Virginia has six schools with nutrition-related programs: Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, George Mason in Fairfax, James Madison in Harrisonburg, Radford, Virginia State in Petersburg, and Liberty in Lynchburg. Resident undergraduate tuition and fees run from about $10.7K a year at Virginia State to about $17.1K at Virginia Tech, and the RD-track master’s programs run from $590 a credit at James Madison to about $928 at Virginia Tech. Programs range from 17-month direct-entry master’s degrees to four-year bachelor’s degrees.
Five of the six lead toward the RD credential, but no two use the same route. Virginia Tech, George Mason, and James Madison each run a graduate program that builds supervised practice into a master’s degree, though James Madison’s holds ACEND candidacy rather than full accreditation. Virginia State and Radford offer bachelor’s-level Didactic Programs in Dietetics that still need a graduate degree and an internship afterward, and all of Liberty’s nutrition degrees are non-RD.
Nutrition Programs in Virginia — Comparison Table
| School | Credentials | Est. Cost | Format | RD Pathway |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Tech Blacksburg | B.S. Nutrition and Dietetics — ACEND DPD, 120 credits M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics — 51 credits, 17 or 22 months Dietetic Internship — separate, 1,000 hours M.S. and Ph.D. HNFE — research, non-RD | ~$17.1K/yr in-state, ~$40.2K/yr out-of-state (undergraduate); graduate $928/credit in-state, $1,866 out-of-state | Campus; Hybrid (internship) | Yes — M.S., or internship plus a graduate degree |
| George Mason University Fairfax | M.S. Nutrition, Dietetics concentration — ACEND graduate program, 45 credits M.S. Nutrition, four other concentrations — 39 credits, non-RD Graduate Certificate — 18 credits No bachelor’s degree | $667/credit in-state, $1,628 out-of-state (graduate) | Campus | Yes — Dietetics concentration only |
| James Madison University Harrisonburg | M.S. Applied Nutrition — ACEND candidacy, 47 credits B.S. Dietetics — ACEND DPD concentration | ~$14.8K/yr in-state, ~$32.6K/yr out-of-state (undergraduate); graduate $590/credit in-state, $1,130 out-of-state | Hybrid (M.S.); Campus (B.S.) | Yes — M.S., at candidacy status |
| Virginia State University Petersburg | B.S. Family and Consumer Science, Dietetics — ACEND DPD, 121 credits Certificate in Nutrition and Dietetics — 42 credits Dietetic Internship — with a 16-credit graduate certificate No master’s degree | ~$10.7K/yr in-state, ~$24.0K/yr out-of-state (undergraduate); internship $8,500 | Campus | Yes — DPD, a graduate degree from elsewhere, then its internship |
| Radford University Radford | B.S. Foods and Nutrition — Nutrition and Dietetics concentration is an ACEND DPD, 120 credits No master’s or internship | $369/credit in-state tuition, $953 out-of-state; ~$13.0K/yr in-state full time (2025-26) | Campus | Not directly — DPD, then an outside internship and graduate degree |
| Liberty University Lynchburg | B.S. Public Health – Nutrition — residential M.P.H. Nutrition — 42 credits M.S. Nutrition — 36 credits M.S. Human Performance – Nutrition — 35 credits M.S. Exercise Science and Wellness – Nutrition and Wellness — 33 credits Graduate Certificate — 15 credits | Private: online graduate $600/credit ($310 military); residential undergraduate ~$25.4K/yr | Online (most master’s); Campus (B.S.) | No — no ACEND-accredited program |
Figures are each school’s 2026-27 rates, except Radford’s full-time figure, which is 2025-26. Undergraduate figures include mandatory fees, and per-credit graduate figures are tuition only. Confirm current rates and accreditation status directly, since James Madison’s master’s holds candidacy and several schools’ own pages conflict on details.
Which Virginia Nutrition Program Fits You
Choose Virginia Tech if you want the widest choice of RD routes from one department. It offers a DPD, a 17-month direct-entry master’s, a 22-month accelerated B.S./M.S. for its own majors, and a separate internship, all with full ACEND accreditation.
Choose George Mason if you already hold a bachelor’s and want a stand-alone RD master’s in Northern Virginia. Only its Dietetics concentration leads to the credential, with at least 1,155 supervised-practice hours built in, while the other concentrations are non-RD.
Choose James Madison if you want a small full-time cohort and are comfortable with a program at ACEND candidacy. It admits at most 15 students a year into a 47-credit master’s with at least 1,000 practice hours, at $590 a credit.
Choose Virginia State if you want a public, in-state route that includes its own ACEND-accredited internship. It runs a DPD, a 42-credit post-baccalaureate certificate, and the internship, but no master’s degree, so applicants bring a graduate degree from elsewhere.
Choose Radford if you want an in-person bachelor’s with a DPD and plan to find the master’s and internship elsewhere. It publishes no cohort size or dated outcomes, so ask the department for current results.
Choose Liberty if you want a flexible online nutrition or public health nutrition credential and are not pursuing the RD. It offers an M.P.H., three master’s degrees, and a certificate with eight start dates a year, and none leads to RD eligibility.
Virginia Nutrition Schools
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg; Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise; campus-based, with a hybrid internship.
- B.S. Nutrition and Dietetics — 120 credits, the ACEND DPD
- M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics — 51 credits, 17 months direct entry or 22 months accelerated, with supervised practice built in
- Dietetic Internship — 1,000 hours, 24 positions, $10,000 program fee
- M.S. and Ph.D. in Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise — research, non-RD
All three RD components hold full ACEND accreditation. The M.S. publishes targets rather than results, and Virginia Tech’s pages give two GPAs, 2.8 and 3.0, for the DPD verification statement. Full Virginia Tech profile.
