Best Public Health Degrees in the US by ROI
Top colleges ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all active states. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Programs Analyzed
150
Colleges with salary data
Average 20-Yr Net ROI
+$337,745
Across all programs
Average Annual Cost
$38,336
Cost of attendance
| # | College | State | 20-Yr Net ROI | Median Salary | Annual Cost | Avg Debt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine | PA | +$2,170,720 | $150,536 | N/A | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 2 |
Harvard University
Grad rate: 97.5% |
MA | +$1,579,936 | $129,281 | $82,842 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 3 |
University of West Florida
Grad rate: 57.0% |
FL | +$1,292,332 | $108,467 | $18,504 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 4 |
Arcadia University
Grad rate: 63.8% |
PA | +$1,233,760 | $109,812 | $61,240 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 5 |
Vanderbilt University
Grad rate: 92.7% |
TN | +$1,224,296 | $111,656 | $84,412 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 6 |
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Grad rate: 84.6% |
MN | +$1,221,354 | $105,969 | $29,013 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 7 |
Montana Technological University
Grad rate: 57.4% |
MT | +$1,013,740 | $94,849 | $21,620 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 8 |
University of California-Los Angeles
Grad rate: 92.6% |
CA | +$789,114 | $85,120 | $36,643 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 9 |
Dartmouth College
Grad rate: 95.4% |
NH | +$766,076 | $88,684 | $83,802 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 10 | University of California-San Francisco | CA | +$741,200 | $79,060 | N/A | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 11 |
University of Iowa
Grad rate: 73.4% |
IA | +$739,974 | $81,687 | $26,883 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 12 | Claremont Graduate University | CA | +$682,100 | $76,105 | N/A | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 13 | Oregon Health & Science University | OR | +$677,440 | $75,872 | N/A | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 14 |
Weber State University
Grad rate: 42.6% |
UT | +$674,376 | $77,336 | $16,172 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 15 |
University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus
Grad rate: 59.7% |
CT | +$572,366 | $72,710 | $20,917 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 16 |
University of Connecticut-Avery Point
Grad rate: 57.8% |
CT | +$570,994 | $72,710 | $21,603 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 17 |
University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus
Grad rate: 63.9% |
CT | +$564,138 | $72,710 | $25,031 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 18 |
University of Connecticut-Stamford
Grad rate: 59.5% |
CT | +$558,726 | $72,710 | $27,737 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 19 |
University of Maryland-College Park
Grad rate: 88.9% |
MD | +$549,774 | $72,296 | $28,073 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 20 | Des Moines University-Osteopathic Medical Center | IA | +$546,920 | $69,346 | N/A | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 21 |
University of Connecticut
Grad rate: 83.5% |
CT | +$541,056 | $72,710 | $36,572 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 22 |
Tufts University
Grad rate: 93.5% |
MA | +$530,480 | $76,984 | $84,600 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 23 |
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Grad rate: 84.0% |
WA | +$528,296 | $71,443 | $30,282 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 24 |
Hofstra University
Grad rate: 67.4% |
NY | +$525,104 | $75,085 | $68,298 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 25 |
University of California-Berkeley
Grad rate: 93.5% |
CA | +$517,544 | $72,148 | $42,708 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 26 |
University of Maryland Global Campus
Grad rate: 23.6% |
MD | +$513,940 | $69,676 | $19,790 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 27 | Loma Linda University | CA | +$509,680 | $67,484 | N/A | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 28 |
Benedictine University
Grad rate: 52.4% |
IL | +$490,044 | $71,157 | $46,548 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 29 |
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Grad rate: 63.4% |
AL | +$488,568 | $69,211 | $27,826 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 30 |
CUNY Hunter College
Grad rate: 58.7% |
NY | +$488,220 | $67,742 | $13,310 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 31 |
University of Illinois Chicago
Grad rate: 60.9% |
IL | +$485,084 | $68,954 | $26,998 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 32 |
George Washington University
Grad rate: 85.0% |
DC | +$480,826 | $74,114 | $80,727 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 33 |
Columbia University in the City of New York
Grad rate: 95.1% |
NY | +$468,256 | $74,017 | $86,042 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 34 |
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Grad rate: 27.4% |
AZ | +$463,340 | $65,167 | N/A | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 35 |
Westminster University
Grad rate: 66.8% |
UT | +$458,818 | $70,621 | $56,801 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 36 |
San Jose State University
Grad rate: 66.2% |
CA | +$457,890 | $67,464 | $25,695 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 37 |
Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health
Grad rate: 69.5% |
NE | +$454,462 | $67,789 | $30,659 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 38 |
George Mason University
Grad rate: 69.9% |
VA | +$453,696 | $67,382 | $26,972 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 39 |
University of Southern Mississippi
Grad rate: 51.1% |
MS | +$449,516 | $67,024 | $25,482 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 40 |
University of Kentucky
Grad rate: 69.3% |
KY | +$447,658 | $67,612 | $32,291 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 41 |
Johns Hopkins University
Grad rate: 94.3% |
MD | +$438,620 | $72,061 | $81,300 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 42 |
Yale University
Grad rate: 97.0% |
CT | +$425,940 | $71,809 | $85,120 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 43 |
Texas A&M University-College Station
Grad rate: 83.7% |
TX | +$423,470 | $66,382 | $32,085 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 44 |
Oakland University
Grad rate: 57.3% |
MI | +$422,088 | $65,606 | $25,016 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 45 |
San Diego State University
Grad rate: 78.1% |
CA | +$420,706 | $65,771 | $27,357 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 46 |
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Grad rate: 89.3% |
WI | +$420,000 | $65,777 | $27,770 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 47 | University of North Texas Health Science Center | TX | +$413,100 | $62,655 | N/A | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 48 |
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Grad rate: 67.4% |
AZ | +$407,246 | $65,167 | $28,047 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 49 |
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Grad rate: 83.1% |
MA | +$397,622 | $65,220 | $33,389 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 50 |
New York University
Grad rate: 87.8% |
NY | +$390,398 | $69,432 | $79,121 | N/A | Full ROI → |
How ROI is calculated
20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.
Find Best Public Health Degrees by State
Browse Public Health programs ranked by 20-year ROI in every state that offers this degree.