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Nutrition Science Major

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Nutrition Science

3,815 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
1,196 Master's Degrees Annually
#92 in Popularity
$83,600 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Nutrition Science Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many nutrition science graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree 3,815
Master’s Degree 1,196
Doctor’s Degree 182
Graduate Certificate 118
Associate Degree 18
Undergraduate Certificate 1

What Nutrition Science Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to nutrition science were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Nutrition Science Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in nutrition science should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

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  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
  • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

Skills for Nutrition Science Majors

nutrition science majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

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  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Abilities for Nutrition Science Majors

As a nutrition science major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

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  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Nutrition Science Major?

People with a nutrition science degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Biological Science Professors 15.1% $82,550
Dietetic Technicians 9.3% $27,140
Dietitians and Nutritionists 14.6% $60,370
Life Scientists 9.0% $78,190
Molecular and Cellular Biologists 8.0% $79,590
Natural Sciences Managers 9.9% $123,860

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Nutrition Science?

3,815 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
82% Percent Women
43% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 3,815 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in nutrition science in 2021, making it rank #92 in popularity. The major attracts more women than men. About 82% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of nutrition science majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 487
Black or African American 212
Hispanic or Latino 758
White 1,852
International Students 214
Other Races/Ethnicities 292

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Nutrition Science, too. About 5.6% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

  • China
  • Saudi Arabia
  • India
  • Taiwan
  • South Korea

How Much Do Nutrition Science Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

According to 2019-2020 data from the U.S. Department of Education, students who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in nutrition science have a median salary of $29,265 during the early years of their career. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $24,994 (25th percentile) and $32,261 (75th percentile).

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It is possible that some of these people may have taken positions that were not related to nutrition science.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $61,210 to $97,340 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to nutrition science. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Median Salary for a Nutrition Science Major  ( 61210 to 97340 )
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250K
Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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250K

Some degrees associated with nutrition science may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to nutrition science have obtained the following education levels.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma 5.8%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 13.1%
Some College Courses 1.3%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 1.0%
Bachelor’s Degree 19.2%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. 6.7%
Master’s Degree 12.3%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 0.7%
Doctoral Degree 23.2%
Post-Doctoral Training 16.7%

Online Nutrition Science Programs

In 2020-2021, 147 schools offered a nutrition science program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 1 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 0 0
Associate’s Degree 5 1
Bachelor’s Degree 17 5
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 95 15
Post-Master’s 6 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 51 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Nutrition Science Worth It?

The median salary for a nutrition science grad is $83,600 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 110% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $874,000 after 20 years!

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You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to nutrition science.

Major Number of Grads
Other Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies 34,975
Biological & Physical Science 30,075
Interdisciplinary Studies 9,074
International Studies 7,368
Behavioral Science 4,169
Sustainability Science 3,005
Cognitive Science 2,776
Natural Sciences 2,214
Human Biology 1,939
Human Computer Interaction 1,857
Computational Science 1,360
Data Analytics 1,338
Mathematics & Computer Science 1,302
Gerontology 1,234
Peace Studies & Conflict Resolution 1,175
Science, Technology & Society 1,095
Systems Theory 884
Museum Studies 816
Dispute Resolution 648
Data Science 541
Multicultural & Diversity Studies 482
Historic Preservation 416
Cultural Studies & Analysis 405
Marine Science 334
Classical & Ancient Studies 275
Biopsychology 183
Medieval Studies 104
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics 97
History and Political Science 66
Holocaust Studies 66
Maritime Studies 50
Accounting & Computer Science 48
Earth Systems Science 44
Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature 42
Geography and Environmental Studies 40
Environmental Geosciences 20
Anthrozoology 13
Digital Humanities and Textual Studies 12
Mathematical Economics 10
Linguistics and Computer Science 6
Linguistics and Anthropology 4
Economics and Computer Science 2
History and Language/Literature 0
Thanatology 0

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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