Public Health major

Public Health: courses, careers, and where to study

Public Health studies how to prevent disease and protect population health, suiting students who want to improve community well-being through data, policy, and programs rather than treating patients.

Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Public Health earn a median $58,808 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $41,981 to $79,154 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). By credential and college

A Public Health major covers epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, health policy and management, and the social and behavioral determinants of health. Coursework pairs foundational sciences (biology, anatomy, microbiology) with population-level methods, study design, survey research, data analysis, program planning, and evaluation. Most undergraduate programs award a BS or BA in Public Health and include a practicum or internship with a health department, hospital, nonprofit, or community organization.

Graduates work in disease surveillance, health education, program coordination, community outreach, and policy analysis across local and state health departments, hospitals, nonprofits, and global-health organizations. Many roles, including epidemiology and other analytical positions, expect a Master of Public Health (MPH); the bachelor's is a common stepping stone into that graduate path.

Public Health is also a growing field. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment of epidemiologists will grow about 16.2% from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations.

Academic classification (CIP)

In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Public Health maps to CIP 51.2201, Public Health, General, within the HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS family. The official definition:

A program that generally prepares individuals to plan, manage, and evaluate public health care services; to function as public health professionals in public agencies, the private sector, and other settings; and to provide leadership in the field of public health. Includes instruction in epidemiology, biostatistics, public health principles, preventive medicine, health policy and regulations, health care services and related administrative functions, public health law enforcement, health economics and budgeting, public communications, and professional standards and ethics.

Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov

What credential Public Health is awarded as

Of the 24,675 Public Health credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2024-25:

  • Certificate: 2%, 577 credentials.
  • Associate: 3%, 626 credentials.
  • Bachelor's: 46%, 11,277 credentials.
  • Graduate: 49%, 12,195 credentials.

This mix is fairly consistent nationally: across the 45 states reporting it, the certificate share moves by about 2 percentage points between the 10th and 90th percentile state, so the credential is more a property of the field than of where you study it. See the full study.

Credentials conferred in 2024-25, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.

What you'll study

  • Epidemiology: study design, disease surveillance, and outbreak investigation
  • Biostatistics and analysis of population health data
  • Environmental and occupational health (air, water, food safety, exposure)
  • Health behavior and the social determinants of health
  • Health policy, systems, and management
  • Program planning, implementation, and evaluation
  • Global and community health practice
  • Practicum or internship with a health department, hospital, or nonprofit

Typical careers

  • Epidemiologist
  • Health Educator
  • Public Health Analyst
  • Community Health Worker
  • Environmental Health Specialist
  • Public Health Program Coordinator

Typical salary range: Varies by role; BLS reports a 2024 median of $83,980 for epidemiologistsRanges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.

How much do Public Health graduates earn?

Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Public Health earn a median $58,808 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $41,981 to $79,154 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard).

National median earnings four years after graduating for Public Health, by credential
CredentialNational medianMiddle half of programs
Bachelor's$58,808$41,981 to $79,154
Associate's$43,759$30,454 to $59,473
Master's$82,751$61,518 to $113,501
Professional degree$101,541$74,787 to $149,273
Doctoral$108,962$85,957 to $147,308
Graduate certificate$88,684$67,417 to $122,134
Post-baccalaureate certificate$78,697$59,341 to $108,001

Compare Public Health programs in your state

Highest-earning bachelor's Public Health programs

Ordered by median earnings: one federal measure, not a ranking of program quality. Federal program group: Public Health. Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars, for graduates who received federal aid, worked and were not enrolled. Programs need at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort to be listed; multi-state systems whose figures pool campuses are not listed. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 10 June 2026. How much the college matters, by major. Graduate programs over the new federal loan caps.

Related occupations

Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Public Health, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.

