Public Health: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Public Health graduates earn a median $58,808 four years after finishing — $10,448/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 6.5 years. Federal data pools 460 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 19,251 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Public Health ranks #113 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 45% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duke University | NC | $101,771 |
| 2 | Utah State University | UT | $93,161 |
| 3 | University of Southern California | CA | $89,522 |
| 4 | George Washington University | DC | $87,217 |
| 5 | Montana Technological University | MT | $86,855 |
| 6 | Oakland University | MI | $85,266 |
| 7 | Illinois State University | IL | $84,790 |
| 8 | Elon University | NC | $81,153 |
| 9 | Johns Hopkins University | MD | $79,113 |
| 10 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | MI | $78,928 |
| 11 | University of Georgia | GA | $78,085 |
| 12 | California Baptist University | CA | $77,329 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.