Best institutions to study Public Health
Compare 784 U.S. colleges offering Public Health by graduate earnings, cost, and outcomes. Federal data across 55 states.
Public Health programs report a median of $37,068 one year after graduation (College Scorecard, 2024), and map to CIP 51.22 and the Medical and Health Services Managers occupation (BLS SOC).
About Public Health programs
The Public Health program focuses on promoting health and preventing disease within communities. It prepares students to address health-related issues through various specializations, including Environmental Health, Maternal and Child Health, and International Public Health. This program is ideal for individuals passionate about improving health outcomes and enhancing quality of life for diverse populations.
Students in the Public Health program develop essential skills such as critical thinking, effective communication, and active listening. Coursework covers topics like administration and management in healthcare settings, health education, and community health strategies, equipping graduates with the knowledge to implement effective public health initiatives.
Top 50 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings
Earnings = median 1 year after graduation (College Scorecard, predominant credential).
| # | Institution | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Completions | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, TX Public · Bachelor's degree | $99,671 | 15 | — | — | $30,500 |
| 2 | Utah State University Logan, UT Public · Bachelor's degree | $76,451 | 56 | 59% | — | — |
| 3 | Brown University Providence, RI Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $75,909 | 41 | 96% | $14,644 | $11,760 |
| 4 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC Public · Graduate degree | $75,591 | 491 | 91% | — | $16,203 |
| 5 | Montana Technological University Butte, MT Public · Bachelor's degree | $74,771 | 49 | 58% | — | $27,000 |
| 6 | New York Medical College Valhalla, NY Private not-for-profit · Graduate degree | $63,059 | 25 | — | — | $20,000 |
| 7 | Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI Public · Bachelor's degree | $59,330 | 52 | 58% | — | $30,750 |
| 8 | Illinois State University Normal, IL Public · Bachelor's degree | $59,207 | 31 | 65% | — | $22,250 |
| 9 | North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC Public · Bachelor's degree | $58,660 | 9 | 57% | — | — |
| 10 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA Public · Graduate degree | $55,809 | 234 | 85% | — | $21,500 |
| 11 | Tufts University Medford, MA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $53,372 | 139 | 94% | $23,570 | $18,250 |
| 12 | Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO Public · Bachelor's degree | $52,540 | 11 | 67% | — | $26,000 |
| 13 | National University San Diego, CA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $52,057 | 124 | 43% | $31,817 | $37,469 |
| 14 | St Petersburg College St. Petersburg, FL Public · Bachelor's degree | $51,565 | 63 | 38% | — | $29,125 |
| 15 | Georgetown University Washington, DC Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $50,415 | 47 | 95% | $22,242 | $12,000 |
| 16 | University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OK Public · Bachelor's degree | $49,560 | 48 | 37% | — | $21,625 |
| 17 | University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA Public · Bachelor's degree | $48,351 | 328 | 93% | — | $11,729 |
| 18 | CUNY Hunter College New York, NY Public · Bachelor's degree | $47,444 | 19 | 57% | — | — |
| 19 | Westminster University Salt Lake City, UT Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $47,365 | 16 | 64% | $23,154 | $24,656 |
| 20 | Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $47,274 | 60 | 88% | $44,094 | $24,500 |
| 21 | American Public University System Charles Town, WV Private for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $47,100 | 180 | 57% | $10,199 | $28,999 |
| 22 | Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Bowling Green, OH Public · Bachelor's degree | $47,019 | 19 | 64% | — | $30,500 |
| 23 | Nazareth University Rochester, NY Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $46,442 | 14 | 73% | $27,945 | $26,000 |
| 24 | Winona State University Winona, MN Public · Bachelor's degree | $46,250 | 25 | 57% | — | $20,966 |
| 25 | Boise State University Boise, ID Public · Bachelor's degree | $46,117 | 73 | 60% | — | $22,758 |
| 26 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA Public · Bachelor's degree | $46,016 | 477 | 85% | — | $16,490 |
