Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 51.31. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 501 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 44 | 535 | $44,604 | $46,391 | $22,812 2 programs |
| Associate's degree | 52 | 166 | $38,618 | $44,303 | $8,911 1 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 155 | 2,190 | $39,341 | $55,753 | $22,356 46 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 20 | 0 | $55,772 | $61,571 | $23,100 3 programs |
| Master's degree | 140 | 1,900 | $56,757 | $62,269 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 8 | 32 | $81,741 | $91,132 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 5 | 28 | $58,951 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 77 | 335 | $56,037 | $65,965 | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bastyr University WA · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $68,196 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Barton County Community College KS · Public · 19 graduates measured | $59,438 | $51,749 | Data unavailable |
| Indiana University-Indianapolis IN · Public · 40 graduates measured | $40,303 | $43,380 | $19,264 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Elizabethton TN · Public · 27 graduates measured | $37,700 | $39,652 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| CUNY Bronx Community College NY · Public · 59 graduates measured | $43,922 | $45,029 | $8,911 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| D'Youville University NY · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $56,430 | $60,998 | Data unavailable |
| SUNY Buffalo State University NY · Public · 22 graduates measured | $55,485 | $60,937 | $35,422 |
| Purdue University-Main Campus IN · Public · 23 graduates measured | $54,566 | $59,649 | $17,062 |
| Viterbo University WI · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $52,684 | $63,328 | Data unavailable |
| Rowan University NJ · Public · 35 graduates measured | $52,466 | Data unavailable | $27,503 |
| Miami University-Oxford OH · Public · 16 graduates measured | $51,944 | $60,381 | Data unavailable |
| University of Cincinnati-Main Campus OH · Public · 42 graduates measured | $51,025 | $59,703 | $27,000 |
| Eastern Michigan University MI · Public · 19 graduates measured | $50,469 | $59,211 | Data unavailable |
| University of Akron Main Campus OH · Public · 32 graduates measured | $49,722 | $55,527 | Data unavailable |
| Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale FL · Private, nonprofit · 107 graduates measured | $47,992 | $54,825 | $42,291 |
| Youngstown State University OH · Public · 21 graduates measured | $45,822 | $51,687 | Data unavailable |
| Illinois State University IL · Public · 22 graduates measured | $45,704 | $54,604 | $14,000 |
| Kansas State University KS · Public · 49 graduates measured | $45,520 | $59,824 | $29,045 |
| Purdue University Global IN · Public · 277 graduates measured | $44,734 | $47,367 | $32,356 |
| University of Northern Colorado CO · Public · 32 graduates measured | $44,300 | $55,946 | $22,164 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Post-baccalaureate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| California State University-Fresno CA · Public · 19 graduates measured | $71,822 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Meredith College NC · Private, nonprofit · 32 graduates measured | $52,671 | Data unavailable | $23,100 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stony Brook University NY · Public · 27 graduates measured | $81,616 | $78,487 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Long Beach CA · Public · 16 graduates measured | $80,349 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Parker University TX · Private, nonprofit · 31 graduates measured | $77,586 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Loma Linda University CA · Private, nonprofit · 43 graduates measured | $67,208 | $73,683 | Data unavailable |
| Utah State University UT · Public · 38 graduates measured | $66,444 | $77,930 | Data unavailable |
| Immaculata University PA · Private, nonprofit · 28 graduates measured | $65,371 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison WI · Public · 35 graduates measured | $64,465 | $67,173 | Data unavailable |
| University of Rhode Island RI · Public · 62 graduates measured | $64,244 | $66,768 | Data unavailable |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick NJ · Public · 41 graduates measured | $62,147 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of North Dakota ND · Public · 16 graduates measured | $61,299 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston TX · Public · 27 graduates measured | $60,850 | $67,051 | Data unavailable |
| SUNY Oneonta NY · Public · 21 graduates measured | $58,792 | $66,013 | Data unavailable |
| Eastern Michigan University MI · Public · 23 graduates measured | $58,648 | $29,481 | Data unavailable |
| Bradley University IL · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $58,219 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Murray State University KY · Public · 31 graduates measured | $57,963 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus OK · Public · 33 graduates measured | $58,933 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Graduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Elizabeth University NJ · Private, nonprofit · 39 graduates measured | $60,047 | $74,431 | Data unavailable |
| Long Island University NY · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $59,861 | $62,867 | Data unavailable |
| Utah State University UT · Public · 52 graduates measured | $57,076 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Marshall University WV · Public · 55 graduates measured | $56,564 | $59,094 | Data unavailable |
| Oregon Health & Science University OR · Public · 21 graduates measured | $55,771 | $77,291 | Data unavailable |
| West Chester University of Pennsylvania PA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $55,605 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Winthrop University SC · Public · 24 graduates measured | $52,243 | $58,661 | Data unavailable |
| Indiana University-Indianapolis IN · Public · 24 graduates measured | $52,199 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dietitians and nutritionists | $76,400 | +7.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Dietetic technicians | $37,640 | +2.7% | Associate's degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (5)
- 51.3101 Dietetics/Dietitian
- 51.3102 Clinical Nutrition/Nutritionist
- 51.3103 Dietetic Technician
- 51.3104 Dietitian Assistant
- 51.3199 Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services, Other