Top Undergraduate Public Health Programs: A Comprehensive Ranking and Guide

The COVID-19 pandemic has undeniably thrust the importance of public health into the spotlight. Even as the pandemic's intensity has waned, interest in public health careers remains high, particularly in areas like chronic and infectious diseases, epidemiology, and environmental health. A multitude of options are available for bachelor's degree recipients. Many will pursue graduate studies, often an MPH, while others will immediately enter the workforce as research assistants, health communication specialists, or program assistants within public health organizations.

This article examines some of the best undergraduate public health programs available, primarily found within large research universities. These institutions boast stellar reputations and dedicate significant resources to undergraduate education in public health.

Ranking the Best Public Health Programs

Here’s a look at some of the top public health institutions.

1. Johns Hopkins University (JHU)

Academic Highlights: JHU boasts a 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio, and nearly 80% of course sections have fewer than 20 students, fostering close interaction with professors. Seventy percent of undergraduates participate in research, collaborating closely with faculty.
Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 94% of recent graduates secure their next destination. Sixty-nine percent enter employment, while 20% pursue graduate or professional school. The median starting salary is $80,000, with top employers like Amazon, DCPS, Deloitte, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon.

2. Duke University

Academic Highlights: Class sizes are generally small, with 74% having 19 or fewer students. A 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio supports a personalized learning environment. The Undergraduate Research Support Office connects students with research opportunities, and over half of undergraduates engage in research.
Professional Outcomes: Approximately 76% of Duke graduates enter the workforce, 17% continue to graduate school, and 7% start businesses. Top employers include Google, Capital One, Amazon, Microsoft, Oracle, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Accenture. Eighty-four percent of Duke undergraduates eventually earn an advanced degree.

3. Northwestern University

Academic Highlights: The quarter system allows students to take four courses at a time. Northwestern has a 6:1 student-faculty ratio, and 39% of class sections have nine or fewer students; 76% have fewer than twenty enrollees. Faculty are rated as highly accessible outside the classroom.
Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduating, 70% of the Class of 2023 were employed, and 25% were in graduate school. Employers include Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, Deloitte, McKinsey & Co., and Salesforce. The average starting salary was $77,000.

4. Brown University

Academic Highlights: Students choose one of 80+ "concentration programs" with no required courses, encouraging students to take control of their learning. Class sizes are small, with 67% having fewer than twenty students and 32% comprised of nine or fewer students. Student satisfaction with instruction and professor availability is high.
Professional Outcomes: Sixty-three percent of graduates enter employment shortly after graduation. Top employers include Google, Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, Amazon, Morgan Stanley, Apple, McKinsey & Company, and Meta. Thirty-three percent of recent graduates go directly into graduate/professional school.

5. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Academic Highlights: Aided by a 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio, UCLA facilitates undergraduate research opportunities. Each school/college has a course entitled Directed Research 490 in which students work closely with a faculty supervisor and earn between two and eight credits.
Professional Outcomes: Ninety-three percent of undergrads experience positive postgraduation outcomes within six months of earning their degree. The median salary across all majors is $85,000. Many alumni are employed at Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, NVIDIA, and Oracle.

6. University of Pennsylvania (Penn)

Academic Highlights: Ninety distinct degrees are available across four schools. Twenty-seven percent of courses have an enrollment under ten, and 58% have an enrollment under twenty. Penn offers multiple ways for undergrads to conduct research, and publishes undergraduate research journals.
Professional Outcomes: Seventy-six percent of Class of 2023 grads were employed within six months, and 16% were in graduate school. Top employers include McKinsey & Company, Penn Medicine, Boston Consulting Group, Bain & Company, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Goldman Sachs. The median starting salary is $100,000.

7. Cornell University

Academic Highlights: Fifty-four percent of sections have fewer than 20 students, though 24% have more than forty students. Undergraduates give their professors generally high marks: 88% report being satisfied with the instruction they have received, 48% report completing a thesis/research project, and 53% conducted research with a faculty member.
Professional Outcomes: Of the graduates of the College of Arts and Sciences, 63% entered the workforce, 26% entered graduate school, 2% pursued other endeavors, and 4% were still seeking employment six months after receiving their diplomas. Graduates earned a median salary of $85,000.

