Field of study · CIP 51.22
Public Health
Offered at 1,357 college programs that reported results. Here is what graduates earn and owe at each credential level, and which programs pay best.
By credential level
| Credential | Programs | Typical earnings, 1 yr | Typical earnings, 5 yrs | Typical debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 84 | $39,213 | — | $18,250 |
| Associate | 86 | $37,907 | $49,175 | $26,342 |
| Bachelor's | 479 | $43,165 | $60,768 | $23,724 |
| Post-bacc certificate | 7 | $74,770 | $84,471 | $22,470 |
| Master's | 416 | $64,623 | $85,405 | — |
| Doctoral | 106 | $92,582 | $112,298 | — |
| Professional | 16 | $71,333 | $96,448 | — |
| Graduate certificate | 163 | $69,987 | $82,221 | — |
"Typical" is the median across programs of each program's median, counting only programs with unsuppressed data (at least three). It describes a typical program, not a national median for all graduates. Certificate figures include certificates earned at four-year colleges, often alongside a bachelor's; see degrees vs. certificates for a cleaner comparison. Source: College Scorecard field of study data.
Our read
One year after finishing, a typical certificate program in this field reports median earnings of $39,213, versus $43,165 for a typical bachelor's program.
Highest-earning certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Iowa | IA | $46,113 | — | $24,750 |
| 2 | Michigan State University | MI | $41,687 | — | — |
| 3 | Bryant & Stratton College-Albany | NY | $39,213 | — | $18,250 |
| 4 | Bryant & Stratton College-Syracuse North | NY | $39,213 | — | $18,250 |
| 5 | Bryant & Stratton College-Buffalo | NY | $39,213 | — | $18,250 |
| 6 | Bryant & Stratton College-Parma | OH | $39,213 | — | $18,250 |
| 7 | Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia Beach | VA | $39,213 | — | $18,250 |
| 8 | Bryant & Stratton College-Wauwatosa | WI | $39,213 | — | $18,250 |
| 9 | Bryant & Stratton College-Online | NY | $39,213 | — | $18,250 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning associate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lemoore College | CA | $35,598 | $57,127 | $9,500 |
| 2 | Coalinga College | CA | $36,036 | $54,417 | — |
| 3 | Bryant & Stratton College-Albany | NY | $37,907 | $49,175 | $30,117 |
| 4 | Bryant & Stratton College-Syracuse North | NY | $37,907 | $49,175 | $30,117 |
| 5 | Bryant & Stratton College-Buffalo | NY | $37,907 | $49,175 | $30,117 |
| 6 | Bryant & Stratton College-Parma | OH | $37,907 | $49,175 | $30,117 |
| 7 | Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia Beach | VA | $37,907 | $49,175 | $30,117 |
| 8 | Bryant & Stratton College-Wauwatosa | WI | $37,907 | $49,175 | $30,117 |
| 9 | Bryant & Stratton College-Online | NY | $37,907 | $49,175 | $30,117 |
| 10 | Harrisburg Area Community College | PA | $41,727 | $43,106 | $19,139 |
| 11 | CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College | NY | $32,815 | $43,042 | $8,500 |
| 12 | Florida National University-Main Campus | FL | $34,043 | $42,998 | $22,568 |
| 13 | American Public University System | WV | $37,102 | $41,817 | $20,441 |
| 14 | Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale | FL | $38,036 | $41,742 | $35,425 |
| 15 | Ozarks Technical Community College | MO | $40,813 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning bachelor's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center | TX | $117,531 | — | — |
| 2 | Utah State University | UT | $77,239 | $106,968 | — |
| 3 | Santa Clara University | CA | — | $98,929 | $13,000 |
| 4 | George Washington University | DC | $55,305 | $96,041 | $19,558 |
| 5 | University of California-Berkeley | CA | $57,363 | $95,133 | $11,000 |
| 6 | Duke University | NC | $51,770 | $94,424 | $15,000 |
| 7 | University of Southern California | CA | — | $91,307 | $17,429 |
| 8 | Montana Technological University | MT | — | $88,661 | $26,155 |
| 9 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | NC | — | $87,293 | — |
| 10 | Illinois State University | IL | $72,984 | $86,460 | $14,316 |
| 11 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | $41,620 | $85,970 | $15,046 |
| 12 | Tufts University | MA | $54,429 | $85,830 | $16,500 |
| 13 | The College of New Jersey | NJ | $43,059 | $84,756 | $21,000 |
| 14 | Simmons University | MA | — | $83,317 | — |
| 15 | Johns Hopkins University | MD | $44,604 | $83,003 | $11,700 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning post-bacc certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | NC | $94,895 | $97,271 | — |
| 2 | New York Medical College | NY | — | $88,766 | — |
| 3 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | PA | $66,946 | $84,471 | $21,940 |
| 4 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | MI | $66,780 | $83,777 | $23,000 |