| 27 | University of Washington - Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA Public · Bachelor's degree | $46,016 | 20 | 63% | — | $16,490 |
| 28 | Duke University Durham, NC Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $45,921 | 21 | 97% | $16,260 | $12,500 |
| 29 | Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $45,910 | 403 | 43% | $34,565 | $34,162 |
| 30 | Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ Public · Bachelor's degree | $45,408 | 662 | 84% | — | $26,000 |
| 31 | California State University - Chico Chico, CA Public · Bachelor's degree | $45,339 | 95 | 63% | — | $20,750 |
| 32 | Simmons University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $45,331 | 32 | 72% | $24,848 | $27,000 |
| 33 | Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN Public · Bachelor's degree | $45,274 | 147 | 83% | — | $21,500 |
| 34 | George Washington University Washington, DC Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $44,809 | 551 | 84% | $29,789 | $23,822 |
| 35 | East Texas A&M University Commerce, TX Public · Bachelor's degree | $44,621 | 36 | 43% | — | $23,328 |
| 36 | Cornell University Ithaca, NY Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $44,516 | 67 | 95% | $17,613 | $12,133 |
| 37 | Stockton University Galloway, NJ Public · Bachelor's degree | $44,423 | 18 | 69% | — | $26,000 |
| 38 | Walden University Minneapolis, MN Private for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $44,285 | 276 | — | — | $45,793 |
| 39 | Monroe University Bronx, NY Private for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $43,383 | 213 | 57% | $12,028 | $30,904 |
| 40 | Indiana University - Northwest Gary, IN Public · Bachelor's degree | $43,356 | 20 | 37% | — | $27,334 |
| 41 | Syracuse University Syracuse, NY Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $43,280 | 71 | 84% | $28,851 | $27,000 |
| 42 | Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $43,134 | 18 | 84% | $27,178 | $20,875 |
| 43 | Temple University Philadelphia, PA Public · Bachelor's degree | $43,093 | 200 | 75% | — | $27,000 |
| 44 | University of Massachusetts - Lowell Lowell, MA Public · Bachelor's degree | $43,046 | 77 | 65% | — | $27,000 |
| 45 | CUNY York College Jamaica, NY Public · Bachelor's degree | $43,000 | 23 | 32% | — | $13,000 |
| 46 | Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN Public · Bachelor's degree | $42,790 | 250 | 80% | — | $19,689 |
| 47 | Regis College Weston, MA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $42,638 | 29 | 72% | $26,647 | $27,000 |
| 48 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, PA Public · Bachelor's degree | $42,605 | 49 | 66% | — | $26,998 |
| 49 | University of Alaska Anchorage Anchorage, AK Public · Bachelor's degree | $42,552 | 43 | 30% | — | $14,119 |
| 50 | St Catherine University Saint Paul, MN Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $42,407 | 86 | 61% | $21,042 | $29,815 |
Offered across 55 states & territories
The same program, compared state by state. Pick a state for in-state earnings and institutions.
Careers & outlook
The payoff after graduation: occupation 11-9111, Medical and Health Services Managers, and its national outlook.
Graduates of the Public Health program can pursue careers in various sectors, with a projected job growth rate of 23.2% and approximately 62,100 annual openings. The median wage for professionals in this field is $117,960, typically requiring a Bachelor's degree for entry-level positions.
Top-paying metros
Related careers
CIP-to-SOC crosswalk for Public Health
The SOC occupations NCES officially maps to CIP 51.22.
Under the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, CIP 51.22 (Public Health) maps to 13 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) occupations, the jobs the U.S. Department of Labor links to this field of study.
| SOC code | Occupation |
|---|---|
| 11-9111 | Medical and Health Services Managersprimary |
| 13-1041 | Compliance Officers |
| 19-1041 | Epidemiologists |
| 19-1042 | Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists |
| 19-2012 | Physicists |
| 19-2041 | Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health |
| 19-5011 | Occupational Health and Safety Specialists |
| 19-5012 | Occupational Health and Safety Technicians |
| 21-1091 | Health Education Specialists |
| 21-1094 | Community Health Workers |
| 25-1054 | Physics Teachers, Postsecondary |
| 25-1071 | Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary |
| 29-9092 | Genetic Counselors |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk.