George Mason University
Fairfax; Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, College of Public Health; graduate-only and campus-based.
- M.S. Nutrition, Dietetics concentration — 45 credits, ACEND Future Education Model graduate program
- M.S. Nutrition, four non-RD concentrations — Community Nutrition, Nutrition and Performance, General Nutrition, Research; 39 credits
- Graduate Certificate in Nutrition — 18 credits
George Mason has no bachelor’s degree in nutrition, only minors, and the dietetics concentration admits for fall only. ACEND granted candidacy in April 2022 and full accreditation in October 2025, and Mason’s own pages disagree on the program’s length. Full George Mason profile.
James Madison University
Harrisonburg; Department of Health Professions; a hybrid master’s and a campus bachelor’s.
- M.S. Applied Nutrition — 47 credits, about two years, at most 15 students a year
- B.S. Dietetics — the Professional Nutrition and Dietetics concentration is the ACEND DPD
The M.S. holds ACEND candidacy from July 2023, and no later decision to full accreditation was found. ACEND says graduates of a candidacy program have the same rights as graduates of an accredited one, and no outcome data is published yet. James Madison’s own pages disagree on credits, capstone versus thesis, and total cost. Full James Madison profile.
Virginia State University
Petersburg; Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, College of Agriculture; a campus-based public HBCU.
- B.S. Family and Consumer Science, Dietetics concentration — 121 credits, the DPD, capped at 30 students
- Certificate in Nutrition and Dietetics — 42 credits, a post-baccalaureate DPD
- Dietetic Internship with a 16-credit Food and Nutrition Science graduate certificate — ACEND-accredited, $8,500
Virginia State has no master’s program, so internship applicants bring a graduate degree from elsewhere. Its internship pages conflict on hours (over 1,000 versus 1,200) and on admission requirements. Full Virginia State profile.
Radford University
Radford; Department of Health and Human Performance; in-person.
- B.S. Foods and Nutrition — 120 credits; the Nutrition and Dietetics concentration is the ACEND DPD, and a Foods and Nutrition concentration issues no verification statement
Radford has no master’s, coordinated program, or current internship. It advertises 100% internship placement and an 84% first-time exam pass rate, but the only dated source defines the 100% as every senior who applied, about eight students in 2020. Full Radford profile.
Liberty University
Lynchburg; Department of Public Health; online for most master’s programs and campus for the B.S.
- B.S. Public Health – Nutrition — 120 credits, residential only
- M.P.H. Nutrition — 42 credits; M.S. Nutrition — 36 credits, 100% online
- M.S. Human Performance – Nutrition — 35 credits, with two required residential intensives online
- M.S. Exercise Science and Wellness – Nutrition and Wellness — 33 credits; Graduate Certificate — 15 credits
No Liberty program is ACEND-accredited, and its M.S. in Nutrition FAQ says that degree does not lead to RD certification. CEPH accredits Liberty’s public health program as a whole, not the nutrition coursework specifically. Full Liberty profile.
How to Choose a Nutrition Program in Virginia
RD or not
Five of Virginia’s six schools lead toward the RD credential and one does not. Liberty’s nutrition degrees are all non-RD, so a student choosing among them will not qualify for the registration exam on those degrees alone.
Program structure and length
The five RD routes differ in how much is bundled. Virginia Tech, George Mason, and James Madison put coursework and supervised practice into one master’s, from 17 months at Virginia Tech to about two years at James Madison. Virginia State and Radford stop at a bachelor’s DPD, so a graduate degree and an internship match still come afterward, and Virginia Tech and Virginia State also run stand-alone internships.
Accreditation status
Virginia Tech and George Mason hold full ACEND accreditation for their graduate programs, and James Madison holds candidacy. Radford’s only ACEND entry is a January 2021 decision for its DPD, with no term date published. ACEND says graduates of a candidacy program have the same rights as graduates of an accredited one.
Cost architecture
Public undergraduate costs for residents run from about $10.7K a year at Virginia State to about $17.1K at Virginia Tech, including fees. Graduate rates run from $590 a credit at James Madison to $928 at Virginia Tech, and Virginia Tech’s full-time cap lowers its semester cost for heavy course loads. Out-of-state rates are roughly double at the public schools, while Liberty prices by enrollment level rather than residency and offers a $310 online graduate military rate.
Delivery and pacing
Almost every RD route is in person, and Virginia Tech’s graduate program requires relocating to the Blacksburg and Roanoke region. Liberty is the exception, with online or mostly online options, but none leads to the credential. James Madison’s master’s mixes one online course, several hybrid courses, and off-site practicums.
Entry point
George Mason, James Madison, and Virginia Tech’s direct-entry track start at the master’s level for applicants who already hold a bachelor’s, and James Madison accepts any major once eight prerequisites are done. Virginia State’s 42-credit certificate DPD offers a similar route for career changers who need the didactic coursework first.
Nutrition Licensure and Credentials in Virginia
Three Virginia schools state on their own pages that Virginia does not currently license dietitians. The Commission on Dietetic Registration’s requirements still apply to the national credential: an ACEND verification statement, a master’s degree, supervised practice, and a passing exam score. Confirm current rules with the Virginia Department of Health Professions.
Before applying in Virginia, verify four things directly: James Madison’s current ACEND status, since its master’s holds candidacy; Virginia State’s internship requirements, since its pages conflict; Radford’s current outcomes, since its advertised figures are undated; and the DPD verification GPA at Virginia Tech, which its pages list as both 2.8 and 3.0. All six school pages above were built and verified against each school’s own current pages and ACEND’s accreditation-decisions records.