Best Dietitian programs in California, ranked by enrollment
Plan and conduct food service or nutritional programs to assist in the promotion of health and control of disease.
90 schools in California run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,638 people a year. The job pays a median of $98,850 in California across about 8,720 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in California that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
6 programs in California that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in California (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own California page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nutrition Sciencesmain feeder CIP 30.1901In California → | 1,102 | 67.3% | 18 | $30,508 | $24,586 |
| 2 | CIP 19.0501In California → | 367 | 22.4% | 67 | $32,286 | $25,275 |
| 3 | CIP 19.0505In California → | 72 | 4.4% | 13 | $32,286 | $25,275 |
| 4 | Dietetics/Dietitianmain feeder CIP 51.3101In California → | 52 | 3.2% | 4 | $33,554 | $24,625 |
| 5 | Human Nutritionmain feeder CIP 19.0504In California → | 30 | 1.8% | 3 | $32,286 | $25,275 |
| 6 | Clinical Nutrition/Nutritionistmain feeder CIP 51.3102In California → | 15 | 0.9% | 2 | $33,554 | $24,625 |
Top 25 schools in California
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 9 of the 90 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California - Davis Davis, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 153 | Nutrition Sciences | $34,512 | 86% | — | 42% |
| 2 | University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 126 | Nutrition Sciences | $35,161 | 93% | — | 11% |
| 3 | California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Pomona, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 120 | Nutrition Sciences | $34,384 | 68% | — | 75% |
| 4 | California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 93 | Nutrition Sciences | — | 69% | — | 46% |
| 5 | San Diego State University San Diego, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 84 | Nutrition Sciences | $34,878 | 76% | — | 36% |
| 6 | California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 75 | Nutrition Sciences | $31,096 | 53% | — | 91% |
| 7 | California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 74 | Nutrition Sciences | $22,675 | 86% | — | 31% |
| 8 | California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 73 | Nutrition Sciences | — | 56% | — | 94% |
| 9 | National Holistic Institute Emeryville, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 66 | Nutrition Sciences | — | 80% | $31,040 | — |
| 10 | San Jose State University San Jose, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 63 | Nutrition Sciences | — | 69% | — | 85% |
| 11 | San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 51 | Nutrition Sciences | $30,620 | 50% | — | 96% |
| 12 | California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 42 | Nutrition Sciences | — | 55% | — | 94% |
| 13 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 40 | Nutrition Sciences | — | 92% | $26,873 | 10% |
| 14 | California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 38 | Nutrition Sciences | — | 57% | — | 93% |
| 15 | California State University - Chico Chico, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 33 | Nutrition Sciences | $25,490 | 63% | — | 93% |
| 16 | Long Beach City College Long Beach, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 31 | Foods, Nutrition, and Wellness Studies, General | — | 30% | — | — |
| 17 | Loma Linda University Loma Linda, CA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 20 | Dietetics/Dietitian | — | — | — | — |
| 18 | Fullerton College Fullerton, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 19 | Foods, Nutrition, and Wellness Studies, General | — | 34% | — | — |
| 19 | California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 18 | Nutrition Sciences | $23,211 | 57% | — | 95% |
| 20 | Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 18 | Foods, Nutrition, and Wellness Studies, General | — | 36% | — | — |
| 21 | Mt San Antonio College Walnut, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 16 | Foods, Nutrition, and Wellness Studies, General | — | 45% | — | — |
| 22 | East Los Angeles College Monterey Park, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 15 | Foods, Nutrition, and Wellness Studies, General | — | 37% | — | — |
| 23 | Los Angeles City College Los Angeles, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 15 | Foodservice Systems Administration/Management | — | 29% | — | — |
| 24 | Los Angeles Mission College Sylmar, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 15 | Foods, Nutrition, and Wellness Studies, General | — | 20% | — | — |
| 25 | Fresno City College Fresno, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 14 | Foods, Nutrition, and Wellness Studies, General | — | 24% | — | — |
All 90 schools in California
Every school in California with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California - Davis | Davis | Public | 153 | 2 |
| University of California - Berkeley | Berkeley | Public | 126 | 1 |
| California State Polytechnic University - Pomona | Pomona | Public | 120 | 2 |
| California State University - Long Beach | Long Beach | Public | 93 | 2 |
| San Diego State University | San Diego | Public | 84 | 1 |
| California State University - Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Public | 75 | 1 |
| California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | Public | 74 | 1 |
| California State University - Sacramento | Sacramento | Public | 73 | 1 |
| National Holistic Institute | Emeryville | Private for-profit | 66 | 1 |
| San Jose State University | San Jose | Public | 63 | 1 |
| San Francisco State University | San Francisco | Public | 51 | 1 |
| California State University - San Bernardino | San Bernardino | Public | 42 | 1 |
| University of Southern California | Los Angeles | Private not-for-profit | 40 | 2 |
| California State University - Northridge | Northridge | Public | 38 | 1 |
| California State University - Chico | Chico | Public | 33 | 1 |
What dietitians and nutritionists earn in California
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $76,400. California pays above the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in California
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Dietitians and Nutritionists page.
How to become a Dietitian
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- On-the-job training
- Internship/residency
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in California
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 8 majors mapped to Dietitians and Nutritionists8 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 19.0501Foods, Nutrition, and Wellness Studies, General
- 19.0504Human Nutrition
- 19.0505Foodservice Systems Administration/Management
- 19.0599Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services, Other
- 30.1901Nutrition Sciences
- 51.3101Dietetics/Dietitian
- 51.3102Clinical Nutrition/Nutritionist
- 51.3199Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services, Other
Common questions
Answers for people weighing dietitians and nutritionists programs in California.
What degree do you need to become a Dietitian?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Nutrition Sciences, which awarded 1,102 degrees in California in 2024-25, 67.3% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Dietitian?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 6 programs to this occupation. The largest are Nutrition Sciences, Foods, Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services. Together they graduate about 1,638 people a year in California.
How much do dietitians and nutritionists earn in California?+
The median is $98,850 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 29.4% above the U.S. median of $76,400. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for dietitians and nutritionists growing?+
BLS projects a +5.5% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, faster than average, with roughly 6,200 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in California?+
90 institutions in California reported graduates from at least one of the 6 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do dietitians and nutritionists work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Dietitian, Nutritionist, Clinical Dietitian, Registered Dietitian among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 29-1031.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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