Skills & knowledge in Public Health programs
From the U.S. Dept. of Labor for the occupation this program most leads to.
Skills you'll build
Knowledge areas
What graduates do on the job
- Direct, supervise and evaluate work activities of medical, nursing, technical, clerical, service, maintenance, and other personnel.
- Develop and maintain computerized record management systems to store and process data, such as personnel activities and information, and to produce reports.
- Plan, implement, and administer programs and services in a health care or medical facility, including personnel administration, training, and coordination of medical, nursing and physical plant staff.
- Conduct and administer fiscal operations, including accounting, planning budgets, authorizing expenditures, establishing rates for services, and coordinating financial reporting.
- Maintain awareness of advances in medicine, computerized diagnostic and treatment equipment, data processing technology, government regulations, health insurance changes, and financing options.
- Establish work schedules and assignments for staff, according to workload, space, and equipment availability.
Concentrations within Public Health
Specializations under this field (NCES CIP 2020).
- Public Health, GeneralCIP 51.2201
A program that generally prepares individuals to plan, manage, and evaluate public health care services; to function as public health professionals in public agencies, the private sector, and other se
- Environmental HealthCIP 51.2202
A program that focuses on the application of environmental sciences, public health, the biomedical sciences, and environmental toxicology to the study of environmental factors affecting human health,
- Health/Medical PhysicsCIP 51.2205
A program that focuses on the application of physics, nuclear science, and engineering physics to diagnostic, treatment, and therapeutic processes and public health protection
- Occupational Health and Industrial HygieneCIP 51.2206
A program that prepares public health specialists to monitor and evaluate health and related safety standards in industrial, commercial, and government workplaces and facilities
- Public Health Education and PromotionCIP 51.2207
A program that focuses on the application of educational and communications principles and methods to the promotion of preventive health measures and the education of targeted populations on health i
- Community Health and Preventive MedicineCIP 51.2208
A program that prepares public health specialists to plan and manage health services in local community settings, including the coordination of related support services, government agencies, and priva
- Maternal and Child HealthCIP 51.2209
A program that focuses on the application of public health specializations, public policy studies, and the social and behavioral sciences to issues of health affecting women, children, and families; a
- International Public Health/International HealthCIP 51.2210
A program that focuses on the application of public health specializations, the social and behavioral sciences, and policy and communications methods to the study of health problems in low- and middle
- Health Services AdministrationCIP 51.2211
A program that focuses on the application of policy analysis, public administration, business management, and communications to the planning and management of health services delivery systems in the p
- Behavioral Aspects of HealthCIP 51.2212
A program that focuses on the biological, behavioral, and socio-cultural determinants of health and health behavior, and the interventions and policies aimed at improving community and population heal
- Patient Safety and Healthcare QualityCIP 51.2213
A program that focuses on the application of transformative mechanisms and evidence-based protocols to reduce preventable patient harm and improve clinical outcomes
- Public Health GeneticsCIP 51.2214
A program that prepares individuals to respond to the complex social, legal, ethical, and public health policy implications generated by genetic research
Common questions
What is Public Health?+
Public Health is the study and practice of promoting health and preventing disease in communities.
What specializations are available?+
Specializations include Environmental Health, Maternal and Child Health, and Public Health Education.
What skills will I develop?+
You will develop skills in critical thinking, communication, and management in healthcare settings.
What is the job outlook for Public Health graduates?+
The job outlook is much faster than average, with a growth rate of 23.2% and a median wage of $117,960.
How much do Public Health graduates earn?+
Public Health graduates report median earnings of $37,068 one year after graduation, per College Scorecard (2024); the Medical and Health Services Managers occupation pays about $140,970 on average nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025).
What is the CIP code for Public Health?+
Public Health maps to CIP 51.22 in the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP), the U.S. Department of Education taxonomy used for College Scorecard Field of Study earnings and IPEDS completions.
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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