Occupations associated with Public Health by the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, with median annual wage, projected annual openings, projected employment change, and the education most entrants typically hold.
OccupationMedian payOpenings / yrProjected changeMost entrants hold
Medical and Health Services Managers$117,96062,100+23.2%Bachelor's degree
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary$105,62027,400+17.3%Doctoral or professional degree
Health Education Specialists$63,0007,900+4.5%Bachelor's degree
Community Health Workers$51,0307,800+11.3%High school diploma or equivalent

Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 4 of these 4 occupations report a median wage.

“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Public Health does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.

Before you commit to a Public Health major

CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Public Health program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.

Ask the Public Health department

  • Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
  • What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
  • What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
  • Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?

Ask current students & check the curriculum

  • How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
  • What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
  • Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
  • How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Accreditation & licensure: Many health programs require specialized programmatic accreditation, and graduates often need state licensure or national certification to practice. Confirm a Public Health program's accreditation and your state's licensure requirements before you enroll.
Degree level & graduate study: Many Public Health careers are open with a bachelor's degree, but some, such as research, advanced-practice, or licensure-track roles, require a master's or doctorate. Check the typical entry-level education on each linked career page above before assuming a bachelor's is enough.

Find a Public Health program

CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.

Colleges that awarded the most Public Health credentials

Largest by credentials conferred in 2024-25. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.

Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2024-25. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.

Search Public Health schools

Where Public Health credentials were awarded

29 states have a distinct enough set of Public Health colleges to be worth its own page.

Public Health by state

Every Public Health program with its own CampusPin page

129 programs in 40 states, A to Z by state and then by college. Each page gives what the program's graduates earned four years after finishing, what they borrowed in federal loans, the monthly payment, and how the program compares with others in its state and the nation. The figure beside each college is the median for its largest credential with at least 30 graduates (U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23). The list is alphabetical; it is not a ranking.

Public Health programs in Alabama, 3 programs
Public Health programs in Arizona, 4 programs
Public Health programs in Arkansas, 1 program
Public Health programs in California, 14 programs
Public Health programs in Colorado, 1 program
Public Health programs in Connecticut, 2 programs
Public Health programs in Delaware, 1 program
Public Health programs in District of Columbia, 2 programs
Public Health programs in Florida, 7 programs
Public Health programs in Georgia, 5 programs
Public Health programs in Idaho, 1 program
Public Health programs in Illinois, 4 programs
Public Health programs in Indiana, 4 programs
Public Health programs in Iowa, 1 program
Public Health programs in Kentucky, 2 programs
Public Health programs in Louisiana, 1 program
Public Health programs in Maine, 1 program
Public Health programs in Maryland, 3 programs
Public Health programs in Massachusetts, 6 programs
Public Health programs in Michigan, 4 programs
Public Health programs in Minnesota, 3 programs
Public Health programs in Mississippi, 1 program
Public Health programs in Missouri, 3 programs
Public Health programs in New Hampshire, 1 program
Public Health programs in New Jersey, 2 programs
Public Health programs in New York, 9 programs
Public Health programs in North Carolina, 6 programs
Public Health programs in Ohio, 4 programs
Public Health programs in Oklahoma, 2 programs
Public Health programs in Oregon, 4 programs
Public Health programs in Pennsylvania, 5 programs
Public Health programs in Rhode Island, 1 program
Public Health programs in South Carolina, 3 programs
Public Health programs in Tennessee, 2 programs
Public Health programs in Texas, 6 programs
Public Health programs in Utah, 4 programs
Public Health programs in Virginia, 2 programs
Public Health programs in Washington, 1 program
Public Health programs in West Virginia, 1 program
Public Health programs in Wisconsin, 2 programs

Related majors

Put this major in context

The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Public Health degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.

Explore Community & Social Service careers

Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.

Explore Management careers

Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.

How one major leads to many careers

Why a single Public Health degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.

Why a median wage is not a starting salary

How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.

When accreditation and licensure matter

How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Public Health path before you enroll.

Does a pricier college pay off?

How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.

Does picking a major narrow your college list?

Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.

Certificate or degree?

What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.

How this guide is sourced

This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.