Sports nutrition programs teach how food, fluids, and supplements support training, performance, and recovery. At most colleges it is a concentration, track, or emphasis inside a nutrition or exercise degree, and a smaller number of schools offer a stand-alone degree or a graduate certificate. Each program in the table below is listed because the school’s own pages name a sports nutrition, sports dietetics, or nutrition and performance program, track, or concentration.
A sports nutrition degree and the registered dietitian credential are separate things. Many of these programs are not accredited by ACEND and do not make a graduate eligible for the RD exam. The Commission on Dietetic Registration’s board certification in sports dietetics is open only to registered dietitians, so students aiming for that title usually need an RD route first. The RD Pathway column describes each school’s route to the credential, which is not always the same program as the sports track.
Sports Nutrition Programs at 25 Schools
| School | Sports nutrition program | Credentials | RD Pathway | Format | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN | Graduate Certificate in Sport Nutrition (online) | BS, MS, Certificate | Yes via the M.S. with Dietetic Internship (after a DPD); structure changing | Online, Campus | $676/credit |
| Florida International University Miami, FL | M.S., sports nutrition specialization | BS, MS | Yes DPD + MS with embedded DI (internal only) | Campus | $257/credit |
| Florida State University Tallahassee, FL | Sports nutrition within the M.S. in Exercise Physiology | BS, MS | Yes DPD + DI paired with MS (2 specialization routes) | Campus | $215.55/credit |
| George Mason University Fairfax, VA | Nutrition and Performance concentration | MS, Certificate | Yes via the Dietetics concentration only | Campus | $667/credit |
| Graceland University Lamoni, IA | M.S. and graduate certificate, Nutrition and Human Performance | MS, Certificate | No | Online | $485/credit |
| Jacksonville State University Jacksonville, AL | Sports and performance nutrition emphasis | BS, MS, MSE, Certificate | Partial DPD only | Campus | $360–$443/credit |
| Johnson & Wales University Providence, RI | Sports Nutrition graduate micro-certificate (online) | BS, MS, Certificate | Yes via the M.S. Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND candidacy status) | Online, Hybrid, Campus | $842/credit |
| Liberty University Lynchburg, VA | M.S. Human Performance, Nutrition | BS, MS, MPH, Certificate | No no ACEND-accredited program | Online, Campus | $600/credit |
| Life University Marietta, GA | B.S. Nutrition, Sports Nutrition track | BS, MS | No confirmed pathway | Campus | $310/credit |
| Lipscomb University Nashville, TN | M.S. Nutrition and Dietetic Internship, Sports Nutrition concentration; Graduate Certificate in Sport and Exercise Nutrition | BS, MS, Certificate | Yes via the combined M.S. and Dietetic Internship (after a DPD) | Online, Hybrid, Campus | $1,065/credit |
| Manchester University Fort Wayne, IN | Performance Nutrition certificate (undergraduate) | BS, MS, Certificate | Yes via the M.S. in Nutrition and Nutrigenomics (ACEND graduate program) | Online | $850/credit |
| Missouri State University Springfield, MO | Sports Nutrition Certificate (undergraduate, 12 credits) | BS, MS, Certificate | Yes via the M.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics with the internship built in | Hybrid, Campus | $414/credit |
| Northwestern Health Sciences University Bloomington, MN | Graduate Certificate, Functional Sports and Performance Nutrition | MS, PhD, Certificate | No no ACEND-accredited program | Online | $545/credit |
| Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, FL | M.S. Nutrition, sports nutrition concentration | BS, MS | Yes DPD + MS-RDN (ACEND FG program, 67 credits) | Online, Hybrid, Campus | $1,350/credit |
| Purdue University West Lafayette, IN | B.S. Dietetics, Nutrition, Fitness and Health double major (sports dietetics groundwork) | BS, MS, PhD | Yes via the M.S. in Dietetics (graduate Coordinated Program) | Campus | $348/credit |
| Saint Louis University St. Louis, MO | M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics, Nutrition and Physical Performance concentration | BS, MS | Yes via the M.S. with the Dietetic Internship (after a DPD) | Campus | $1,450/credit |
| Simmons University Boston, MA | Sports Nutrition Graduate Certificate (online) | BS, MS, Certificate | Yes via the DPD, a master's degree, and the Dietetic Internship | Online, Hybrid, Campus | $1,330/credit |
| Teachers College, Columbia University New York, NY | M.S. Nutrition and Exercise Physiology (MS-RDN track) | MS, PhD | Yes via the Integrated MS-RDN Track | Campus | $2,216/credit |
| Texas Woman's University Denton, TX | M.S. Exercise and Sports Nutrition | BS, MS, PhD | Yes via the Denton M.S./Dietetic Internship or the Houston graduate program | Online, Hybrid, Campus | $323/credit |
| University of Arizona Tucson, AZ | B.S. Nutrition and Human Performance | BS, MS, PhD, Certificate | Yes P.S.M. Dietetics | Online, Hybrid, Campus | $406–$861/credit |
| University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MO | M.S. Nutrition, Sport Nutrition Option | MS | Yes via the M.S. Clinical Nutrition Option (ACEND graduate program) | Online, Hybrid | $450/credit |
| University of Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN | Dietetic Internship, Sport Nutrition concentration | MS, MPH | Partial the internship plus a separate or paired graduate degree | Online, Campus | $862/credit |
| Utah State University Logan, UT | B.S. Nutrition Science, Sport Nutrition emphasis | BS, MPH | Yes via the DPD then the online MDA | Online, Campus | $536/credit |
| Washington State University Spokane, WA | B.S./M.S./Ph.D. Nutrition and Exercise Physiology | BS, MS, PhD | Yes via the MS Coordinated Program in Dietetics | Hybrid, Campus | $562/credit |
| Weber State University Ogden, UT | B.S. Human Nutrition, Sports Dietetics emphasis | BS | No feeds into RD programs at other Utah schools | Online, Campus | $274/credit |
The table lists only schools with a profile on this site, so it is not every sports nutrition program in the country. Costs are per credit as published on each profile, and each school name links to the full profile with curriculum, admission, accreditation, and cost details.
How to Choose a Sports Nutrition Program
Decide whether you need the RD credential
If you want to work as a sports dietitian, look first at schools where the RD Pathway column shows a route, then check on the profile whether the sports track sits inside that route or beside it. If you want to coach, consult, or work in performance and fitness settings without the credential, a non-RD degree in nutrition and human performance can fit, but it will not qualify you to use the dietitian title.
Match the level to the role
The table mixes bachelor’s emphases, master’s concentrations, and graduate certificates. An emphasis inside a bachelor’s adds a few courses to a general nutrition degree. A stand-alone master’s or an exercise physiology degree with a nutrition focus goes deeper into the science. A graduate certificate is the shortest option for people who already hold a degree.
Look for hands-on experience
Ask each program how students work with athletes: supervised rotations, athletic department placements, research with performance labs, or only coursework. The profiles describe supervised practice where the school publishes it, and several note when the school does not state it.
Compare cost and delivery
Per-credit prices in the table range widely between public and private schools, and between resident and non-resident rates. The Format column shows whether a program is campus-based, online, or hybrid, and a few schools offer only part of the track online, so check the profile before assuming the whole program is available at a distance.