Best Nutrition Schools Near Athens, AL (2026)

Athens, Alabama has 5 accredited schools offering nutrition programs, with tuition ranging from $9,098 to $28,145 per year for indexed programs. Athens has a population of about 32,587. In Alabama, the top-earning nutrition-related role is Food Scientist and Technologist at a median $97,480 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Nutrition Schools to Athens

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer nutrition programs near Athens, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Athens city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Athens. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Oakwood University

Huntsville, AL 17.0 miles from Athens
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
32.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,488
Avg net price $25,669/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Birmingham, AL 88.7 miles from Athens
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 88%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,501
Avg net price $18,749/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,098
Out‑of‑state$22,562
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 130

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Samford University

Birmingham, AL 91.6 miles from Athens
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,469
Avg net price $32,622/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Auburn University

Auburn, AL 172.8 miles from Athens
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
76.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 46%
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,337
Avg net price $24,323/yr
Tuition
In‑state$12,890
Out‑of‑state$34,922
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 151

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Alabama schools on the Alabama nutrition page.


Nutrition Wages Near Athens

Athens is part of the Huntsville, AL metro area (BLS area code 26620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Alabama statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Dietitian and Nutritionist$69,000Huntsville, AL$74,114
Dietetic TechnicianN/AAL statewide
Health Education Specialist$78,400Huntsville, AL$84,211
Food Scientist and Technologist$97,480AL statewide$104,705

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Athens at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Regional Price Parity (US=100)93.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Athens-Area Cities With Nutrition Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nutrition schools are near Athens, AL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nutrition programs near Athens. The closest is Oakwood University in Huntsville, AL (17.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lipscomb University (91.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying nutrition roles near Athens?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nutrition-related roles near Athens are: Food Scientist and Technologist ($97,480), Health Education Specialist ($78,400), Dietitian and Nutritionist ($69,000). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Alabama statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Madison instead of Athens?

Madison, AL is 11.8 miles from Athens and has its own set of local nutrition programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Nutrition Programs

Other Programs Available in Athens

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Athens:

Data verified: September 1, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.