Two New Hampshire schools offer nutrition degrees: the University of New Hampshire in Durham and Keene State College in Keene. In-state tuition runs about $12K a year at Keene State and $16.3K at UNH, against roughly $24.4K and $38K respectively for out-of-state students. Bachelor’s degrees take four years; UNH’s dietetics master’s runs four semesters.
Both schools hold ACEND accreditation at the undergraduate level, but only UNH continues into supervised practice. Its Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics is accredited and includes the practice hours, so a student can complete the entire route to the credential without leaving the state. Keene State’s option is accredited didactic coursework and also opens the technician credential.
Nutrition Programs in New Hampshire — Comparison Table
| School | Credentials | Est. Cost | Format | RD Pathway |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of New Hampshire Durham |
BS Nutrition — 128 credits, options in Dietetics (accredited DPD), Health and Wellness, and Nutritional Sciences DPD graduate certificate — two semesters, post-baccalaureate MS Nutrition and Dietetics — 52 credits, four semesters, accredited MS Nutrition — 32 credits MS Nutritional Sciences — thesis |
~$16.3K/year in-state ~$38K/year out-of-state ~$28.5K New England Regional rate ~$33.9K total for the dietetics master’s |
Campus based in Durham | Yes — accredited at both the didactic and the supervised practice stage |
| Keene State College Keene |
BS Health Sciences, Nutrition and Dietetics option — accredited DPD | ~$12K/year in-state ~$24.4K/year out-of-state plus ~$3.1K mandatory fees |
Campus based in Keene | Partly — accredited coursework only; supervised practice completed elsewhere |
Costs are annual tuition figures and exclude room, meals, and most fees unless noted. The University System of New Hampshire has held in-state undergraduate tuition flat for several consecutive years. Verify current rates with each school before applying.
Which New Hampshire Nutrition Program Fits You
Choose UNH’s Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics if you want the credential without a separate internship match. The four-semester program combines coursework with over 1,000 hours of supervised practice across clinical, community, and food service settings, and carries a $10,000 first-year teaching stipend — unusual in nutrition programs.
Choose UNH’s Nutrition BS if you are starting from high school. The Dietetics option is the accredited didactic route and feeds directly into the university’s own master’s. The Health and Wellness and Nutritional Sciences options serve students heading toward research or wellness work rather than the credential.
Choose UNH’s DPD graduate certificate if you already hold a degree in something else. It runs two semesters once prerequisites are complete and produces the verification statement a career changer needs, without repeating a bachelor’s.
Choose Keene State if you want a smaller campus and the lowest in-state rate. Its Nutrition and Dietetics option is accredited and combines food and nutrition coursework with health promotion, community health, and management. Graduates can also pursue the Nutrition and Dietetic Technician credential directly.
New Hampshire Nutrition Schools
University of New Hampshire
UNH’s Agriculture, Nutrition, and Food Systems department in Durham covers every stage of the dietetics route, which few universities of its size do.
- BS Nutrition — 128 credits, with Dietetics, Health and Wellness, and Nutritional Sciences options; the Dietetics option is the accredited DPD
- DPD graduate certificate — two semesters for existing bachelor’s holders, covering nutritional biochemistry, community nutrition, clinical nutrition, medical nutrition therapy, and a supervised practicum
- MS Nutrition and Dietetics — 52 credits, four semesters, ACEND-accredited, over 1,000 supervised practice hours
- MS Nutrition — 32 credits, ten courses, completable in one year full-time, STEM-designated
- MS Nutritional Sciences — thesis-based, for students heading toward doctoral study
Two things stand out. The dietetics master’s pays a $10,000 first-year teaching stipend, which materially changes the cost calculation against the roughly $33.9K program tuition. And the department offers three separate entry points to the same credential — freshman, career changer, and post-DPD — so someone arriving from any background has a route.
Read the published figures carefully. UNH states that roughly 95 to 100 percent of its DPD certificate students who apply to internships are accepted in their final semester, which is a school-reported figure. The “80 percent complete within 32 months” number attached to the master’s is an ACEND programme objective — a target — not an outcome. Ask the department for current outcome data with the reporting period attached.
Keene State College
Keene State is a small public liberal arts college in southwest New Hampshire, part of the University System of New Hampshire. Its dietetics coursework sits inside a Health Sciences degree.
- BS Health Sciences, Nutrition and Dietetics option — ACEND-accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics
The curriculum blends food and nutrition with health promotion, community health, management, and the natural and social sciences, which makes it broader than a pure dietetics degree. The college is explicit that the major serves both students committed to the RDN and students who want a health sciences degree while they decide.
The distinctive point is the technician route. Graduates holding a DPD verification statement and a bachelor’s can sit the Nutrition and Dietetic Technician exam and enter practice as an NDTR without first completing an internship and master’s. That is a real second option, not a consolation prize, though the RDN still requires the full route elsewhere.
How to Choose a Nutrition Program in New Hampshire
Who supplies your supervised practice
This is the practical difference between the two schools. UNH runs the accredited master’s with practice hours built in, so its own graduates can continue in place. Keene State graduates hold accredited coursework and then compete for placement elsewhere, which adds an application cycle and some uncertainty about location.
Entering without a nutrition background
UNH’s DPD graduate certificate is the route for anyone who already holds a bachelor’s in another field. Two semesters after prerequisites produces the verification statement, which is considerably faster than a second undergraduate degree. Prerequisites must have been completed within the past ten years at a regionally accredited institution.
Cost, stipends, and the regional rate
In-state students benefit from a long-running system-wide tuition freeze, and the Granite Guarantee covers full in-state tuition for qualifying New Hampshire students. Out-of-state students should check the New England Regional Student Program, which brings UNH’s rate down to roughly $28.5K from about $38K for eligible majors. At graduate level, UNH’s $10,000 dietetics stipend offsets a meaningful share of programme cost.
The master’s requirement changed in 2024
Since January 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration has required a master’s degree in any field, plus a verification statement from an ACEND-accredited program, to sit for the RDN exam. Dietetic internships provide at least 1,200 hours of supervised practice. A New Hampshire bachelor’s alone no longer qualifies anyone, so plan the graduate step from the start.
Nutrition Licensure and Credentials in New Hampshire
New Hampshire requires licensure to practise as a dietitian. UNH states this directly in its own programme materials: graduates must obtain state licensure, separately from the national RDN credential issued by the Commission on Dietetic Registration.
The CDR requirements apply alongside it — an ACEND verification statement, a master’s degree, supervised practice hours, and a passing exam score. Because UNH covers both accredited stages, a New Hampshire student can satisfy the education and practice requirements in state. Confirm current licensure rules and fees with the relevant state board before relying on them.
Before applying, verify three things directly with the school: that the specific option you are entering is the accredited one, since both schools house dietetics inside broader degrees, that the tuition rate quoted matches the coming academic year, and — for UNH’s dietetics master’s — the current stipend terms and cohort size. Individual school profiles for these programs are in progress and will be linked here as they publish.