### SUMMARY

 Majoring in Public Health is not only a valuable choice, but generally a necessary first step for undergrads hoping to enter a career as a healthcare consultant, a health program analyst, or an occupational health and safety specialist. Interestingly, public health is fairly popular being the 31st most popular area of study. In the last year, there were 16,962 public health diplomas received. In-state tuition for public health at private schools is, on average, 3.8 times more pricey than their public fellows.

 There are 406 universities which offer public health. 406 schools is fairly average in terms of the number of institutions which offer each degree. If you're hoping to surround yourself with other public health undergrads, consider universities in California which have the most undergrads admitted to public health annually. Zooming out, the top region to get a degree in public health is in the Southeast region with [University of Florida](/colleges/university-of-florida), [East Carolina University](/colleges/east-carolina-university), and [University of South Carolina-Columbia](/colleges/university-of-south-carolina-columbia) best representing the region. Interestingly, our selection of the best conference to study public health is the Big Ten Conference with [University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign](/colleges/university-of-illinois-at-urbana-champaign), [University of Maryland-College Park](/colleges/university-of-maryland-college-park), and [Rutgers University-New Brunswick](/colleges/rutgers-university-new-brunswick) representing the conference. Based on our extensive list of the [best colleges](/rankings/best-colleges), our choice for the best college for public health is [Harvard University](/colleges/harvard-university).

 The objectively best school does not have to be the best school for you. There are lots more angels to weigh when deciding on college. External stuff such as campus amenities, transportation services, and food could definitely refashion your choice of where to go to college. Here at authority.org, we have weighed the pros and cons for you. If, as an example, you are intrigued by which public health school is home to the best campus, the answer is [Harvard University](/colleges/harvard-university). If you are very interested in which school is home to the top campus, we have a whole page [dedicated to that](/rankings/best-college-campuses). We have carefully pored through professor reviews, government databases, student reviews, and more so we can compare every major in an unbiased and informative way. Here you can explore our comprehensive list for the universities with the [best student life](/rankings/best-student-life)&nbspand from that list, our choice for the university with the best student life for public health is [Cornell University](/colleges/cornell-university). Are you curious why? Keep scrolling to learn more about Authority's top choices. Some of our decisions will probably shock you.

 If cost is a major influence in your decision on where to go to school, you might consider avoiding [Tufts University](/colleges/tufts-university). [Tufts University](/colleges/tufts-university)&nbspappears to be the most expensive college for public health, at least for out of state students. We do have a list of the [most expensive](/rankings/most-expensive-colleges)&nbspcolleges that might put the price tag at [Tufts University](/colleges/tufts-university)&nbspinto perspective. For more context, you may want to know that public health is the 122nd most expensive program in the United States, with an average cost of $36,600. On a broader scale, the most costly state for public health nationally is Rhode Island at Brown University and Roger Williams University, the primary colleges in the state, of $57,112 and $32,789. Even more broadly, the most expensive region of the U.S. for public health is the New England region which is best demonstrated with [Hampshire College](/colleges/hampshire-college) with a cost of $50,030, [Tufts University](/colleges/tufts-university) with a cost of $57,324, and [Brown University](/colleges/brown-university) with a cost of $57,112.

 Our cheapest region for public health is the Rocky Mountains region which is represented by [Brigham Young University-Idaho](/colleges/brigham-young-university-idaho) with a cost of $4,208, [Brigham Young University-Provo](/colleges/brigham-young-university-provo) with a cost of $5,790, and [Independence University](/colleges/independence-university) with a cost of $14,585. More optimistically, the most affordable school for public health is [University of South Florida-Main Campus](/colleges/university-of-south-florida-main-campus). Our full list of the most affordable colleges can be found [here](/rankings/most-affordable-colleges).

 In-state students can expect to pay in the neighborhood of $9,900 for a degree in public health. That price inflates dramatically to an average of $23,500 for an out-of-state public-school student. On that note, our choice for the university representing the best value for public health: [Duke University](/colleges/duke-university). Through this link you can find our comprehensive list about the schools we believe to be the [best value](/rankings/best-value-colleges)&nbspin general. With that said, this idea is predicated on out-of-state tuition costs. The value proposition changes when in-state tuition is considered, but as we do not know what state(s) you might qualify for in-state tuition, we are approaching this discussion through out-of-state tuition costs.

 Earnings for public health students differ widely, but within two years completing the major graduates will regularly make in the neighborhood of $45,800. There is a lot of variation in earnings potential; top earners can experience pay up to $85,200. Even straight out of university, the lowest end positions within the public health field make $25,100, which isn't that bad. The highest earning graduates for public health have come from [Duke University](/colleges/duke-university)&nbspand if you want to find the schools with all of the [highest earning graduates](/rankings/highest-earning-graduates), Authority has that too.

