[College research](/) / [Rankings](/rankings/) # Best Dietetics/Dietitian Programs in Illinois (2026) Updated September 30, 2026 This page ranks the 6 Dietetics/Dietitian programs in Illinois by median earnings of Dietetics/Dietitian graduates four years after completing. [Northern Illinois University](/school/northern-illinois-university/majors/) leads the list with median earnings of $55,221 for its graduates four years after completing. Across the listed schools, the figures range from $55,221 to $32,925, with a median of $53,280. The gap between the top two programs is $617. 83% of the programs are at public institutions, with 5 public and 1 private nonprofit school on the list. University of Illinois Chicago reports the lowest average net price at $10,974, while University of Illinois Chicago ranks 17th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. ## The ranked list 6 schools in list order | Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Northern Illinois University · Dekalb, IL | $55,221 | $13,391 | $10,126 | 69.8% | | | [Northern Illinois University](/school/northern-illinois-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $55,221](/school/northern-illinois-university/outcomes/) for its Dietetics/Dietitian graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. | | 2 | Illinois State University · Normal, IL | $54,604 | $19,398 | $11,568 | 88.2% | | | [Illinois State University](/school/illinois-state-university/majors/) [admits 88% of applicants](/school/illinois-state-university/admissions/) and its Dietetics/Dietitian graduates posted median earnings of $54,604 four years after completing. | | 3 | Western Illinois University · Macomb, IL | $54,394 | $12,937 | $6,941 | 71.2% | | | Graduates of [Western Illinois University](/school/western-illinois-university/majors/) who borrowed left with a [median of $25,251](/school/western-illinois-university/outcomes/) in federal loans across all fields, and the school's Dietetics/Dietitian completers earned a median of $54,394 four years after completing. | | 4 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville · Edwardsville, IL | $52,166 | $14,889 | $8,483 | 97.5% | | | [Southern Illinois University Edwardsville](/school/southern-illinois-university-edwardsville/majors/) ranks 4th on this list, with [median earnings of $52,166](/school/southern-illinois-university-edwardsville/outcomes/) for its Dietetics/Dietitian graduates four years after completing. | | 5 | University of Illinois Chicago · Chicago, IL | $49,393 | $10,974 | $7,529 | 77.4% | | | [University of Illinois Chicago](/school/university-of-illinois-chicago/majors/) carries an [average net price of $10,974,](/school/university-of-illinois-chicago/cost/) the lowest among the listed schools, and its Dietetics/Dietitian graduates earned a median of $49,393 four years after completing. | | 6 | Dominican University · River Forest, IL | $32,925 | $11,745 | $9,759 | 90.3% | | | [Dominican University](/school/dominican-university/majors/), a private nonprofit university in River Forest, reports [median earnings of $32,925](/school/dominican-university/outcomes/) for its Dietetics/Dietitian graduates four years after completing. | ## How this list is ordered Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Dietetics/Dietitian graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in Illinois appear. The figures are medians for federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 1 of the 6 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The spread from Northern Illinois University to the bottom of the list is $22,296, with a gap of $617 between Northern Illinois University and Illinois State University. ## Job market context in Illinois The occupations linked to Dietetics/Dietitian in Illinois include roles such as Dietitians and Nutritionists and Dietetic Technicians. Across those occupations, the median annual wage is $64,977, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $55,669. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 9.1% higher, with 290 projected openings a year, or about 173 openings a year for every hundred graduates, suggesting more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing, a different measure from the occupational wage figures reported here. ## Related rankings - [Top Dietetics/Dietitian Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-dieteticsdietitian-programs/) - [Best Colleges in Illinois](/rankings/best-colleges-in-illinois/) - Dietetics/Dietitian Programs in New York - Dietetics/Dietitian Programs in Ohio - [Best Nursing Colleges in Illinois](/rankings/best-nursing-colleges-in-illinois/) - Health Professions Colleges in Illinois for Social Mobility - Health Professions Colleges in Illinois - Nursing Colleges in Illinois for Social Mobility - Speech-Language Pathology Colleges in Illinois for Social Mobility