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2023 Most Popular Public Health Schools

773 Colleges
$43,158 Avg Salary
$27,396 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Public Health School for You

Public Health is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 4th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 40,596 degrees and certificates were awarded to students with this major.

It's not easy to decide which healthcare program to enroll in when you have so many options available. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Healthcare Degree Search has developed this Most Popular Public Health Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 773 schools in the United States to see which programs were the most popular for healthcare students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Public Health program at each school on the list.

The following schools top our list of the Most Popular Public Health Colleges.

#1

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD

Our analysis found Johns Hopkins University to be the most popular school for public health students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. Johns Hopkins is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Baltimore.

While working on their degree, public health majors at Johns Hopkins accumulate an average of around $16,088 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $585.

Read full report on Public Health at Johns Hopkins University

Out of the 773 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Rutgers University - New Brunswick landed the # 2 spot on the list. Rutgers New Brunswick is a fairly large public school located in the small city of New Brunswick.

After completing their degree, public health graduates from Rutgers New Brunswick carry an average student debt load of $27,313. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $333.

Read More…

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend George Washington University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Most Popular Public Health Schools list. GWU is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington.

After completing their degree, public health graduates from GWU carry an average student debt load of $23,822.

Read More…

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Columbia University in the City of New York. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Most Popular Public Health Schools list. Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.

Read full report on Public Health at Columbia University in the City of New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of South Carolina - Columbia. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Most Popular Public Health Schools list. UofSC is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Columbia.

Public Health majors at UofSC take out an average of $24,393 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $304, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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University of California - Irvine did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for public health students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public school with a very large student population.

On average, public health graduates from UC Irvine take out $16,319 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $181, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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University of Maryland - College Park came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Public Health Schools ranking. UMCP is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of College Park.

The average amount in student loans that public health majors at UMCP take out is $22,500. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $323, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Public Health at University of Maryland - College Park Report

Benedictine University ranked #8 on this year’s Most Popular Public Health Schools list. Benedictine U is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Lisle.

Full Public Health at Benedictine University Report

California State University - Northridge ranked #9 on this year’s Most Popular Public Health Schools list. CSUN is a fairly large public school located in the city of Northridge.

While working on their degree, public health majors at CSUN accumulate an average of around $16,198 in student debt.

Read full report on Public Health at California State University - Northridge

University of California - Berkeley ranked #10 on this year’s Most Popular Public Health Schools list. Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public college with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, public health majors at UC Berkeley accumulate an average of around $11,875 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $304, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

With a ranking of #11, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for public health students. Located in the large city of Tampa, USF Tampa is a public college with a fairly large student population.

After completing their degree, public health graduates from USF Tampa carry an average student debt load of $23,555. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $205.

Read More…

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for public health students. It came in at #12 on the list. Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public school with a very large student population.

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#13

University of Arizona

Tucson, AZ

University of Arizona landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular public health programs. University of Arizona is a very large public school located in the city of Tucson.

While working on their degree, public health majors at University of Arizona accumulate an average of around $22,000 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $366.

Read More…

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Public Health Schools ranking. UW Seattle is a fairly large public school located in the city of Seattle.

Public Health majors at UW Seattle take out an average of $16,304 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $383.

Read full report on Public Health at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#14

Emory University

Atlanta, GA

Emory University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for public health students. It came in at #14 on the list. Located in the city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

Full Public Health at Emory University Report

#16

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA

Liberty University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Public Health Schools ranking. Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Lynchburg.

On average, public health graduates from Liberty University take out $26,000 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $526, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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University of Massachusetts Amherst landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular public health programs. Located in the large suburb of Amherst, UMass Amherst is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that public health majors at UMass Amherst take out is $26,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $165.

Full Public Health at University of Massachusetts Amherst Report

#18

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL

University of Florida came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Public Health Schools ranking. Located in the city of Gainesville, UF is a public school with a very large student population.

The average amount in student loans that public health majors at UF take out is $18,087. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $248, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

Southern New Hampshire University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for public health students. It came in at #19 on the list. SNHU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the midsize suburb of Manchester.

While working on their degree, public health majors at SNHU accumulate an average of around $33,439 in student debt.

Read full report on Public Health at Southern New Hampshire University

#20

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA

With a ranking of #20, Harvard University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for public health students. Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on Public Health at Harvard University

The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for public health students. It came in at #21 on the list. Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that public health majors at UT Austin take out is $19,510. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $274, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Public Health at The University of Texas at Austin

With a ranking of #22, University of California - San Diego did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for public health students. UCSD is a fairly large public school located in the city of La Jolla.

Public Health majors at UCSD take out an average of $15,451 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $205.

Full Public Health at University of California - San Diego Report

#23

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC

East Carolina University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Public Health Schools ranking. ECU is a fairly large public school located in the city of Greenville.

