Public Health: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 342 college programs, at a typical net price.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
What Public Health pays
Career outlook for Public Health graduates
The job market for the occupations Public Health graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical and health services managers | 616,200 | +23.2% | $117,960 | Bachelor's degree |
| Compliance officers | 418,000 | +3.0% | $78,420 | Bachelor's degree |
| Health specialties teachers, postsecondary | 289,600 | +17.3% | $105,620 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Medical scientists, except epidemiologists | 165,300 | +8.7% | $100,590 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Occupational health and safety specialists | 131,900 | +12.5% | $83,910 | Bachelor's degree |
| Environmental scientists and specialists, including health | 90,300 | +4.4% | $80,060 | Bachelor's degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Public Health vs similar majors
How Public Health stacks up against the closest fields in Health Professions & Nursing on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Public Health Health Professions & Nursing · this major | Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | Medicine | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 65 B | 80 A | 80 A | 80 A |
| ROI verdict | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $70,912 | $226,546 | $214,065 | $162,555 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $51,383 | $212,530 | $166,304 | $65,892 |
| ROI vs cost | +206% | +1,129% | +1,565% | +708% |
| Typical debt | $34,948 | $207,643 | $81,076 | $201,913 |
| Colleges offering it | 342 | 33 | 6 | 155 |
Public Health earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Public Health
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CUNY Hunter College New York, NY | Certificate | $95,393 | — | +4,122% | Strong return |
| 2 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | Master's | $133,209 | — | +3,415% | Strong return |
| 3 | CUNY Hunter College New York, NY | Associate's | $61,477 | — | +2,661% | Strong return |
| 4 | University of West Florida Pensacola, FL | Certificate | $145,561 | — | +2,585% | Strong return |
| 5 | University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI | Master's | $122,215 | — | +2,125% | Strong return |
| 6 | Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN | Certificate | $228,535 | $53,550 | +2,114% | Strong return |
| 7 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA | Master's | $105,705 | — | +2,054% | Strong return |
| 8 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA | Master's | $120,143 | — | +1,871% | Strong return |
| 9 | Coalinga College Coalinga, CA | Certificate | $64,861 | — | +1,796% | Strong return |
| 10 | CUNY Lehman College Bronx, NY | Certificate | $79,956 | $17,310 | +1,750% | Strong return |
| 11 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA | Certificate | $204,275 | $49,681 | +1,588% | Strong return |
| 12 | CUNY Lehman College Bronx, NY | Associate's | $62,041 | $13,936 | +1,398% | Strong return |
| 13 | University of Florida-Online Gainesville, FL | Associate's | $66,251 | $15,454 | +1,293% | Strong return |
| 14 | Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD | Master's | $123,080 | $58,350 | +1,226% | Strong return |
| 15 | Montana Technological University Butte, MT | Associate's | $99,011 | $26,500 | +1,167% | Strong return |
| 16 | St Petersburg College St. Petersburg, FL | Associate's | $60,679 | $27,026 | +1,126% | Strong return |
| 17 | Northwestern University Evanston, IL | Certificate | $183,592 | — | +1,088% | Strong return |
| 18 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA | Associate's | $81,604 | $11,708 | +1,072% | Strong return |
| 19 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA | Certificate | $106,720 | — | +1,045% | Strong return |
| 20 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL | Associate's | $66,251 | $15,454 | +1,036% | Strong return |
| 21 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN | Certificate | $138,364 | $45,315 | +1,017% | Strong return |
| 22 | University of South Florida Tampa, FL | Master's | $80,866 | $34,545 | +1,013% | Strong return |
| 23 | Utah State University Logan, UT | Associate's | $77,541 | — | +989% | Strong return |
| 24 | Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD | Associate's | $89,081 | $12,750 | +943% | Strong return |
| 25 | Montana Technological University Butte, MT | Certificate | $119,118 | $21,023 | +907% | Strong return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.