 The overall diversity of public health sits high, coming in the 91st percentile of majors nationally. The university with the most composite diversity for public health is [New York University](/colleges/new-york-university)&nbspand here you can find our general list for the colleges with the [most diversity](/rankings/most-diverse-colleges). The overall financial diversity of Public Health only sits in the 62nd percentile of all majors. Racial diversity is actually above financial diversity, in the 96th percentile. White students compose the largest proportion at 45% of scholars studying public health. Additionally, 78% of undergrads seeking a public health major are women.

 The median score of public health professors is 4 stars, which is surprisingly the median across all majors; this is a fine. If you are interested in the most popular public health instructor nationally, consider looking up Tamara Hill from [Brigham Young University-Provo](/colleges/brigham-young-university-provo). It may be a shock, but the highest ranked public health professors from student rankings are found at [Arizona State University-Tempe](/colleges/arizona-state-university-tempe). As we consider data beyond just rankings it becomes clear that the school with the overall best instructors for public health is [Johns Hopkins University](/colleges/johns-hopkins-university). You can find more detail on our ever evolving ranking methodology for the [best overall professors here](/rankings/best-professors), along with many of the top instructors nationwide.

 Finally, the most difficult college to get into for public health is [Harvard University](/colleges/harvard-university). While we think of this list more as a novelty, we have a general page of the [hardest colleges to get into](/rankings/hardest-colleges-to-get-into). That being said, we do hope you understand that looking at higher education with context mainly shaped by superlatives might cause issues. We at Authority hope you read our more nuanced pages on different colleges and peruse a few of Authority's helpful background articles on essential things to consider as you continue your school search.



 ### POPULARITY

 Public health is the 31st most popular degree in America, with 16,962 students receiving their bachelors degree last year. It just beat out #32 [Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication](/rankings/best-colleges-for-public-relations-advertising-and-applied-communication), and narrowly lost to #30 [Electrical and Electronics Engineering](/rankings/best-colleges-for-electrical-and-electronics-engineering).

 The degree is offered at a total of 406 colleges across the nation, and is the 55th most widely offered degree. Given that public health is offered at 27% of the Top 100 [Best Colleges](/rankings/best-colleges) in America, you can be sure this is a critical degree and the skillsets acquired are likely to last for a long time.

 It is also worth noting that 54% of colleges offering public health are public making it a pretty accessible field.

 The southeast produces the most public health graduates, largely led by [University of Florida](/colleges/university-of-florida), while it’s the Big Ten Conference that leads conference totals. As far as states, California ranks highest, with particular help from [California State University-Northridge](/colleges/california-state-university-northridge) and [University of California-Irvine](/colleges/university-of-california-irvine).

 All that being said, no individual school produces more public health graduates than [Tuskegee University](/colleges/tuskegee-university), which graduated 486 students last year alone. Although size is critical, another important factor to consider is the program’s density (the percent of all students that study public health). More students studied public health as a percentage of total students at [Bryant & Stratton College-Albany](/colleges/bryant-stratton-college-albany) than any other college.



 ### COST

 Public health is the 122nd most expensive major in America, with a median cost of $36,596 amongst the top 50 programs (just ahead of #123, [Physiology](rankings/best-colleges-for-physiology), with a median cost of $36,546).

 New England has the most expensive schools with top of the line public health programs predominantly led by [Hampshire College](/colleges/hampshire-college) with an annual cost of $50,030. Rhode Island is the most expensive state for public health led by [Brown University](/colleges/brown-university) and [Roger Williams University](/colleges/roger-williams-university).

 Public schools with solid programs by and large charge 73.93% less than private schools for in-state students. When looking at out-of-state tuition however, the median top 50 Public school charges 38.04% less than the median private school. So, if you're applying to a state school, make sure you qualify for in-state tuition ASAP.

 The most expensive top 25 college for public health is [Tufts University](/colleges/tufts-university), which is the 13th most expensive college in the United States. The most affordable option in the top 100 is [College of Charleston](/colleges/college-of-charleston). It costs just $70 per year, but it is its public health program is ranked #71. If you’re looking for the least expensive option in the top 25, [University of South Florida-Main Campus](/colleges/university-of-south-florida-main-campus)  is probably right for you, ranked #16 with an in-state cost of just $4,559. Another more affordable option would be #11, [University of Florida](/colleges/university-of-florida) in Alachua County, FL with a cost of $4,477 for in-state students and $25,694 for out-of-state students.



