Best Nutrition Schools Near National City, CA (2026)

National City, California has 5 accredited schools offering nutrition programs, with tuition ranging from $1,146 to $27,780 per year for indexed programs. National City has a population of about 55,960. Median household income is $64,248 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, the top-earning nutrition-related role is Dietitian and Nutritionist at a median $98,870 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Nutrition Schools to National City

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer nutrition programs near National City, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from National City 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 National City. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

Sort:
#1

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA 7.8 miles from National City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
83.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 36%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,909
Avg net price $15,364/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,728
Out‑of‑state$21,328
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 133

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, CA 9.6 miles from National City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,998
Avg net price $38,729/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

San Diego Mesa College

San Diego, CA 10.4 miles from National City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
57.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,120
Avg net price $5,814/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,146
Out‑of‑state$10,002
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

MiraCosta College

Oceanside, CA 38.2 miles from National City
  • 4 year
54.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,845
Avg net price $7,339/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of Massachusetts Global

Aliso Viejo, CA 73.1 miles from National City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
44.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,703
Avg net price $32,654/yr
Tuition
In‑state$12,540
Out‑of‑state$12,540
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 52%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Santa Ana College

Santa Ana, CA 88.3 miles from National City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
65.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,552
Avg net price $3,133/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,180
Out‑of‑state$10,756
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 88

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

California Baptist University

Riverside, CA 89.4 miles from National City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,504
Avg net price $26,285/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 98

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Loma Linda University

Loma Linda, CA 96.2 miles from National City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
96.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,816
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Nutrition Wages Near National City

National City is part of the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area (BLS area code 41740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Dietitian and Nutritionist$98,870San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$88,356
Dietetic Technician$39,630San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$35,416
Health Education Specialist$62,500San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$55,853
Food Scientist and Technologist$85,930San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$76,792

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.


National City at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population55,960Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$64,248Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+16.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)111.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other National City-Area Cities With Nutrition Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nutrition schools are near National City, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nutrition programs near National City. The closest is Southwestern College in Chula Vista, CA (6.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is San Diego Miramar College (16.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying nutrition roles near National City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nutrition-related roles near National City are: Dietitian and Nutritionist ($98,870), Food Scientist and Technologist ($85,930), Health Education Specialist ($62,500). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Coronado instead of National City?

Coronado, CA is 3.6 miles from National City 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.

Is National City an affordable place to study nutrition?

National City’s median household income of $64,248 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in National City while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

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 National City

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

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.