While working on their degree, public health majors at ECU accumulate an average of around $26,000 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $271.

Read full report on Public Health at East Carolina University

University of Alabama at Birmingham landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular public health programs. UAB is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Birmingham.

Public Health majors at UAB take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $230, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Public Health at University of Alabama at Birmingham

#28

Wayne State University

Detroit, MI
#33

The Graduate Center, CUNY

New York, NY
#34

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA
#35

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, AZ
#38

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA
#40

Monroe College

Bronx, NY
#41

Georgia State University

Atlanta, GA
#42

Boston University

Boston, MA
#44

Capella University

Minneapolis, MN
#46

The University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, AL
#47

National University

La Jolla, CA
#48

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA
#49

Oregon State University

Corvallis, OR

Remaining Award Winners

This list shows the rest of the colleges awarded a Most Popular Public Health Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 773 different United States public health schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
49 University of Georgia Athens, GA
52 California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
52 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN
54 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
55 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
56 University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
57 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
58 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
59 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
60 University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO
61 University at Albany Albany, NY
62 The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Houston, TX
63 Portland State University Portland, OR
64 University of Delaware Newark, DE
65 University of California - Merced Merced, CA
66 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
67 The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX
68 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
69 Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, FL
69 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
71 University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wilmington, NC
72 Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA
72 Purdue University Global Indianapolis, IN
74 Brown University Providence, RI
75 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
76 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, PA
77 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
78 Washington University in St Louis Saint Louis, MO
78 West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA
80 New York University New York, NY
81 Tufts University Medford, MA
81 Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, PA
81 College of Charleston Charleston, SC
84 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA
85 Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
85 University of Massachusetts - Lowell Lowell, MA
87 St Petersburg College Clearwater, FL
88 University of New England Biddeford, ME
89 American InterContinental University - Online Schaumburg, IL
90 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
91 Saint Joseph’s University Philadelphia, PA
92 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
92 Florida National University - Main Campus Hialeah, FL
92 Chamberlain University - Illinois Addison, IL
95 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC
95 Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX
95 Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ
98 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ
99 East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN
99 University of Puerto Rico - Medical Sciences San Juan, PR
101 Mercer University Macon, GA
101 Northwestern University Evanston, IL
103 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
104 Baylor University Waco, TX
104 Montclair State University Montclair, NJ
104 Lehman College Bronx, NY
107 Chapman University Orange, CA
108 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
109 Dartmouth College Hanover, NH
110 Hofstra University Hempstead, NY
111 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
112 Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Boston, MA
113 West Coast University - Orange County Anaheim, CA
114 Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, FL
115 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
115 University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, MS

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also popular but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular Public Health Schools award.

Rank College Location
117 Columbia Southern University Orange Beach, AL
118 Bryant & Stratton College - Online Orchard Park, NY
118 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
120 American University Washington, DC
120 University of Nevada - Reno Reno, NV
122 Florida International University Miami, FL
123 University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OK
124 SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University Brooklyn, NY
124 Duke University Durham, NC
126 University of New Mexico - Main Campus Albuquerque, NM
126 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
126 Utah Valley University Orem, UT
126 University of Alaska Anchorage Anchorage, AK
126 Weber State University Ogden, UT
131 Yale University New Haven, CT
132 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
132 University of Houston - Downtown Houston, TX
132 Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY
135 University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI
136 Central New Mexico Community College Albuquerque, NM
137 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
138 Universidad del Turabo Gurabo, PR
139 Southern Connecticut State University New Haven, CT
139 St Catherine University Saint Paul, MN
139 Oregon Health & Science University Portland, OR
142 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
142 City College of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
142 Everglades University Boca Raton, FL
145 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse La Crosse, WI
145 Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC
147 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
148 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
149 South University’s online programs Savannah, GA
149 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO
151 University of Vermont Burlington, VT
152 University of Michigan - Dearborn Dearborn, MI
152 Georgia College & State University Milledgeville, GA
152 SUNY Old Westbury Old Westbury, NY
152 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK

Public Health by Region

View the Most Popular Public Health Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

One of 30 majors within the healthcare area of study, public health has other similar majors worth exploring.

Public Health Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General Public Health 22,778
Public Health Education and Promotion 4,563
Other Public Health 3,432
Health Services Administration 3,119
Community Health and Preventive Medicine 2,272
International Public Health/International Health 1,599
Environmental Health 1,344
Behavioral Aspects of Health 814
Health/Medical Physics 258
Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene 211
Maternal and Child Health 163
Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality 43

Related Major Annual Graduates
Nursing 322,592
Health & Medical Administrative Services 89,359
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 84,492
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 84,274
Allied Health Professions 82,308

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Article 25 Flickr.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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