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Nutrition Sciences

Types of Degrees Nutrition Sciences Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Nutrition Sciences may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	5
Associate’s Degree	9
Bachelor’s Degree	3,309
Master’s Degree	1,951
Doctor’s Degree	182

What Nutrition Sciences Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Nutrition Sciences emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Nutrition Sciences program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Nutrition Sciences 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
Training and Teaching Others	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Nutrition Sciences professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—
ValuSoft MasterCook	Data base user interface and query software	—
Axxya Systems Nutritionist Pro	Analytical or scientific software	—
The Nutrition Company FoodWorks	Analytical or scientific software	—
ESHA Research The Food Processor	Analytical or scientific software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Nutrition Sciences graduates include:

• Adjunct Instructor
• Nutrition Coordinator
• Menu Planner
• Nutrition Counselor
• Dietary Aide
• Food Consultant
• Consultant Dietitian
• Diet Consultant
• Community Dietitian
• Sports Nutritionist
• Administrative Dietitian
• Teaching Dietitian
• Holistic Nutritionist
• Dietician
• Registered Dietician

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	34.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	20.7%
Bachelor’s degree	13.7%
Doctoral degree	13.5%
Post-doctoral training	6.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.5%
Postsecondary certificate	3.5%
Some college courses	1.6%
Less than a high school diploma	1.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.9%
Post-master’s certificate	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Nutrition Sciences?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 84.2% of Nutrition Sciences degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	4,594	84.2%
Men	862	15.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,806	51.4%
Asian	650	11.9%
Hispanic or Latino	957	17.5%
Black or African American	256	4.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	11	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	5	0.1%
Two or More Races	188	3.4%
Race Unknown	150	2.7%
International Students	433	7.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Nutrition Sciences Graduates Earn?

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

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$37,311
4 years	$52,172
5 years	$59,138

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $59,138 — roughly 59% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Nutrition Sciences Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Nutrition Sciences. 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
Master’s	12	18

^{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 Nutrition Sciences Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Nutrition Sciences graduates earn a median of $52,172 four years after completion — roughly 37% 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
Nutrition Sciences	30.19

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.