?
- Bachelor's, 64%
- Master's, 16%
- Associate, 8%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become a sports nutritionist?
- Dietetics, 21%
- Food And Nutrition, 19%
- Kinesiology, 13%
- Nutrition Science, 12%
- Other Majors, 35%
Most common colleges for sports nutritionists
| Sports nutritionist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 10.34% |
| University of Central Arkansas | 6.90% |
| University of Nebraska - Lincoln | 6.90% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 6.90% |
| Teachers College of Columbia University | 6.90% |
Best majors for sports nutritionists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dietetics | 21.3% |
| 2 | Food And Nutrition | 18.7% |
| 3 | Kinesiology | 13.3% |
| 4 | Nutrition Science | 12.0% |
| 5 | Business | 5.3% |
Best colleges for sports nutritionists
The best colleges for sports nutritionists are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and New York University.
A sports nutritionist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for sports nutritionists. 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 sports nutritionists.
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. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
5. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
6. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
7. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
8. Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,105
Enrollment
13,729
9. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
10. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
20 best online courses for sports nutritionists
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20. Applied Sport Psychology and Leadership in Sport Certificate
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Top 10 most affordable universities for sports nutritionists
The most affordable schools for sports nutritionists are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for sports nutritionists 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 sports nutritionists.
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. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
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 sports nutritionists
The hardest universities for sports nutritionists to get into are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and New York University.
Some great schools for sports nutritionists 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 sports nutritionists 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
Admissions rate
30%
SAT average
1,339
8. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,443
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
10. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sports nutritionists
The easiest schools for sports nutritionists to get into are Life University, texas woman's university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a sports nutritionist 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 sports nutritionists.
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. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
9. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
10. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average sports nutritionist salary by education level
| Sports nutritionist education level | Sports nutritionist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $53,685 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $52,523 |
Sports nutritionist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025