Five universities with profiled nutrition programs serve the Philadelphia area: Temple, Drexel, and La Salle in the city, and Immaculata and West Chester in Chester County to the west. Between them they list 18 credentials. Published or derived prices run from about $10,600 for West Chester’s post-master’s internship certificate to about $118,200 for four years of Immaculata’s bachelor’s before scholarships, and durations run from 11 months to four years.
Temple’s MPH is a single graduate program that includes the supervised practice and takes applicants who have finished their prerequisite sciences. Immaculata and West Chester each pair a master’s with a dietetic internship that has its own application and expects a DPD verification statement. Drexel’s dietetics master’s programs are closed to applicants for 2026-27, and La Salle’s program pages say its Nutrition major is on pause, so neither is a current route for new applicants.
Nutrition Programs in Philadelphia: Comparison Table
| School | Credentials | Est. Cost | Format | RD Pathway |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temple University Philadelphia | MPH in Nutrition: 48 credits, ACEND graduate program | $59,952 resident; $82,128 non-resident (derived, tuition only) | Campus | Yes: the MPH itself, 1,000 practice hours included |
| Immaculata University Immaculata | B.S. Nutrition and Dietetics: DPD Dietetics Bridge M.S. with Dietetic Internship: 39 credits Online M.S. Clinical Nutrition: non-RD 3+2 B.S./M.S. | M.S./Internship $28,470 tuition (derived); online M.S. $21.9K; B.S. $118.2K over four years before scholarships | Hybrid (M.S./Internship); Online (M.S.); Campus (B.S.) | Yes: the M.S./Internship, after a DPD |
| West Chester University West Chester | B.S. Nutrition, Dietetics: DPD M.S. Community Nutrition: non-RD M.S. with Dietetic Internship: 42 credits Post-Master’s Internship Certificate: 15 credits | M.S./Internship about $29.6K in-state, $31.0K out-of-state; B.S. about $12.1K a year in-state (derived) | Campus (B.S.); Online coursework with student-arranged practice (M.S./Internship) | Yes: the M.S./Internship or the certificate, after a DPD |
| Drexel University Philadelphia | M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics, M.S. Human Nutrition (two tracks), B.S.: closed to applicants Ph.D. Nutrition Sciences: no closure shown | M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics about $73.5K when open (derived) | Campus; Online (Human Nutrition DPD track) | Not currently: master’s programs closed for 2026-27; the Ph.D. is not an RD route |
| La Salle University Philadelphia | B.S. Nutrition: DPD 5-Year B.S./M.S.: Coordinated Program | B.S. $40,500 a year; graduate portion $43,875 (derived) | Campus | Not currently: major on pause; Coordinated Program is the RD route when open |
Costs are each profile’s published or derived totals at 2026-27 rates. West Chester’s graduate figures use the online-category rate that its own internship page applies, and Temple’s resident price requires 12 continuous months in Pennsylvania before enrolling. Other Pennsylvania programs are on the Pennsylvania nutrition programs page.
Which Philadelphia Nutrition Program Fits You
Choose Temple if you have finished the prerequisite sciences and want the dietetics sequence and a public health master’s in one fall-start degree. Placements are assigned across greater Philadelphia, though they are unpaid and cannot be chosen.
Choose Immaculata if you hold or are finishing a DPD verification statement and want the master’s and internship at one private university. Every one of the 39 credits must be taken there, and the second year requires living near Philadelphia.
Choose West Chester if you want online graduate coursework at a public price and can arrange your own supervised-practice sites where you live. The three-day on-site orientation and the cost of finding preceptors fall on you.
Drexel and La Salle are not current options for new dietetics applicants. Drexel’s master’s programs are closed for 2026-27, and La Salle’s Nutrition major is on pause, so confirm with either school before planning around them.
Philadelphia Nutrition Schools
Temple University
Philadelphia; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Barnett College of Public Health; campus-based.
