Nutrition Sciences at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA · Public · Bachelor's Degree
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
38
Optimistic
36
Base Case
32
Pessimistic
Earnings
$22,675/yr (-26% vs median)
AI Risk
High (44% exposed)
Job Market
Large (58,000 openings/yr)
How AI Changes the Outlook
Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Nutrition Sciences graduates.
| Optimistic No Disruption |
Base Case Gradual AI |
Pessimistic Aggressive AI |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Earnings | $260K | $222K | $174K |
| Earnings Multiple (In-State) | 5.9x | 5.0x | 3.9x |
| Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) | 2.1x | 1.8x | 1.4x |
| Viable Career Paths | 9 of 9 | 9 of 9 | 9 of 9 |
| DegreeWorth Score | 38 | 36 | 32 |
10-Year Earnings Projection
*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.
4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$44,300
Out-of-state: $123,980
Median Debt at Graduation
$17,166
9.1 months of Year 1 earnings
Career Paths
Where Nutrition Sciences graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 58,000 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Wage | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural sciences managers | $161,180 | 8,500 | +3.7% | 50% |
| Health specialties teachers, postsecondary | $105,620 | 27,400 | +17.3% | 48% |
| Biological scientists, all other | $93,330 | 4,800 | +1.2% | 49% |
| Life scientists, all other | $87,800 | 400 | +3.7% | 0% |
| Biological science teachers, postsecondary | $83,460 | 5,400 | +7.3% | 47% |
| Family and consumer sciences teachers, postsecondary | $77,280 | 200 | +3.4% | 54% |
| Dietitians and nutritionists | $73,850 | 6,200 | +5.5% | 55% |
| Farm and home management educators | $58,120 | 1,100 | -2.5% | 37% |
Compare & Explore
Nutrition Sciences at Other Schools
Other Majors at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DegreeWorth Score for Nutrition Sciences at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo?
This program scores 36/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 38 (optimistic) to 32 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Nutrition Sciences career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Nutrition Sciences graduates retain 9 of 9 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $173,633 (pessimistic) to $259,944 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Nutrition Sciences graduates?
The career paths mapped to Nutrition Sciences have roughly 58,000 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a large job market.
Is Nutrition Sciences at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 5.0x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 3.9x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this degree is to AI disruption.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections.
"Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI.
Last updated 2025.