Best degree programs for Epidemiologists, ranked by enrollment
6 college programs and 188 schools train Epidemiologists. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $87,220 median wage, 12,090 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
6 college programs at 188 schools train epidemiologists, graduating 6,281 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Epidemiology. The job pays a median of $87,220 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About epidemiologists
Investigate and describe the determinants and distribution of disease, disability, or health outcomes. May develop the means for prevention and control.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
6 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 26.1309 | 3,001 | 47.8% | 102 | $29,460 | $23,480 |
| 2 | CIP 51.2202 | 1,306 | 20.8% | 88 | $36,762 | $25,076 |
| 3 | Medical Science/Scientistmain feeder CIP 51.1401 | 1,070 | 17.0% | 69 | $223,926 | $16,250 |
| 4 | CIP 26.0401 | 460 | 7.3% | 21 | $35,393 | $19,961 |
| 5 | CIP 26.1311 | 248 | 3.9% | 19 | $29,460 | $23,480 |
| 6 | CIP 26.0509 | 196 | 3.1% | 12 | $38,383 | $22,065 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 334 | Epidemiology | 96% | $15,315 | 4% |
| 2 | Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 270 | Epidemiology | 94% | $11,888 | 6% |
| 3 | Boston University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 232 | Epidemiology | 89% | $21,956 | 11% |
| 4 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 232 | Epidemiology | 98% | $15,013 | 4% |
| 5 | Emory University Atlanta, GA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 231 | Epidemiology | 91% | $20,586 | 11% |
| 6 | Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ Public · 2 feeder programs | 182 | Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology | 84% | — | 58% |
| 7 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA Public · 4 feeder programs | 169 | Epidemiology | 85% | — | 39% |
| 8 | The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Houston, TX Public · 3 feeder programs | 149 | Epidemiology | — | — | — |
| 9 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN Public · 4 feeder programs | 144 | Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology | 85% | — | 80% |
| 10 | Butler University Indianapolis, IN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 138 | Medical Science/Scientist | 80% | $35,696 | 85% |
| 11 | George Washington University Washington, DC Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 133 | Epidemiology | 84% | $29,789 | 47% |
| 12 | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI Public · 5 feeder programs | 130 | Epidemiology | 93% | — | 16% |
| 13 | Yale University New Haven, CT Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 115 | Epidemiology | 96% | $27,025 | 4% |
| 14 | University of Miami Coral Gables, FL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 114 | Epidemiology | 84% | $26,589 | 19% |
| 15 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA Public · 3 feeder programs | 109 | Epidemiology | 85% | — | 58% |
| 16 | Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 96 | Epidemiology | 86% | $33,106 | 14% |
| 17 | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 92 | Epidemiology | — | — | — |
| 18 | Washington University in St Louis St. Louis, MO Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 92 | Environmental Health | 94% | $14,126 | 12% |
| 19 | University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 81 | Epidemiology | 93% | — | 9% |
| 20 | University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH Public · 5 feeder programs | 81 | Medical Science/Scientist | 75% | — | 85% |
| 21 | Drexel University Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 78 | Epidemiology | 78% | $36,004 | 79% |
| 22 | Tufts University Medford, MA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 77 | Epidemiology | 94% | $23,570 | 11% |
| 23 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC Public · 3 feeder programs | 74 | Environmental Health | 91% | — | 15% |
| 24 | Duke University Durham, NC Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 73 | Infectious Disease and Global Health | 97% | $16,260 | 6% |
| 25 | Brigham Young University - Idaho Rexburg, ID Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 71 | Epidemiology | 55% | $6,760 | 96% |
| 26 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO Public · 2 feeder programs | 67 | Epidemiology | 46% | — | 75% |