8. Georgetown University

Academic Highlights: Georgetown maintains a personalized learning environment with an 11:1 student-faculty ratio, and 62% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students. Students can seek funding for independent research projects or become an assistant to faculty members via the Georgetown Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program.
Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 72% of members of the Class of 2023 entered the workforce, 20% went directly into a graduate or professional program of study, and 5% were still seeking employment. The Class of 2023 sent graduates to major corporations including Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Deloitte, Citi, and Morgan Stanley.

9. Tufts University

Academic Highlights: Seventeen percent of all courses see fewer than ten students enrolled, and 63% have sub-twenty enrollments. The student-to-faculty ratio is 10:1. Across all colleges, 60% of students participate in a research project at some point during their collegiate experience.
Professional Outcomes: Six months after earning their diplomas, 96% of 2023 graduates were employed or attending graduate school. Prolific employers of Tufts alums include Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, Morgan Stanley, and McKinsey & Company. Of the 20% of 2023 grads who went directly to graduate school, 82% were accepted into their first-choice institution.

10. New York University (NYU)

Academic Highlights: NYU is divided into a number of smaller colleges organized by discipline; in sum, there are 270 areas of undergraduate study across nine schools and colleges. Fifty-nine percent of classes have an enrollment under 20 students. The school puts a great deal of money into undergraduate research, and it has been running an Undergraduate Research Conference for over forty years.
Professional Outcomes: Within six months of exiting, 94% of Class of 2023 grads had landed at their next destination, with 71% employed and 26% in graduate school. Large numbers of alumni can be found at Google, Amazon, JP Morgan Chase, Citi, Meta, Microsoft, and Goldman Sachs. The mean starting salary is $76,011.

Additional Top Programs

University of Michigan: 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio, and 53% of classes offer a more intimate experience with fewer than 20 students. The Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program draws in 1,300 participants each year who partner with 800+ research mentors. Within three months of graduating, 89% of LSA grads are employed full-time or in graduate school.
University of California, Berkeley: Plenty of undergraduate research opportunities exist, with many facilitated by the Office of Undergraduate Research & Scholarships; 48% of students participate in research during their time at Berkeley. Upon graduating, 53% of Cal’s Class of 2023 had already secured employment, and 17% were headed to graduate school. The median starting salary was $94,000 across all majors.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Specializes in Biostatistics.
University of Washington:
University of California, Irvine (UCI): Offers over eighty undergrad programs as well as many opportunities for personal connection; 54% of all sections enroll 19 or fewer students and over 70% of students participate in undergraduate research. Companies employing large numbers of recent grads include Amazon, Deloitte, Northrop Grumman, Ernst & Young, and PwC. The median salary is $70,000, with School of Information and Computer Sciences grads earning $117k right off the bat. 38% of graduates enroll in graduate school, with many choosing to remain at UC Irvine.
George Washington University (GW): The school’s 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio translates to a mix of small, medium, and large undergraduate sections. In recent years, the university has invested in increasing the number of undergraduate research experiences available to its students through the GW Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. Within six months of leaving GW, 93% of the Class of 2023 had found their way to gainful employment or graduate school while 6% were still job hunting.
Arizona State University
University of Florida (UF)
University of Texas at Austin (UT)
Texas A&M University (TAMU)
University of Illinois (UI)
University of Maryland (UM)
Ohio State University (OSU)
University of Minnesota
Rutgers University
California State University, Fullerton (CSUF)
University of South Florida (USF)
Appalachian State University (ASU)
University of Arizona (UA)
The College of New Jersey (TCNJ)
West Virginia University
University of California, San Diego (UCSD)

What to Expect in a Public Health Program

Curriculum and Focus

A Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) program provides students with a foundational understanding of public health principles. The curriculum typically covers:

Epidemiology: The study of disease patterns and their determinants in populations.
Health Policy: Examining the development, implementation, and evaluation of policies to improve public health.
Community Health: Focusing on health promotion and disease prevention strategies at the community level.
Environmental Health: Addressing the impact of environmental factors on human health.
Biostatistics: Using statistical methods to analyze public health data.