- MPH in Nutrition: 48 credits, about 21 months, 1,000 supervised hours
- All prerequisites (two chemistry, two biology, organic chemistry, biochemistry, anatomy and physiology, nutrition) before starting
The start is fall only, with Early Action on November 1 and a March 1 regular deadline. ACEND’s pages show candidacy in December 2020 and full accreditation after a 2024 site visit, with a directory term to 2031. Temple’s pages disagree on the clinical hours, 360 or 280, so the total is 1,000 or 920. Full Temple profile.
Immaculata University
Immaculata; Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences; campus, online, and hybrid options.
- M.S. in Clinical Nutrition with Dietetic Internship: 39 credits, two years, 1,000 hours, $730 per credit
- B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics (DPD), a Dietetics Bridge for bachelor’s holders, and a 3+2 accelerated route
- Online M.S. in Clinical Nutrition: 30 credits, makes no RD claim
ACEND lists the internship as a Dietetic Internship whose completion requires a master’s, not a Coordinated Program, with terms to June 2028 per the directory. The DICAS deadline for the next summer start was October 1, 2026, with a spring window on February 1 if spots remain. Full Immaculata profile.
West Chester University
West Chester; Department of Nutrition, College of Health Sciences; campus and online options.
- M.S. in Community Nutrition with Dietetic Internship: 42 credits, about two years, at least 1,000 hours at student-arranged sites
- Post-Master’s Dietetic Internship Certificate: 15 credits, 11 months, summer entry
- B.S. in Nutrition, Dietetics Concentration (DPD), and a standalone online M.S. that is not an RD route
The internship takes up to 36 interns a year, with a DICAS and graduate application deadline of January 15. ACEND shows full accreditation for the DPD to 2032 and the internship to 2029. The 2026-27 rates come from the bursar tool, while the school’s own cost page still shows 2025-26 figures. Full West Chester profile.
Drexel University
Philadelphia; Department of Nutrition Sciences, College of Nursing and Health Professions; campus and online.
- M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics (Future Education Model, 63 quarter credits) and two M.S. Human Nutrition tracks: closed for 2026-27
- B.S. Nutrition and Foods and the B.S./M.S. bridge: closed since 2023-24
- Ph.D. Nutrition Sciences: 90 quarter credits, no RD route
ACEND’s directory still lists the graduate program and the DPD with terms to 2031, and a 2019 teach-out notice for the DPD sits oddly with that. Anyone reading older listings should treat the master’s programs as closed until Drexel says otherwise. Full Drexel profile.
La Salle University
Philadelphia; Urban Public Health and Nutrition, School of Nursing and Health Sciences; campus-based.
- B.S. in Nutrition (DPD) and the 5-year B.S./M.S. Coordinated Program: both on pause per the school’s program pages
- Coordinated Program: 45 graduate credits at $975, more than 1,000 integrated practice hours
Enrolled students can finish on time, and ACEND shows both programs accredited to 2033 after a January 2026 site visit. The handbooks and catalog still describe admission as ongoing, so the pause date and its effect on post-baccalaureate entry are unclear. Full La Salle profile.
How to Choose a Nutrition Program in Philadelphia
Which programs carry the credential
Temple’s MPH completes the master’s and supervised practice in one program. Immaculata’s and West Chester’s master’s tracks do the same but require a DPD first and a separate competitive application. Immaculata’s and West Chester’s bachelor’s degrees give a verification statement only.
Starting point
Temple needs no DPD but needs every prerequisite science finished before the first fall. Immaculata’s Bridge and West Chester’s declaration of intent let a bachelor’s holder in another field add the DPD courses without a second degree.
Cost architecture
Temple charges $1,249 per credit for residents and $1,711 for others. Immaculata charges a single $730 per credit, and West Chester’s online category is $704.22 in-state and $737.22 out-of-state. Immaculata’s total is for tuition alone, and West Chester’s internship sites are arranged and paid for by the intern.
Timing
Temple starts only in fall. West Chester’s internship tracks use a January 15 deadline and its certificate starts in summer. Immaculata’s M.S./Internship starts in summer, and its fall DICAS date of October 1, 2026 has passed.
Before applying in Philadelphia, confirm the admission status of Drexel and La Salle directly, and check each program’s term with ACEND. For Penn State, Pitt, Cedar Crest, and other Pennsylvania programs, see the Pennsylvania nutrition programs page.