Beginning in January of 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) bumped up the minimum required education level for prospective RDs from a bachelor’s degree to a master’s degree.1 It’s the two-year anniversary of the change and we’re taking stock of the impact. How has the new requirement affected dietetic programs and practice throughout the United States?
Undergraduate programs need to ensure that coursework and hands-on experiences will prepare students for graduate school. Additionally, with the support of professors, preceptors, and mentors, undergraduate students looking to become dietitians will be able to choose a graduate degree and school that will prepare them for becoming an RD.
The Impact on Up-and-Coming RDs
Undergraduate students on the path to becoming RDs will enroll in a didactic program in dietetics (DPD) that has been accredited by the CDR.2 The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (the Academy) states that a DPD is “an academic program designed to meet the knowledge requirements for dietetics practice.”2 Although each DPD program has their own coursework requirements needed to graduate, there are some standardized prerequisites that should be the same across all DPD programs.
The Occupational Outlook Handbook through the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that those with a bachelor’s degree in a nutrition-related field will have classes that focus on anatomy, biology, and physiology.3 Yet, Elizabeth MacQuillan, PhD, RDN, CHSE, and program director for the DPD program at Grand Valley State University, says, “Other courses or some type of experiential learning and research methods content or undergraduate research opportunities are key to the DPD student success.”
Undergraduates completing DPD programs can apply to a dietetic internship (DI), graduate-level program in nutrition and dietetics (GP), or coordinated program (CP) that is accredited by the CDR.2 According to the Academy, a DI is a postbaccalaureate program that provides only the required competencies (supervised practice).2 GPs and CPs offer field experiences with graduate level coursework.4
Prospective RDs may face exceptional financial hardship since most DIs do not qualify for federal student aid and the new graduate degree requirement adds to the overall financial burden.5,6
The Impact on Dietitian Salary
Although former ACEND president Lauri Wright says that this new graduate degree requirement will allow RDs with a graduate degree to have higher yearly income compared with those holding only a bachelor’s degree, there is currently not enough research to support this claim and many practicing RDs report they’ve not yet seen a significant difference in pay.7
So far, the new graduate degree requirement hasn’t meaningfully moved the needle to bring dietitians the pay they deserve. The Compensation & Benefits Survey of the Dietetics Profession from ACEND in 2024 reports that the average salary for an RD was $37.98 per hour or $79,000, while the Occupational Outlook Handbook states that the annual pay in 2024 for RDs was $73,850.8,9 Despite the different reports, neither matches the annual pay for other non-RD health care professionals who also require a graduate degree. Below is a table illustrating this disparity.
Annual Salary for Graduate-Level Non-RD Health Care Professionals10
| Physician Assistants | $133,260 |
| Nursing (Anesthetists, Midwives, and Practitioners) | $132,050 |
| Occupational Therapists | $98,340 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | $95,410 |
Are There Benefits?
The new degree requirement can be beneficial for many reasons. Graduate school may allow students to dig into more advanced science and develop higher level problem-solving, time management, and team building techniques and skills. Additionally, these students can implement advanced research and statistical methodologies into a graduate-level capstone, project, or thesis through their program. In theory, the requirement may enable RDs to earn more respect within the profession and be on track alongside other health care professionals who are required to earn a graduate degree.11
Some have pointed out that the new requirement may allow those looking to complete a master’s to choose a graduate program that caters to other specialized and related interests beyond nutrition, perhaps giving them a notable edge in their future nutrition career and even increasing the odds of a salary bump. Below are some examples of popular options.
