MASTER'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a master's degree in Public Health worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 207 college programs with reportable data.

Personal baseline needed

$79,533 in median year-4 earnings

A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.

$79,533Median year-4 earnings
$20,072Average institution net-price context
Not availableMedian federal debt
Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →
Start with your decision

What do you need to compare?

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Outcomes at a glance

$79,533Typical earnings four years after completion
$85,470Average earnings five years after completion
Not availableTypical federal student debt
53thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
404Degrees awarded in 2024–25
207College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 26 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Public Health

How much do Public Health master's degree graduates earn?

The national median is $79,533 four years after completion across reportable master's degree programs in this federal field.

How much federal debt do graduates have?

A national median federal-debt figure is not reportable for this degree in the current release.

Does the college matter for Public Health?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $70,335 to $89,596 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Public Health?

DegreeVerdict links this field to 12 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.

COMPARE DEGREE LEVELS

More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.

Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings
$36,698
Federal debt
$17,726
Programs in the comparison
8
7 report earnings →
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Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$43,403
Federal debt
$21,789
Programs in the comparison
22
21 report earnings →
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Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$57,499
Federal debt
$25,875
Programs in the comparison
256
217 report earnings →
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Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings
$77,605
Federal debt
$20,716
Programs in the comparison
8
8 report earnings →
CURRENT VIEW

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$79,533
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
207
207 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings
$111,411
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
10
10 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

First Professional Degree

Year-4 earnings
$77,992
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
5
5 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings
$95,664
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
9
9 report earnings →
COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median
25th percentile$70,335National median$79,53375th percentile$89,596
207 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$89,59675th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
Not availableMedian federal debt across programs that report it
0Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION

Three useful places to start

Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.

Highest observed earnings

Vanderbilt University

$166,705 four years after completionNashville, TN · inspect the full program →
Largest recent graduating class

Harvard University

400 reported awards in 2024–25Cambridge, MA · inspect the full program →
PRICE × EARNINGS MAP

Where colleges sit for this exact degree

Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.

All reporting colleges Lower-price, higher-earnings quadrantAxes trim the outer 5% for readability; outliers remain pinned to the chart edge. Price is institution-wide context, not exact program tuition.
Build your shortlist

Choose colleges offering this exact degree

Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.

30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Vanderbilt University$166,7052Harvard University$153,0293Touro University California$143,5824Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine$142,1515Arcadia University$116,6316University of West Florida$111,3637University of California, Los Angeles$110,9008Montana Technological University$108,3519Tufts University$106,07210Yale University$105,402

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

Career outlook

Jobs this degree may lead to

Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.

Pay and projected demand

Related careers do not share one outlook

Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection

Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.

Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary$107,310 median wage221,270 jobs nationwide+17.9% projected growth through 2035 · 24,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$59,270–$322,020 typical wage rangeMedical and Health Services Managers$123,860 median wage597,080 jobs nationwide+24.2% projected growth through 2035 · 62,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$73,390–$224,340 typical wage rangeHealth Education Specialists$64,070 median wage65,690 jobs nationwide+5.6% projected growth through 2035 · 6,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$42,990–$118,200 typical wage rangeCommunity Health Workers$51,850 median wage61,660 jobs nationwide+12.7% projected growth through 2035 · 7,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$38,810–$77,180 typical wage rangeOccupational Health and Safety Specialists$90,150 median wage140,610 jobs nationwide+18.5% projected growth through 2035 · 17,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$55,000–$134,950 typical wage rangeOccupational Health and Safety Technicians$61,560 median wage30,590 jobs nationwide+19.4% projected growth through 2035 · 3,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$46,280–$100,160 typical wage rangePhysicists$172,250 median wage20,430 jobs nationwide+7.2% projected growth through 2035 · 1,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$82,110–$274,110 typical wage rangeMedical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists$103,410 median wage172,340 jobs nationwide+12.6% projected growth through 2035 · 10,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$64,800–$177,780 typical wage rangePhysics Teachers, Postsecondary$100,310 median wage13,090 jobs nationwide+2.4% projected growth through 2035 · 1,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$60,200–$177,850 typical wage rangeGenetic Counselors$100,040 median wage3,740 jobs nationwide+10.4% projected growth through 2035 · 300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$78,270–$138,760 typical wage rangeEpidemiologists$87,220 median wage12,090 jobs nationwide+18.7% projected growth through 2035 · 800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$61,270–$138,800 typical wage rangeEnvironmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$82,220 median wage89,250 jobs nationwide+6.1% projected growth through 2035 · 7,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$52,520–$140,010 typical wage range

BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.