| 27 | Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH Public · 2 feeder programs | 63 | Epidemiology | 88% | — | 61% |
| 28 | Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX Public · 2 feeder programs | 63 | Epidemiology | 84% | — | 57% |
| 29 | University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 62 | Epidemiology and Biostatistics | 93% | — | 11% |
| 30 | University of Memphis Memphis, TN Public · 2 feeder programs | 61 | Epidemiology | 51% | — | 72% |
| 31 | University of Georgia Athens, GA Public · 3 feeder programs | 56 | Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology | 90% | — | 38% |
| 32 | University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 56 | Medical Science/Scientist | 97% | $22,055 | 5% |
| 33 | Oregon Health & Science University Portland, OR Public · 4 feeder programs | 55 | Medical Science/Scientist | — | — | — |
| 34 | Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 55 | Epidemiology | 80% | $24,886 | 75% |
| 35 | Montana State University Bozeman, MT Public · 1 feeder programs | 53 | Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology | 57% | — | 82% |
| 36 | University of Iowa Iowa City, IA Public · 3 feeder programs | 47 | Epidemiology | 75% | — | 84% |
| 37 | Stanford University Stanford, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 46 | Epidemiology | 92% | $12,032 | 4% |
| 38 | California Baptist University Riverside, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 45 | Epidemiology | 62% | $26,940 | 85% |
| 39 | California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 45 | Environmental Health | 57% | — | 93% |
| 40 | Brown University Providence, RI Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 44 | Medical Science/Scientist | 96% | $14,644 | 5% |
| 41 | Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 44 | Medical Science/Scientist | 87% | $27,976 | 37% |
| 42 | University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA Public · 5 feeder programs | 43 | Epidemiology and Biostatistics | 87% | — | 29% |
| 43 | University of California - San Francisco San Francisco, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 43 | Medical Science/Scientist | — | — | — |
| 44 | Cornell University Ithaca, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 40 | Environmental Health | 95% | $17,613 | 9% |
| 45 | University of California - Davis Davis, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 40 | Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology | 86% | — | 42% |
| 46 | Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN Public · 2 feeder programs | 39 | Epidemiology | 80% | — | 78% |
| 47 | New York University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 36 | Environmental Health | 88% | $29,023 | 9% |
| 48 | Ohio University - Main Campus Athens, OH Public · 3 feeder programs | 36 | Epidemiology and Biostatistics | 65% | — | 85% |
| 49 | University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 36 | Medical Science/Scientist | 86% | — | 27% |
| 50 | Medical University of South Carolina Charleston, SC Public · 2 feeder programs | 34 | Medical Science/Scientist | — | — | — |
What epidemiologists earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $80,220 | 670 | 0.88× | 17 | 623 |
| Massachusetts | $115,890 | 660 | 2.34× | 6 | 591 |
| California | $110,760 | 1,480 | 1.05× | 14 | 470 |
| Georgia | $70,880 | 510 | 1.34× | 5 | 331 |
| Maryland | $101,830 | 600 | 2.79× | 5 | 326 |
| Pennsylvania | $87,860 | 360 | 0.75× | 8 | 294 |
| Texas | $77,170 | 1,160 | 1.06× | 9 | 290 |
| Ohio | $76,480 | 300 | 0.70× | 8 | 286 |
| Connecticut | $83,670 | 160 | 1.24× | 8 | 212 |
| Missouri | $66,890 | 120 | 0.50× | 7 | 208 |
| Indiana | $77,250 | 170 | 0.66× | 7 | 207 |
| Minnesotamoderate | $104,460 | 310 | 1.33× | 4 | 194 |
| New Jerseylimited | $109,760 | 290 | 0.88× | 1 | 182 |
| North Carolina | $84,770 | 220 | 0.56× | 6 | 174 |
| Washingtonlimited | $108,240 | 1,010 | 3.67× | 1 | 169 |
| Michiganmoderate | $84,990 | 280 | 0.82× | 4 | 168 |
| Floridamoderate | $79,460 | 300 | 0.39× | 3 | 159 |
| District of Columbialimited | $112,370 | 90 | 1.57× | 2 | 158 |
| Illinois | $102,720 | 240 | 0.50× | 9 | 144 |
| Louisianamoderate | $73,850 | 120 | 0.79× | 4 | 119 |
| Tennessee | $97,310 | 220 | 0.87× | 5 | 117 |
| Coloradomoderate | $73,750 | 430 | 1.93× | 3 | 95 |
| Oregonlimited | $93,620 | 140 | 0.91× | 2 | 77 |
| South Carolinamoderate | $84,660 | 50 | 0.27× | 4 | 76 |
