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Human Nutrition

Types of Degrees Human Nutrition Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Human Nutrition have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	23
Bachelor’s Degree	533
Master’s Degree	532
Doctor’s Degree	7

What Human Nutrition Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Human Nutrition emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Human Nutrition graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Human Nutrition emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Human Nutrition program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Human Nutrition careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Human Nutrition graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.1 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.1 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Human Nutrition professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—
Nutrient analysis software	Analytical or scientific software	—
Cronometer	Analytical or scientific software	—
Ketogenic planning software	Analytical or scientific software	—
Allergenic diet software	Analytical or scientific software	—
Mosby’s Nutritrac	Analytical or scientific software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Human Nutrition graduates include:

• Public Health Dietitian
• Administrative Dietitian
• Diet Consultant
• Diet Counselor
• Teaching Dietitian
• Oncology Dietitian
• Nutrition Consultant
• Food Consultant
• Pediatric Dietician
• Outpatient Dietitian
• Menu Planner
• Nutritionist
• Research Dietitian
• Nutrition Coordinator
• Public Health Nutritionist

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Human Nutrition graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Post-baccalaureate certificate	40.2%
Master’s degree	34.2%
Doctoral degree	13.9%
Bachelor’s degree	8.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.4%
Postsecondary certificate	0.5%
Some college courses	0.3%
Post-doctoral training	0.2%
First professional degree	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Human Nutrition?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 87.3% of Human Nutrition degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	956	87.3%
Men	139	12.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Human Nutrition graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	682	62.3%
Asian	91	8.3%
Hispanic or Latino	139	12.7%
Black or African American	69	6.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.2%
Two or More Races	45	4.1%
Race Unknown	28	2.6%
International Students	36	3.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Human Nutrition Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Human Nutrition graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$35,066
4 years	$41,526
5 years	$47,346

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $47,346 — roughly 35% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Human Nutrition Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Human Nutrition. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	2
Bachelor’s	1	3
Master’s	8	7

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Human Nutrition Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Human Nutrition graduates earn a median of $41,526 four years after completion — roughly 9% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services	19.05
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services, Other	19.0599
Foods, Nutrition, and Wellness Studies, General	19.0501
Foodservice Systems Administration/Management	19.0505
Adult Development and Aging	19.0702
Apparel and Textile Manufacture	19.0902
Apparel and Textiles, General	19.0901
Business Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences	19.0201
Child Care and Support Services Management	19.0708
Child Development	19.0706
Consumer Economics	19.0402
Consumer Services and Advocacy	19.0403

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.