Many programs offer specializations, such as Public Health Sociology or Environmental Public Health, allowing students to focus on specific areas of interest.

Experiential Learning

Many programs emphasize hands-on experience through internships, research projects, and fieldwork. These opportunities allow students to apply their knowledge to real-world public health challenges. For example, the University of Michigan's Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program partners students with research mentors. At Georgetown, students can seek funding for independent research projects.

Capstone Projects

Many public health programs culminate in a capstone project. This allows students to demonstrate their mastery of the subject and apply their knowledge to a specific public health issue. It is a culminating experience taken at the end of the program during which public health students show mastery of their studies and apply what they’ve learned.

Is a Public Health Degree Right for You?

Career Prospects

A public health degree can lead to a variety of career paths in areas such as:

Research: Assisting in research studies, collecting and analyzing data.
Health Communication: Developing and disseminating health information to the public.
Program Coordination: Assisting in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health programs.
Government Agencies: Working at the local, state, or federal level to address public health issues.
Non-profit Organizations: Contributing to health initiatives and advocacy efforts.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 29% growth in jobs for public health workers through 2033, significantly higher than the average for all occupations.

Skills and Qualities

A successful public health professional typically possesses:

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Analytical Skills: The ability to analyze data, identify trends, and draw conclusions.
Communication Skills: The ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences, both verbally and in writing.
Problem-Solving Skills: The ability to identify and address public health problems.
Interpersonal Skills: The ability to work effectively with others in team settings.
Passion for Public Health: A genuine interest in improving the health and well-being of communities.

Considerations

While a public health major can lead to rewarding careers, there are some potential challenges to consider:

Advocacy Challenges: Public health professionals often face challenges in advocating for policies and programs that may be controversial or politically sensitive.
Complexity of Health Systems: Navigating complex health systems and working with multiple stakeholders can be demanding.
Emotional Impact: Dealing with public health crises and health disparities can be emotionally challenging.
Government Dependence: Many public health programs rely on government funding, which can be subject to political changes.
Limited Specialization: A general public health degree may not provide in-depth knowledge in specific areas.
Potential for Burnout: The demanding nature of public health work can lead to burnout.
Varied Job Opportunities: Job opportunities may vary depending on location and specialization.

Preparing for a Public Health Program

Interested applicants should contact an admissions counselor for all documentation and prerequisites needed for entry into the school and program. Applicants to the public health program at West Virginia University must have a minimum 2.5 GPA to apply. If the GPA is below 3.0, ACT/SAT test score requirements must be satisfied for acceptance. New public health students at UCI must also include with their application all transcripts and standardized test scores. Students must complete a list of required lower-division prerequisite courses before beginning the public health program at University of California, Berkeley. Students interested in the public health program at the University of South Florida must take four State Communication courses and finish with a grade of C- or better to be eligible for entry to the major. To be admitted to the major at Appalachian State University, applicants must have a high school diploma with a minimum 2.5 GPA and 12 semester hours at either ASU or another post-secondary institution. Applicants to the University of Arizona must provide the admissions office with official transcripts and SAT/ACT test scores. Applicants to Texas A&M University must submit an essay and all academic records to the office of admissions. Applicants to Rutgers University must hold a high school diploma or GED and supply the university with standardized test scores and official transcripts. Applicants to the University of Maryland should submit all official transcripts and test scores to the university’s admissions office. They must also answer all essay questions included in the application. Applicants to The College of New Jersey must submit all official transcripts and SAT/ACT test scores to the office of admissions for review.

Advanced Education

Most jobs require a master’s in public health, so you’ll need a bachelor’s first before advancing your career. A master’s degree in public health typically costs about $16,500-$35,000 for in-state tuition and fees of $25,000-$65,000 for out-of-state tuition and fees. This cost represents tuition and fees only for a two-year graduate program (the most common).

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