| Idaholimited | $66,280 | 40 | 0.67× | 1 | 71 |
| Montanamoderate | $79,500 | 100 | 2.44× | 3 | 60 |
| Iowamoderate | $79,880 | 90 | 0.75× | 3 | 55 |
| Kentucky | $78,810 | 120 | 0.79× | 5 | 52 |
| Arizonamoderate | $67,260 | 340 | 1.35× | 3 | 47 |
| Mississippilimited | $56,930 | 40 | 0.43× | 2 | 33 |
| Vermontlimited | — | 30 | 1.27× | 1 | 33 |
| Utahlimited | $76,960 | 190 | 1.37× | 2 | 29 |
| West Virginialimited | $70,540 | 100 | 1.83× | 2 | 16 |
| Nevadalimited | $99,880 | 80 | 0.63× | 1 | 15 |
| Wisconsinlimited | $88,770 | 90 | 0.41× | 2 | 15 |
| Virginiamoderate | $84,930 | 220 | 0.68× | 4 | 14 |
| Alabamalimited | $74,740 | 70 | 0.44× | 1 | 12 |
| Mainelimited | $68,850 | 60 | 1.25× | 2 | 9 |
| Oklahomalimited | $72,590 | 120 | 0.88× | 2 | 8 |
| Nebraskalimited | $83,240 | 80 | 1.04× | 1 | 5 |
| Hawaiilimited | $76,780 | 70 | 1.41× | 1 | 4 |
| Kansaslimited | $79,620 | 70 | 0.67× | 1 | 1 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Communicate research findings on various types of diseases to health practitioners, policy makers, and the public.
- Oversee public health programs, including statistical analysis, health care planning, surveillance systems, and public health improvement.
- Investigate diseases or parasites to determine cause and risk factors, progress, life cycle, or mode of transmission.
- Educate healthcare workers, patients, and the public about infectious and communicable diseases, including disease transmission and prevention.
- Monitor and report incidents of infectious diseases to local and state health agencies.
- Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.
- Provide expertise in the design, management and evaluation of study protocols and health status questionnaires, sample selection, and analysis.
- Write articles for publication in professional journals.
Skills
- Reading Comprehension4.3
- Critical Thinking4.3
- Active Listening4.1
- Writing4.1
- Speaking4.1
- Science4.1
- Active Learning4.0
- Mathematics3.8
Knowledge areas
- Mathematics4.5
- Biology4.3
- Medicine and Dentistry4.0
- English Language4.0
- Computers and Electronics3.5
- Communications and Media3.5
Abilities
- Written Comprehension4.4
- Oral Comprehension4.4
- Inductive Reasoning4.4
- Problem Sensitivity4.3
- Oral Expression4.3
- Written Expression4.3
Core activities
- Analyzing Data or Information5.0
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.6
- Working with Computers4.6
- Processing Information4.6
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others4.6
- Getting Information4.5
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Epidemiologist
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 6 majors mapped to Epidemiologists6 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 26.0401Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology
- 26.0509Infectious Disease and Global Health
- 26.1309Epidemiology
- 26.1311Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- 51.1401Medical Science/Scientist
- 51.2202Environmental Health
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become an Epidemiologist?+
Master's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Epidemiology, which awarded 3,001 degrees in 2024-25, 47.8% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming an Epidemiologist?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 6 programs to this occupation. The largest are Ecology, Public Health, Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies, Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, plus 1 more. Together they graduate about 6,281 people a year.
How much do epidemiologists earn?+
The median is $87,220 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $61,270 at the 10th percentile to $138,800 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for epidemiologists growing?+
BLS projects a +16.2% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, much faster than average, with roughly 800 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
188 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 6 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do epidemiologists work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Epidemiologist, Nurse Epidemiologist, Research Epidemiologist, Infection Control Practitioner (ICP) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 19-1041.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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