Nutrition Sciences: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 51 college programs, at a typical net price.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
What Nutrition Sciences pays
Career outlook for Nutrition Sciences graduates
The job market for the occupations Nutrition Sciences graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health specialties teachers, postsecondary | 289,600 | +17.3% | $105,620 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Natural sciences managers | 104,300 | +3.7% | $161,180 | Bachelor's degree |
| Dietitians and nutritionists | 90,900 | +5.5% | $73,850 | Bachelor's degree |
| Biological science teachers, postsecondary | 66,000 | +7.3% | $83,460 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Biological scientists, all other | 63,700 | +1.2% | $93,330 | Bachelor's degree |
| Dietetic technicians | 30,900 | +2.5% | $37,040 | Associate's degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Nutrition Sciences vs similar majors
How Nutrition Sciences stacks up against the closest fields in Interdisciplinary Studies on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Nutrition Sciences Interdisciplinary Studies · this major | Human Computer Interaction | Systems Science and Theory | Mathematics and Computer Science | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 39 D | 84 A | 90 A | 92 A |
| ROI verdict | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $59,366 | $122,421 | $110,759 | $93,003 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $34,795 | $76,324 | $69,716 | $56,140 |
| ROI vs cost | +73% | +806% | +710% | +502% |
| Typical debt | $30,724 | $36,897 | $25,199 | $21,409 |
| Colleges offering it | 51 | 7 | 4 | 2 |
Nutrition Sciences earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Nutrition Sciences
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA | Associate's | $77,253 | $14,177 | +904% | Strong return |
| 2 | University of Georgia Athens, GA | Associate's | $76,767 | $21,205 | +792% | Strong return |
| 3 | University of California-Davis Davis, CA | Associate's | $65,993 | $14,166 | +506% | Strong return |
| 4 | Boston University Boston, MA | Associate's | $68,485 | — | +381% | Strong return |
| 5 | University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI | Associate's | $65,131 | $20,500 | +377% | Strong return |
| 6 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL | Associate's | $60,715 | $20,500 | +361% | Strong return |
| 7 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC | Associate's | $62,347 | $20,405 | +313% | Strong return |
| 8 | Texas Woman's University Denton, TX | Associate's | $56,603 | $21,500 | +265% | Strong return |
| 9 | Russell Sage College Troy, NY | Associate's | $61,513 | — | +260% | Strong return |
| 10 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN | Associate's | $58,915 | $20,000 | +241% | Strong return |
| 11 | Cornell University Ithaca, NY | Associate's | $66,100 | $13,250 | +239% | Strong return |
| 12 | University of Vermont Burlington, VT | Associate's | $60,462 | $19,500 | +238% | Strong return |
| 13 | Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY | Certificate | $80,136 | $64,900 | +219% | Strong return |
| 14 | Texas Woman's University Denton, TX | Certificate | $62,487 | $20,500 | +216% | Strong return |
| 15 | University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, CT | Associate's | $54,730 | $26,603 | +209% | Strong return |
| 16 | Michigan State University East Lansing, MI | Associate's | $59,642 | $23,170 | +206% | Strong return |
| 17 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus Durham, NH | Associate's | $61,382 | $27,000 | +185% | Strong return |
| 18 | University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY | Certificate | $68,645 | — | +182% | Strong return |
| 19 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH | Associate's | $59,069 | — | +174% | Strong return |
| 20 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC | Certificate | $56,984 | — | +173% | Strong return |
| 21 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ | Associate's | $60,545 | $23,124 | +172% | Strong return |
| 22 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC | Professional | $56,905 | — | +171% | Strong return |
| 23 | University of Arizona Tucson, AZ | Associate's | $56,205 | $23,000 | +169% | Strong return |
| 24 | University of Connecticut-Avery Point Groton, CT | Associate's | $54,730 | $26,603 | +161% | Strong return |
| 25 | Brigham Young University Provo, UT | Associate's | $53,076 | — | +159% | Strong return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.