| 5 | A T Still University of Health Sciences | MO | $82,595 | — | $21,000 |
| 6 | New York Institute of Technology | NY | — | $80,237 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning master's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard University | MA | $104,048 | $195,788 | — |
| 2 | Vanderbilt University | TN | $108,218 | $176,602 | — |
| 3 | Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine | PA | $73,858 | $150,476 | — |
| 4 | Touro University California | CA | $110,594 | $144,622 | — |
| 5 | Yale University | CT | — | $140,972 | — |
| 6 | University of Maryland Baltimore | MD | — | $140,577 | — |
| 7 | Montana Technological University | MT | $106,252 | $130,229 | — |
| 8 | Nova Southeastern University | FL | $61,169 | $125,069 | — |
| 9 | Arcadia University | PA | $116,045 | $124,288 | — |
| 10 | University of West Florida | FL | — | $120,513 | — |
| 11 | Samford University | AL | $61,233 | $117,872 | — |
| 12 | A T Still University of Health Sciences | MO | $73,147 | $113,794 | — |
| 13 | University of Iowa | IA | $71,822 | $112,012 | — |
| 14 | Johns Hopkins University | MD | $78,534 | $110,840 | — |
| 15 | University of Wyoming | WY | $109,671 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning doctoral programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard University | MA | — | $155,607 | — |
| 2 | University of California-Los Angeles | CA | $116,009 | $133,775 | — |
| 3 | San Diego State University | CA | $131,791 | — | — |
| 4 | Tulane University of Louisiana | LA | — | $118,399 | — |
| 5 | Capella University | MN | $90,031 | $114,390 | — |
| 6 | University of Illinois Chicago | IL | $130,813 | $113,453 | — |
| 7 | Johns Hopkins University | MD | $94,671 | $111,143 | — |
| 8 | University of South Florida | FL | $115,908 | $110,138 | — |
| 9 | University of Georgia | GA | $116,560 | $109,796 | — |
| 10 | Walden University | MN | $90,261 | $96,599 | — |
| 11 | Georgia Southern University | GA | $90,493 | — | — |
| 12 | University of Arizona | AZ | $89,479 | — | — |
| 13 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | MI | $89,216 | — | — |
| 14 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | OH | $74,830 | — | — |
| 15 | Ponce Health Sciences University | PR | — | $63,759 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning professional programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dartmouth College | NH | $76,671 | $125,741 | — |
| 2 | University of California-Berkeley | CA | $88,809 | $121,123 | — |
| 3 | University of Oklahoma-Health Sciences Center | OK | $66,835 | $96,448 | — |
| 4 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | OK | $66,835 | $96,448 | — |
| 5 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | PA | $71,333 | $87,458 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning graduate certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Washington University | DC | — | $143,774 | — |
| 2 | University of Alabama at Birmingham | AL | $114,467 | — | — |
| 3 | Johns Hopkins University | MD | $72,808 | $113,024 | — |
| 4 | New York University | NY | — | $102,881 | — |
| 5 | Columbia University in the City of New York | NY | $76,457 | $100,795 | — |
| 6 | Michigan State University | MI | — | $87,189 | — |
| 7 | University of Missouri-Columbia | MO | $71,499 | $82,884 | — |
| 8 | University at Albany | NY | $56,269 | $81,558 | — |
| 9 | Medical College of Wisconsin | WI | — | $81,356 | — |
| 10 | University of Florida | FL | — | $76,639 | — |
| 11 | Capella University | MN | $73,588 | $75,218 | — |
| 12 | University of Connecticut | CT | $69,987 | — | — |
| 13 | University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus | CT | $69,987 | — | — |
| 14 | University of Connecticut-Avery Point | CT | $69,987 | — | — |
| 15 | University of Connecticut-Stamford | CT | $69,987 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Related fields
Communication Disorders Sciences and ServicesBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $61,507Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $64,236DentistryBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings —Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral SciencesBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings —Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $69,646Health and Medical Administrative ServicesBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $61,968Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $66,568Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied ProfessionsBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $76,549
Quick answers
- How much do public health graduates earn?
- One year after finishing, a typical bachelor's program in public health reports median earnings of $43,165. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field of study data.
