Three universities with profiled nutrition programs serve Buffalo: the University at Buffalo (SUNY), SUNY Buffalo State University, and D’Youville University. Between them they run 12 credentials, from about $15,200 for Buffalo State’s online M.S. studied part time (derived) to about $176,900 for D’Youville’s five-year B.S./M.S. (derived and unconfirmed). Durations run from one year for Buffalo State’s online M.S. for registered dietitians to five years for the combined degrees.
Each school has one integrated route to the RD credential that builds supervised practice into a master’s, so none requires a separate internship match. They are three different ACEND types: a Future Education Model Clinical Nutrition M.S. at UB, a Future Education Model Combined Pathway at Buffalo State, and a Coordinated Program at D’Youville. Buffalo State is the only one of the three that also runs a Didactic Program in Dietetics.
Nutrition Programs in Buffalo — Comparison Table
| School | Credentials | Est. Cost | Format | RD Pathway |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University at Buffalo Buffalo | M.S. Clinical Nutrition — ACEND graduate program, 55 credits B.S. Nutrition Science — 126 credits M.S. Nutrition and Ph.D. Nutrition Science — research Exercise Science B.S./Nutrition M.S. — non-RD | Clinical Nutrition M.S. $32.2K to $33.6K in-state, $65.2K to $68.5K out-of-state (derived, with fees) | Campus | Yes — the Clinical Nutrition M.S. only |
| SUNY Buffalo State Buffalo | Dietetics Combined Pathway — B.S. and M.S., ACEND graduate program B.S. Nutrition and Dietetics — DPND M.S. Dietetics — online, 30 credits Food literacy microcredentials | Pathway about $37.4K in-state tuition; online M.S. about $15.2K part time (derived) | Hybrid (pathway); Campus (B.S.); Online (M.S.) | Yes — the pathway; the B.S. gives a verification statement only |
| D’Youville University Buffalo | M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics — Coordinated Program, 4 semesters B.S./M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics — five years Nutrition Minor | M.S. $68.9K (53 credits at $1,300, derived); B.S./M.S. about $176.9K (derived, unconfirmed) | Campus | Yes — either Coordinated Program route |
Costs are each profile’s published or derived totals at 2026-27 rates and are not like for like: UB and Buffalo State are public with resident and non-resident rates, while D’Youville is private with one rate. Other New York programs are on the New York nutrition programs page.
Which Buffalo Nutrition Program Fits You
Choose the University at Buffalo if you hold a bachelor’s in any major with the science prerequisites and want one two-year master’s that delivers the credential at SUNY rates. It takes a full-time cohort in the fall only, and it does not publish its total supervised-practice hours.
Choose Buffalo State if you are entering as an undergraduate and want the practice and the master’s built into a state-university pathway that starts in the junior year. It takes up to 16 students a year, places them in Western New York sites, and its online M.S. serves interns and registered dietitians.
Choose D’Youville if you want a private-university Coordinated Program as either a four-semester M.S. or a five-year B.S./M.S. that guarantees a seat if standards are met. The cohort is capped at 30, and students arrange one specialty rotation themselves.
Buffalo Nutrition Schools
University at Buffalo
Buffalo; Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Professions; campus-based.
- M.S. Clinical Nutrition — 55 credits, two years, fall start, ACEND graduate program
- B.S. Nutrition Science — 126 credits, supplies the prerequisites for the master’s
- Nutrition M.S. and Ph.D. — research tracks, non-RD
The master’s replaced UB’s former M.S. plus Dietetic Internship, and its rotations run up to 60 miles from campus. UB’s combined Exercise Science B.S./Nutrition M.S. does not lead to RD eligibility. Full University at Buffalo profile.
SUNY Buffalo State University
Buffalo; Health, Nutrition, and Dietetics Department; campus, with an online master’s.
- Dietetics Combined Pathway — B.S. and M.S., 1,000 hours of program-placed practice
- B.S. Nutrition and Dietetics — DPND, verification statement only
- M.S. Dietetics — online, 30 credits, mainly for interns and registered dietitians
Buffalo State’s former Coordinated Program closed with a teach-out effective May 19, 2022 and became the pathway. A car is usually needed. Full Buffalo State profile.
D’Youville University
Buffalo; Nutrition and Dietetics Program, School of Health Professions; campus-based, private.
- M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics — Coordinated Program, 50 or 53 credits, four semesters
- B.S./M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics — five years, with a Gannon University 3+3 agreement
The Coordinated Program has been accredited since 1989 and holds more than 1,000 practice hours at over 50 sites. D’Youville’s pages disagree on the credit total, which changes the M.S. cost by $3,900. Full D’Youville profile.
How to Choose a Nutrition Program in Buffalo
Which programs carry the credential
The UB master’s, the Buffalo State pathway, and D’Youville’s Coordinated Program all lead to exam eligibility with practice included. UB’s B.S., research degrees, and combined degree, Buffalo State’s B.S. alone, and the online M.S. for outsiders do not.
Entry point
UB and D’Youville’s M.S. take bachelor’s holders with prerequisites, while Buffalo State’s pathway is entered as an undergraduate in the junior year and D’Youville also offers a five-year B.S./M.S. from the start.
Cost architecture
The two SUNY schools bill graduate residents $471 per credit, while D’Youville bills $1,300. Buffalo State says 12 of its 30 graduate credits bill at undergraduate rates, which its bursar page does not confirm.
Timing
UB’s fall 2027 Early Assurance deadline is November 1, 2026 and its final deadline March 1, 2027. Buffalo State posts pathway application information by December 1, and D’Youville reviews on a rolling basis. All three start in the fall.
Before applying in Buffalo, confirm each program’s supervised-practice hours and travel, since UB publishes no total, and confirm ACEND terms, which could not be read for UB and Buffalo State. For Cornell, NYU, and other New York programs, see the New York nutrition programs page.