How much debt do Kent State dietetics graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $27,000, which ranks 3rd lowest of 6 dietetics bachelor's programs in Ohio. That works out to about $286 a month over 10 years.

Is a dietetics degree from Kent State worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 113% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 75%. Compare the cost with other Ohio programs before deciding.

Do Kent State dietetics graduates stay in Ohio?

Most do. 83% (20 of 24) were working in Ohio one year after graduating.

Kent State Dietetics (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Bachelor's in Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services
Public university
Kent, OH
About 18 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Kent State dietetics graduates earn less than graduates of most dietetics programs nationally, $23,993 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $27,000 in federal loans, close to the national median of $24,497. Several Ohio programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$23,99316th percentile of 37 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$50,119109% more than year one

Median federal debt$27,0003rd lowest of 6 Ohio programs

Debt-to-earnings113%Ohio median 72%, national 75%

How it compares

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

	Kent State	Ohio	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$23,993	$38,569	$33,319
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$50,119	$52,799	$55,402
Median federal debt at graduation	$27,000	$27,000	$24,497
Debt as share of first-year pay	113%	72%	75%
Programs compared		6	37

Five years out, Kent State graduates earn less than the national figure and about $2,680 less than the Ohio median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Ohio dietetics program

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

Kent StateOther Ohio programs

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

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 109% between the first and fifth year.

Kent State grads, year 1$23,993

Kent State grads, year 5$50,119

All Ohio dietetics grads, year 5$52,799

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $286 a month, or 14.3% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (52 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	20% or less
Paying down the balance	20–39%
Paused payments (forbearance)	20% or less
In default	20% or less

The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

83% of graduates (20 of 24) were working in Ohio one year after graduating. Prices in the Akron area are about 7% below the national average, so a $23,993 salary here buys what about $25,697 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 dietetics, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Dietitians and Nutritionists

$69,530

Median pay in Ohio. 3,060 people work in this job in Ohio. 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%: $36,970Top 10%: $91,820

Dietetic Technicians

$41,380

Median pay in Ohio. 660 people work in this job in Ohio. 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%: $31,570Top 10%: $58,170

About Kent State

In-state tuition and fees	$13,232 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$23,082 / year
Average net price after aid	$20,787 / year
Admission rate	86%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	64%
Undergraduate students	19,320

Dietetics ranks 54th of 56 bachelor's programs at Kent State by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($66,990), Construction Management ($64,652), and Computer Science ($60,051).

Other dietetics bachelor's programs near Kent

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Kent StateKent, OH · public		$23,993	$27,000
University of AkronAkron, OH · public	10 mi	$47,242	$27,000
Youngstown StateYoungstown, OH · public	36 mi	$29,065	$27,729

Common questions

The median graduate earns $23,993 one year after graduating and $50,119 five years after. The median across dietetics bachelor's programs in Ohio is $38,569.

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 Ohio 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 dietetics 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

Dietetics bachelor's programs in Ohio, ranked6 programs by pay and debt Dietetics bachelor's programs in the US, ranked37 programs by pay and debt All Kent State programs, ranked66 programs by pay and debt