North Carolina · Foods

Best colleges for Foods in North Carolina

Ranked by graduate earnings

Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Meredith College award the most Foods degrees and certificates in North Carolina: 65, 48 and 42 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 8 North Carolina colleges offer Foods and award 242 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Foods program, officially titled Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services, is designed for individuals interested in exploring the multifaceted relationship between food and society. This program falls under the field of Family and…

Institutions
8
offering CIP 19.05
States offered
46
with a program page
Degrees / yr
242
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$23,633
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
2
College Scorecard
Median net price
$29,446
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
55%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Dietitians and Nutritionists
$69,050
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 2 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings

Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte
Charlotte Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$32,5866549%$29,446$27,000
2University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill Public · Bachelor's degree
$23,6334891%——

Colleges awarding the most Foods degrees in North Carolina

Top 8 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte
Charlotte Private not-for-profit
65$32,586
2University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill Public
48$23,633
3Meredith College
Raleigh Private not-for-profit
42Not reported
4Central Carolina Community College
Sanford Public
23Not reported
5North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro Public
21Not reported
6College of the Albemarle
Elizabeth City Public
17Not reported
7East Carolina University
Greenville Public
15Not reported
8Halifax Community College
Weldon Public
11Not reported

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Dietitians and Nutritionists (SOC 29-1031).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+5.5%
Faster than average
Openings / yr (US)
~6,200
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$73,850
typically Bachelor's degree

Top skills

Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingActive ListeningSpeakingMonitoringWriting

What Dietitians and Nutritionists earn in North Carolina

Jobs in North Carolina
2,780
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$69,050
median $67,560
Best-paying metro
$77,210
Fayetteville, NC

Related careers

First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
$46,550 avg · 39,750 jobs
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
$36,130 avg · 11,170 jobs
Food Service Managers
$76,550 avg · 9,420 jobs
Dietitians and Nutritionists
$69,050 avg · 2,780 jobs
Dietetic Technicians
$32,600 avg · 1,300 jobs
Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary
$80,370 avg · 290 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Foods programs in North Carolina.

Which North Carolina colleges award the most Foods degrees?+

Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte (65 graduates a year), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (48 graduates a year) and Meredith College (42 graduates a year) award the most Foods degrees and certificates in North Carolina, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 8 North Carolina colleges offer Foods.

Which Foods program in North Carolina has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte tops the list at $32,586. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Dietitians and Nutritionists earn in North Carolina?+

The average annual wage for Dietitians and Nutritionists in North Carolina is $69,050 (median $67,560), across about 2,780 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Foods program?+

The Foods program, officially titled Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services, is designed for individuals interested in exploring the multifaceted relationship between food and society. This program falls under the field of Family and…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop reading comprehension, critical thinking, active listening, speaking, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Dietitians and Nutritionists?+

The national job outlook is about +5.5% growth with around 6,200 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

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