### SALARY

 College is a large investment for most undergraduates. It is critical to be assured you get a high return on your investment. Therefore, we hope the following income and career facts help you in deciding your major at college.

 Just after university, Public Health majors take in $44,796 per annum on average (top 31%). After a bit more experience in their careers, they typically bring home somewhere between $25,099 and $85,248, but average more or less $45,783. To put it in context, that's 19% more than America's average.

 The most popular job title for a Public Health graduate is Analyst, which typically make near $54,000; next are Certified Nursing Assistant and Consultant, which by and large earn close to $22,000 and $56,000 respectively.

 The Rocky Mountains has the best paid Public Health graduates. The best paid state for Public Health alumni is MT. The best paid conference for Public Health graduates is Frontier Conference.



### PROFESSORS

 Fast Facts for Public Health: Median Professor Rating: 4 / 5, which is average.

 Professors constantly have a monumental impact your college experience, regardless of your major. An amazing professor can provide inspiration and even make a difficult subject seem easy. Conversely, a bad professor can derail your education or even worse... flunk you!

 Professors of Public Health have a median student rating of 4 out of 5, which puts these professors in the top 51st percentile in the US grounded in student satisfaction. Suprisingly, this major is exactly the median for professor rating, which, in our opinion, is remarkably average! Public Health professors barely out-ranked those from ["Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-public-relations-advertising-and-applied-communication), whereas ["Political Science and Government"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-political-science-and-government)&nbspprofessors ranked one slot above Public Health.

 Now for some statistics about Public Health professors. Colleges located in midsize suburbs tend to have the best Public Health professors. The Landmark Conference has the highest rated Public Health professors. The Mid East region has the highest rated Public Health professors. Public schools tend to have higher rated Public Health professors than private universities. Finally, Indiana has the highest rated Public Health professors in the United States.

 Tamara Hill, professor at [Brigham Young University-Provo](/colleges/brigham-young-university-provo)&nbspin Provo, UT is the most popular Public Health professor in the United States. Nathan Gerard, professor at [California State University-Long Beach](/colleges/california-state-university-long-beach)&nbspin Long Beach, CA is the highest rated Public Health professor in the United States, with a rating of 5 / 5.

 Find out which colleges have the [Best Professors](/rankings/best-professors)!



### STUDENTS

 College often can be a profoundly influential period in one's life; it is an opportunity for personal growth and development. Undergraduates try to find out who they are and forge the imperative skills to become a flourishing member of society. But learning isn't solely found in a classroom environment - the campus dialogue, the nugget of wisdom gained from an eccentric instructor, the exposure to a different life experience. Therefore, attending a diverse college tremendously enhances what one gains from the time spent at school.

 Public Health is a more popular major among students of color than white students. 45% of the US' Public Health majors are white students, followed by asian students (17%), latino students (15%), and black students (12%). The most ethnically diverse college\* in the top 100 is [New York University](/colleges/new-york-university) located in New York, NY.

 Moreover, Public Health significatly skews female, with 78% of students majoring in Public Health identifying as women. The most gender balanced school in the top 100 is [University of Cincinnati-Main Campus](/colleges/university-of-cincinnati-main-campus) in Cincinnati, OH.

 Another critical type of diversity is socioeconomic diversity. Public Health is more economically diverse than 62% of subjects. 29% of its students come from homes who earn over $110,000 a year, 16% are from middle income households, and 25% grew up in homes with a sub $30,000 yearly income. [University of North Carolina at Charlotte](/colleges/university-of-north-carolina-at-charlotte) is the most socioeconomically diverse institution in the top 100.

 Considering each type of diversity, overall NY is the most diverse state for Public Health. The Mid East is the most diverse region, and the University Athletic Association is the most diverse conference.

   \* diversity calculations and comparisons are based on [Simpson's Diversity Index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity_index)   
  \*\* other races is used to refer to non asian, black, latino, or white

  #### Diversity Statistics

  ##### Racial Diversity

 * Asian: 17%
* Black: 12%
* Latino: 15%
* White: 45%
* Other: 10%
  ##### Gender Diversity

 * Male: 22%
* Female: 78%
  ##### Socioeconomic Diversity (By Household Income)

 * Under 30k: 25%
* 30k - 48k: 15%
* 48k - 75k: 16%
* 75k - 110k: 15%
* Over 110k: 29%
  ##### Geographic Diversity

 * In State: 69%
* Out of State: 25%
* International: 6%


2023 Public Health Salary

There are about 95,385 students enrolled in Public Health in the USA.

SALARY