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DOCTORAL DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 5122

Public Health: is this doctoral degree worth it?

National picture across 10 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$111,411 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.

$111,411Median year-4 earnings

$17,483Average institution net-price context

Not availableMedian federal debt

Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$111,411Median reported earnings · year 4

$111,842Average reported earnings · year 5

Not availableMedian federal debt

63thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

10Reporting programs

10With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

The same field can produce a different equation.

Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings: $36,698
Federal debt: $17,726
Reporting programs: 8

7 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $43,403
Federal debt: $21,789
Reporting programs: 22

21 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $57,499
Federal debt: $25,875
Reporting programs: 256

217 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $77,605
Federal debt: $20,716
Reporting programs: 8

8 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $79,533
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 207

207 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $111,411
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 10

10 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

First Professional Degree

Year-4 earnings: $77,992
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 5

5 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $95,664
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 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$105,140National median$111,41175th percentile$114,631

10 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1University of Wisconsin-Madison$169,322 2Harvard University$143,521 3University of California, Los Angeles$119,898 4Johns Hopkins University$114,631 5University of South Florida$113,870 6Walden University$108,951 7University of Georgia$105,864 8Capella University$105,140 9Georgia Southern University$95,128 10Indiana University-Bloomington$86,342

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

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Health Specialties Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1071 · 11 crosswalk linksMedical and Health Services ManagersSOC 11-9111 · 7 crosswalk linksCommunity Health WorkersSOC 21-1094 · 5 crosswalk linksHealth Education SpecialistsSOC 21-1091 · 5 crosswalk linksOccupational Health and Safety SpecialistsSOC 19-5011 · 3 crosswalk linksOccupational Health and Safety TechniciansSOC 19-5012 · 3 crosswalk linksCompliance OfficersSOC 13-1041 · 1 crosswalk linksEnvironmental Scientists and Specialists, Including HealthSOC 19-2041 · 1 crosswalk linksEpidemiologistsSOC 19-1041 · 1 crosswalk linksGenetic CounselorsSOC 29-9092 · 1 crosswalk linksMedical Scientists, Except EpidemiologistsSOC 19-1042 · 1 crosswalk linksPhysicistsSOC 19-2012 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR PUBLIC HEALTH

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	ROI status	Cost context
1	University of Wisconsin-MadisonDoctoral Degree	Madison, WI	$169,322	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,354
2	Harvard UniversityDoctoral Degree	Cambridge, MA	$143,521	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,066
3	University of California, Los AngelesDoctoral Degree	Los Angeles, CA	$119,898	Not available	Baseline needed	$12,548
4	Johns Hopkins UniversityDoctoral Degree	Baltimore, MD	$114,631	Not available	Baseline needed	$18,809
5	University of South FloridaDoctoral Degree	Tampa, FL	$113,870	Not available	Baseline needed	$9,812
6	Walden UniversityDoctoral Degree	Minneapolis, MN	$108,951	Not available	Baseline needed	$33,817
7	University of GeorgiaDoctoral Degree	Athens, GA	$105,864	Not available	Baseline needed	$13,936
8	Capella UniversityDoctoral Degree	Minneapolis, MN	$105,140	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,956
9	Georgia Southern UniversityDoctoral Degree	Statesboro, GA	$95,128	Not available	Baseline needed	$15,267
10	Indiana University-BloomingtonDoctoral Degree	Bloomington, IN	$86,342	Not available	Baseline needed	$16,264

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.