Foods, Nutrition, at Southern Utah University

The small sample size here demands caution, but the numbers tell a worrying story even accounting for uncertainty. Southern Utah's nutrition program shows first-year earnings of just $20,693—roughly $8,000 below Utah's state median and a full $11,600 below the national average. While the program ranks 25th percentile within Utah (which only has three programs), that still means graduates earn significantly less than those from Utah State or Weber State. The debt burden is notably lower than national norms at $15,050, but it's still higher than Utah's state median, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio that means graduates owe nearly nine months of their first-year salary.

The 74% earnings growth to year four is substantial and brings graduates closer to typical outcomes, but $36,054 still trails the national median by several thousand dollars. For nutrition programs, where many graduates pursue careers in clinical, community, or food service settings with entry-level pay scales, starting behind the pack can compound over time as raises build on that lower base.

Given the combination of bottom-5th-percentile national earnings and below-average outcomes even within Utah, parents should seriously consider whether Utah State's program—which shows significantly stronger graduate earnings—might be worth the potentially higher sticker price. With only 30 or fewer graduates in this sample, individual circumstances could be skewing these results, but that uncertainty cuts both ways.