Non-Traditional Graduate Programs for RDs
| Computer Science or Health Care Informatics | Provides skillset to support development of nutrition and health databases along with coding for innovative nutritional technology programs. |
| Business Relations, Marketing, Communications, or Business Management | Encourages business leaders, including entrepreneurs, to promote and communicate evidence-based health and nutrition knowledge and may be helpful for those going into private practice or corporate, nonprofit, or other management roles. |
| Nonnutrition Health Sciences Like Nursing, Physical Therapy, or Physician’s Assistant | May complement the RD training and further increase compensation and job opportunities across multiple health care sectors and areas of work. |
| Social Sciences Like Mental Health Counseling, Psychology, or Social Work | Enhances toolset for delivering effective behavioral and mental health care to support and complement MNT. |
Challenges and Next Steps
Although there may be benefits to the new graduate requirement, it has undoubtedly increased financial burden for many. With growing concerns related to institutional and systemic issues driving low average salaries in dietetics, many individuals must take on greater educational debt they worry might not match the wages they’re likely to receive as a provider. This dilemma is not easy to fix, yet there may be ways to mitigate the risks in the meantime.
Dietetic programs can do their part to ease the heavy financial burden for students. For instance, schools can combine programs and offer DPD + DI, graduate + DI, or DPD + CP options to their undergraduate and/or graduate dietetics students. With this change, more students may be able to apply for financial aid and scholarships.
Nutrition professionals and mentors are encouraged to have honest and open conversations with current and prospective dietetic students about the potential hardships—with financial burden top of mind—on the path to becoming an RD. Even though it can be tough road ahead, these discussions are needed to see meaningful change in the dietetics field.
Despite the challenges, the new degree requirement could allow RDs the opportunity to grow within the nutrition and dietetics field and even expand their reach into complementary areas of practice.
— Sophia Condic, MS, RDN, is a Michigan-based dietitian who’s currently working in a community clinic. She earned a Bachelor of Integrative Studies at Oakland University and completed the Coordinated Program in Dietetics and a Master of Science in Clinical Dietetics at Grand Valley State University.
References
1. 2024 graduate degree requirement – registration eligibility. Commission on Dietetic Registration website. https://www.cdrnet.org/graduatedegree. Accessed September 3, 2025.
2. FAQs about types of ACEND accredited programs. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website. https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend/accreditation-process/frequently-asked-questions/faqs-about-types-of-acend-accredited-programs. Accessed September 4, 2025.
3. How to become a dietitian or nutritionist. US Bureau of Labor Statistics website. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dietitians-and-nutritionists.htm#tab-4. Updated August 28, 2025. Accessed September 8, 2025.
4. About accredited programs. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website. https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend/accredited-programs/about-accredited-programs. Accessed September 8, 2025.
5. Registered dietitian: registration examination for dietitians. Commission on Dietetic Registration website. https://www.cdrnet.org/vault/2459/web//Pass%20Within%20One%20Year%20-%20Year%20Ending%202024%20RD.pdf. Updated January 26, 2025. Accessed October 6, 2025.
6. 2025-2026 dietetic intern financial aid guide. Virginia Tech website. https://www.hnfe.vt.edu/content/dam/hnfe_vt_edu/internship/2025-26%20Dietetic%20Intern%20FA%20Guide.pdf. Accessed October 20, 2025.
7. Wright L. Graduate degree requirement: a welcome and necessary step in our profession’s evolution. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2024;124(2):157-158.
8. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Compensation & benefits survey of the dietetics profession. https://www.cdrnet.org/vault/2459/web//Compensation%20Benefits%20Survey%20of%20the%20Dietetics%20Profession%202024-TOC_Exec%20Sum.pdf. Published 2024. Accessed October 20, 2025.
9. Pay. US Bureau of Labor Statistics website. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dietitians-and-nutritionists.htm#tab-5. Updated August 28, 2025. Accessed October 20, 2025.
10. Healthcare occupations. US Bureau of Labor Statistics website. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/. Updated August 28. 2025. Accessed October 20, 2025.
11. Breaking down the graduate degree requirement for dietitians. Dietitians on Demand website. https://dietitiansondemand.com/breaking-down-the-masters-degree-mandate-for-dietitians/. Updated October 27, 2017. Accessed October 3, 2025.