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 the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally.
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 ranks 1st on this list, with median earnings of $63,799 for its Dietetics/Dietitian graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 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 the school's Dietetics/Dietitian completers report median earnings of $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 median earnings of $62,145 for its Dietetics/Dietitian graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Florida State University · Tallahassee, FL | $60,380 | $11,297 | $5,938 | 24.2% |
| Florida State University reports median earnings of $60,380 for its Dietetics/Dietitian graduates four years after completing and carries an average net price of $11,297. | |||||
| 5 | Georgia State University · Atlanta, GA | $56,263 | $15,931 | $13,787 | 55.4% |
| Georgia State University ranks 44th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Dietetics/Dietitian graduates earn a median of $56,263 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 median earnings of $55,840 for its Dietetics/Dietitian graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | University of North Florida · Jacksonville, FL | $54,952 | $10,154 | $6,647 | 53.2% |
| University of North Florida reports median earnings of $54,952 for its Dietetics/Dietitian graduates four years after completing, with 53 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 8 | Northeastern State University · Tahlequah, OK | $54,484 | $12,710 | $10,598 | 99.6% |
| Northeastern State University has an average net price of $12,710 and reports median earnings of $54,484 for its Dietetics/Dietitian graduates 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, while its Dietetics/Dietitian completers earn a median of $53,622 four years after graduating. | |||||
| 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 median earnings of $52,470 for its Dietetics/Dietitian graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | East Carolina University · Greenville, NC | $52,463 | $15,739 | $10,046 | 89.2% |
| East Carolina University admits 89% of applicants, and its Dietetics/Dietitian graduates earn a median of $52,463 four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | University of Southern Mississippi · Hattiesburg, MS | $50,957 | $21,708 | $19,867 | 99.1% |
| University of Southern Mississippi reports median earnings of $50,957 for its Dietetics/Dietitian graduates four years after completing and carries an average net price of $21,708. | |||||
| 13 | Appalachian State University · Boone, NC | $50,403 | $16,836 | $9,325 | 90.1% |
| Appalachian State University ranks 13th on this list, with median earnings of $50,403 for its Dietetics/Dietitian graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 14 | Nicholls State University · Thibodaux, LA | $47,677 | $12,947 | $10,714 | 90.8% |
| Nicholls State University posts an average net price of $12,947 and a median federal debt of $22,675 across all of its borrowers who completed. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Dietetics/Dietitian graduates four years after completing, highest first. 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.
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- Best Colleges in the South
- Best Dietetics/Dietitian Programs in the Midwest
- Best Dietetics/Dietitian Programs in the Northeast
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