Two universities with nutrition programs serve the Atlanta area: Georgia State University in Atlanta and Life University in Marietta. Georgia State runs four credentials and Life one confirmed credential, with a graduate program whose status could not be confirmed. Published costs include $4,635 a semester in resident tuition for Georgia State’s B.S. (plus $660 in fees), $450 a credit for its online graduate programs, and a flat $310 a credit at Life for the bachelor’s. Durations run from 16 months for Georgia State’s Coordinated Program with a DPD verification statement to four years for the bachelor’s degrees.
The two schools differ sharply on the credential. Georgia State’s Coordinated Program is a fully accredited route that combines coursework and supervised practice, while its newer Graduate DPD holds ACEND candidacy and produces only a verification statement. Life University’s confirmed B.S. is explicitly not the RD pathway, and no current Life pathway to RD eligibility could be confirmed.
Nutrition Programs in Atlanta — Comparison Table
| School | Credentials | Est. Cost | Format | RD Pathway |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia State University Atlanta | B.S. Nutrition — 120 credits M.S. Health Sciences — 36 credits, not ACEND-accredited Coordinated Program in Dietetics — 61 or 81 credits Graduate DPD — 57 credits, ACEND candidacy | B.S. $4,635/semester resident plus $660 fees; M.S. and Graduate DPD $450/credit; Coordinated Program rate not published | Campus (B.S.); Online (M.S., Graduate DPD); Hybrid (Coordinated Program) | Yes — Coordinated Program, accredited through June 30, 2027; the Graduate DPD gives a verification statement only |
| Life University Marietta | B.S. Nutrition — Applied, Culinary, or Sports Nutrition tracks, 180 quarter credits, not ACEND-accredited M.S. Clinical Nutrition — not confirmed as currently offered | $310/credit flat plus a $497/quarter fee (private) | Campus | No confirmed pathway |
Costs are each profile’s published figures. Georgia State’s own pages contradict each other on graduate and online rates, so treat its $450 figure as unconfirmed. University of Georgia in Athens and Georgia Southern are on the Georgia nutrition programs page.
Which Atlanta Nutrition Program Fits You
Choose Georgia State if you want the RD credential in Atlanta. Its Coordinated Program admits students without prior DPD coursework, who complete additional hours (81 credits over 24 months, against 61 over 16 months with a verification statement), but the program states plainly that students should not work while enrolled full time.
Choose Life University if you want a campus-based nutrition bachelor’s with applied, culinary, or sports nutrition tracks and do not need the RD credential. Confirm directly whether any graduate or dietetics program currently exists, since Life’s own pages contradict each other.
Atlanta Nutrition Schools
Georgia State University
Atlanta; Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions; campus for the B.S., online or hybrid for the graduate programs.
- B.S. Nutrition — 120 credits, $4,635 a semester resident plus $660 in fees (2026-27)
- M.S. Health Sciences (non-Coordinated) — 36 credits, fully online, $450 per credit; not ACEND-accredited
- Coordinated Program in Dietetics — 61 credits with a DPD verification statement (16 months) or 81 without (24 months); hybrid, at least half online; ACEND accreditation through June 30, 2027
- Graduate DPD — 57 credits, fully online, 22 months full time or 42 part time; ACEND candidacy; verification statement only
Georgia State’s own pages, a Board of Regents rate change, and its general tuition schedule disagree on graduate and online rates, and no rate is published for the Coordinated Program itself. Published outcomes are targets, not achieved results. Full Georgia State profile.
Life University
Marietta; College of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies; campus-only.
- B.S. Nutrition — Applied, Culinary, or Sports Nutrition tracks, 180 quarter credits, $310 per credit flat plus a $497 quarterly fee; not ACEND-accredited
- M.S. Clinical Nutrition — last documented in an archived 2023-24 catalog (52 credits); absent from the current catalog, so not confirmed as offered
Life’s institutional accreditation page lists ACEND-accredited nutrition and dietetics and dietetic internship programs that appear nowhere in its current catalog, and that contradiction is unresolved. Full Life University profile.
How to Choose a Nutrition Program in Atlanta
Which programs carry the credential
Only Georgia State’s Coordinated Program is a fully accredited route to the credential in the metro. Its Graduate DPD, at candidacy, and its non-Coordinated M.S. do not include supervised practice, and Life’s confirmed B.S. is not an RD pathway.
Cost transparency
Georgia State’s graduate pricing is the hardest to pin down: no rate is published for the Coordinated Program, and its other pages conflict. Life bills a flat $310 a credit with no residency distinction, plus a $497 fee each quarter.
Format and workload
Georgia State’s Coordinated Program is hybrid, at least half online with the rest on the Atlanta campus, and its Graduate DPD is fully online. Life is campus-only. Plan for no outside work in the Coordinated Program.
Deadlines
The Coordinated Program’s deadline is February 1, with a late deadline of May 15. The Graduate DPD admits in the fall only, with a May 15 deadline.
Before applying in Atlanta, confirm three things directly: the rate Georgia State bills for its Coordinated Program, that program’s accreditation renewal beyond June 30, 2027, and whether Life University offers any graduate or dietetics program today. For other Georgia programs, see the Georgia nutrition programs page.