Best Dietetics/Dietitian Programs in the South (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Health Professions Colleges in the South
Regional list from Top Dietetics/Dietitian Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 14 Dietetics/Dietitian programs in the South by median earnings of Dietetics/Dietitian graduates four years after completing, highest first. University of Delaware leads the list with median earnings of $63,799 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed schools, the figure ranges from $63,799 to $47,677, with a median of $54,718.
All 14 programs are at public institutions. University of Florida reports the lowest average net price on the page, at $6,541, and also holds the most selective admission rate, admitting 24% of applicants.
Florida International University ranks 14th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Delaware · Newark, DE | $63,799 | $17,799 | $10,901 | 70.6% |
| University of Delaware reports $63,799 in median earnings of Dietetics/Dietitian graduates four years after completing, the highest figure on this list, alongside an average net price of $17,799. | |||||
| 2 | Texas Tech University · Lubbock, TX | $62,457 | $19,070 | $12,457 | 72.7% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at Texas Tech University left with a median of $21,500 in federal loans, and its Dietetics/Dietitian completers earned $62,457 four years after graduating. | |||||
| 3 | University of Florida · Gainesville, FL | $62,145 | $6,541 | $1,982 | 24.2% |
| University of Florida admits 24% of applicants and posts an average net price of $6,541, the lowest among the listed schools. | |||||
| 4 | Florida State University · Tallahassee, FL | $60,380 | $11,297 | $5,938 | 24.2% |
| Florida State University ranks 4th on this list with median earnings of $60,380 for its Dietetics/Dietitian graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Georgia State University · Atlanta, GA | $56,263 | $15,931 | $13,787 | 55.4% |
| Georgia State University sits 44th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports $56,263 in median earnings of Dietetics/Dietitian graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | Marshall University · Huntington, WV | $55,840 | $7,502 | $4,648 | 95.7% |
| Marshall University admits 96% of applicants and reports an average net price of $4,648 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 7 | University of North Florida · Jacksonville, FL | $54,952 | $10,154 | $6,647 | 53.2% |
| University of North Florida reports a cohort of 53 graduates in the earnings cohort and median earnings of $54,952 four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | Northeastern State University · Tahlequah, OK | $54,484 | $12,710 | $10,598 | 99.6% |
| Northeastern State University admits 100% of applicants, and its Dietetics/Dietitian graduates earned a median of $54,484 four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | Western Carolina University · Cullowhee, NC | $53,622 | $13,315 | $8,816 | 81.8% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at Western Carolina University left with a median of $21,868 in federal loans, and the school ranks 343rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 10 | Florida International University · Miami, FL | $52,470 | $9,288 | $7,003 | 54.7% |
| Florida International University ranks 14th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and reports $52,470 in median earnings of Dietetics/Dietitian graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | East Carolina University · Greenville, NC | $52,463 | $15,739 | $10,046 | 89.2% |
| East Carolina University reports an average net price of $15,739 and median earnings of $52,463 for its Dietetics/Dietitian graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | University of Southern Mississippi · Hattiesburg, MS | $50,957 | $21,708 | $19,867 | 99.1% |
| University of Southern Mississippi ranks 12th on this list, with a cohort of 11 graduates in the earnings cohort and median earnings of $50,957 four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | Appalachian State University · Boone, NC | $50,403 | $16,836 | $9,325 | 90.1% |
| Appalachian State University reports median earnings of $50,403 for its Dietetics/Dietitian graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 52 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 14 | Nicholls State University · Thibodaux, LA | $47,677 | $12,947 | $10,714 | 90.8% |
| Nicholls State University ranks 14th on this list and shows an average net price of $12,947 alongside an admission rate of 91%. | |||||
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 the South appear. The figure is the median for federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled four years after completing. It does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between University of Delaware and Texas Tech University is $1,342, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom is $16,122.
Job market context in the South
Graduates of Dietetics/Dietitian programs in the South enter occupations such as Dietitians and Nutritionists and Dietetic Technicians. Across those occupations the median annual wage is $58,254, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $49,451. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 10.3% higher, with 3,850 projected openings a year, about 507 openings a year for every hundred graduates, or more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses the earnings of graduates four years after completing, which is a different measure from the occupational wage figures reported here.
Related rankings
- Top Dietetics/Dietitian Programs in the United States
- Best Colleges in the South
- Best Dietetics/Dietitian Programs in the Midwest
- Best Dietetics/Dietitian Programs in the Northeast
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