How much debt do Cal Poly SLO nutrition science graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $17,620, which ranks 7th lowest of 9 nutrition science bachelor's programs in California. That works out to about $187 a month over 10 years.

Is a nutrition science degree from Cal Poly SLO worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 78% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 75%. Compare the cost with other California programs before deciding.

Cal Poly SLO Nutrition Science (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do Cal Poly SLO nutrition science graduates stay in California?

Most do. 74% (25 of 34) were working in California one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Nutrition Sciences
Public university
San Luis Obispo, CA
About 74 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Cal Poly SLO nutrition science graduates earn less than graduates of most nutrition science programs nationally, $22,675 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $17,620 in federal loans, less than at 78% of nutrition science programs in the country. Debt is low, but pay is also below the California median of $31,096.

First-year earnings$22,6759th percentile of 44 programs nationally

Median federal debt$17,6207th lowest of 9 California programs

Debt-to-earnings78%California median 50%, national 75%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The California and national columns are the medians across all nutrition science bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	Cal Poly SLO	California	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$22,675	$31,096	$30,858
Median federal debt at graduation	$17,620	$17,137	$23,563
Debt as share of first-year pay	78%	50%	75%
Programs compared		9	44

Debt and first-year pay at every California nutrition science program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the California medians.

Cal Poly SLOOther California programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $187 a month, or 9.9% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

74% of graduates (25 of 34) were working in California one year after graduating. Prices in the San Luis Obispo area are about 9% above the national average, so a $22,675 salary here buys what about $20,880 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to nutrition science, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Natural Sciences Managers

$210,230

Median pay in California. 14,950 people work in this job in California. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus 5 years or more of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $130,730Top 10%: $330,050

Dietitians and Nutritionists

$98,850

Median pay in California. 8,720 people work in this job in California. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 5,700 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $72,780Top 10%: $130,850

Dietetic Technicians

$46,410

Median pay in California. 6,310 people work in this job in California. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 4,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: associate's degree.

Bottom 10%: $36,810Top 10%: $64,020

Farm and Home Management Educators

$98,770

Median pay in California. 40 people work in this job in California. Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 800 openings a year. Typical education to start: master's degree.

Bottom 10%: $56,400Top 10%: $108,770

About Cal Poly SLO

In-state tuition and fees	$13,596 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$34,665 / year
Average net price after aid	$16,665 / year
Admission rate	31%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	86%
Undergraduate students	21,996

Nutrition Science ranks 49th of 50 bachelor's programs at Cal Poly SLO by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Engineering ($111,560), Computer Science ($111,141), and Construction Management ($92,785).

Common questions

The median graduate earns $22,675 one year after graduating. The median across nutrition science bachelor's programs in California is $31,096.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of California comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the nutrition science program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Nutrition Science bachelor's programs in California, ranked9 programs by pay and debt Nutrition Science bachelor's programs in the US, ranked44 programs by pay and debt All Cal Poly SLO programs, ranked50 programs by pay and debt