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List of All U.S. Colleges With a Public Health Major

As the study of the population’s overall wellbeing, public health is one of the world’s most pressing issues. Experts in this field study epidemiology, hygiene, and disease on a broad scale, oftentimes using their findings to guide government actions and regulations.

 

Pandemics aren’t the only immediate public health issue worth grappling. Students in the public health major cover health education, outbreak prevention, injury prevention, potable water accessibility, and more.

 

Interested in this major? Here, we’ll break down which colleges offer public health programs and what to look for in a school.

 

Overview of the Public Health Major

 

Course requirements will vary depending on your school, but most students can count on covering these key concepts:

 

  • Biology
  • Calculus
  • Communications
  • Epidemiology
  • Health Science 
  • Statistics

 

Some programs will require that you write a thesis, perform research, or complete an internship. If not, most at least have these as open options.

 

Successful public health majors tend to be compassionate and globally aware. They value equity and education, and they typically have a head for numbers. In keeping with their passion for education, these students are strong communicators equipped with the speech and writing skills necessary to clearly convey their findings.

 

Grad school is an additional factor to think about as you consider this major. Since most public health majors go on to grad school anyway, you should ask yourself if you’d like to get a Master’s in Public Health and major in something else for your undergraduate education, like Health Science, to diversify your knowledge and skillset.

 

Paired with grad school or not, public health majors open themselves up to a broad range of job opportunities, though the one you’ll be best suited for will mostly depend upon your specializations and skills. 

 

Graduates often become health educators, consultants, and community health workers, researching health issues and sharing their findings with the broader community. Those with an especially scientific bent become epidemiologists, biostatisticians, and environmental scientists. Those skilled in managing often become health administrators and managers or develop health marketing campaigns.

 

Still, a Master’s in this field will ultimately give you a greater edge in terms of salary, stability, and prospects.

 

What to Look for in a College as a Public Health Major

 

CEPH Accreditation

 

The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), through the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) is responsible for accrediting public health programs. It’s the most widely-trusted accreditation council for this field, and attending a school within it will give your degree significant credibility. In order to receive CEPH accreditation, programs must have a sufficiently rigorous curriculum and properly cover certain concepts, like ethical decision making, advocacy, community, critical thinking, research methods, and more.

 

Concentrations

 

Depending on your preferred career, you may want to specialize in a certain area. Common concentrations include health education, epidemiology, and biostatistics. These will help you develop the skill sets necessary for your chosen career, so it’s helpful to look into whether A) your school offers concentrations within your areas of interest, and B) that these programs are strong.

 

Labs and Research Opportunities

 

For all grad school hopefuls, this element is especially important, and many public health majors seek a postgraduate education. Look into your college’s undergraduate research opportunities. How expansive are they? Which professors do work that fits your interests and career goals? What percentage of public health majors perform research, and how does the school support their efforts? Check out their facilities; are the labs up to date and accessible?

 

List of All U.S. Colleges With a Public Health Major

 

School Name

City

State

University of Alabama at Birmingham | UAB

Birmingham

Alabama

University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa

Alabama

Samford University

Birmingham

Alabama

University of Arizona

Tucson

Arizona

Northern Arizona University | NAU

Flagstaff

Arizona

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville

Arkansas

California State University, Los Angeles | Cal State LA

Los Angeles

California

California State University, Northridge | CSUN

Northridge

California

University of California, Berkeley | UC Berkeley

Berkeley

California

University of California, San Diego | UCSD

La Jolla

California

San Diego State University | SDSU

San Diego

California

San Jose State University | SJSU

San Jose

California

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara

California

University of Colorado Denver | CU Denver

Denver

Colorado

American University

Washington DC

Washington DC

University of Florida

Gainesville

Florida

University of Miami

Coral Gables

Florida

University of South Florida | USF

Tampa

Florida

Agnes Scott College

Decatur

Georgia

Georgia State University

Atlanta

Georgia

Mercer University

Macon

Georgia

University of Hawaii at Manoa | UH Manoa

Honolulu

Hawaii

Boise State University | BSU

Boise

Idaho

Augustana College

Rock Island

Illinois

University of Illinois at Chicago | UIC

Chicago

Illinois

Northern Illinois University | NIU

Dekalb

Illinois

University of Evansville

Evansville

Indiana

Indiana UniversityPurdue University Indianapolis | IUPUI

Indianapolis

Indiana

Valparaiso University | Valpo

Valparaiso

Indiana

University of Iowa

Iowa City

Iowa

University of Kentucky

Lexington

Kentucky

University of Louisville

Louisville

Kentucky

Dillard University

New Orleans

Louisiana

Tulane University

New Orleans

Louisiana

Xavier University of Louisiana

New Orleans

Louisiana

Johns Hopkins University | JHU

Baltimore

Maryland

American International College | AIC

Springfield

Massachusetts

Curry College

Milton

Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts Lowell | UMass Lowell

Lowell

Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts Amherst | UMass Amherst

Amherst

Massachusetts

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | MCPHS

Boston

Massachusetts

Northeastern University

Boston

Massachusetts

Regis College (Massachusetts)

Weston

Massachusetts

Wheaton College (Massachusetts)

Norton

Massachusetts

Calvin College

Grand Rapids

Michigan

Wayne State University | WSU

Detroit

Michigan

University of Southern Mississippi | Southern Miss

Hattiesburg

Mississippi

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles

Missouri

Maryville University

Saint Louis

Missouri

University of Missouri | Mizzou

Columbia

Missouri

Saint Louis University | SLU

Saint Louis

Missouri

University of Nebraska Omaha | UNO

Omaha

Nebraska

University of Nevada, Las Vegas | UNLV

Las Vegas

Nevada

Caldwell University

Caldwell

New Jersey

Montclair State University | MSU

Montclair

New Jersey

Rutgers UniversityNew Brunswick | Rutgers

New Brunswick

New Jersey

The College of New Jersey | TCNJ

Ewing

New Jersey

Ithaca College

Ithaca

New York

New York University | NYU

New York

New York

University of Rochester

Rochester

New York

Syracuse University

Syracuse

New York

Appalachian State University

Boone

North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Charlotte | UNC Charlotte

Charlotte

North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Wilmington | UNC Wilmington

Wilmington

North Carolina

Baldwin Wallace University | BW

Berea

Ohio

Bowling Green State University | BGSU

Bowling Green

Ohio

Kent State University

Kent

Ohio

Miami University

Oxford

Ohio

University of Mount Union

Alliance

Ohio

Ohio Northern University | ONU

Ada

Ohio

Ohio State University | OSU

Columbus

Ohio

Ohio University

Athens

Ohio

Youngstown State University

Youngstown

Ohio

University of Oklahoma

Norman

Oklahoma

Oregon State University | OSU

Corvallis

Oregon

Pacific University

Forest Grove

Oregon

Drexel University

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

Franklin and Marshall College | F&M

Lancaster

Pennsylvania

Muhlenberg College

Allentown

Pennsylvania

West Chester University | WCUPA

West Chester

Pennsylvania

Brown University

Providence

Rhode Island

Roger Williams University | RWU

Bristol

Rhode Island

Belmont University

Nashville

Tennessee

East Tennessee State University | ETSU

Johnson City

Tennessee

Austin College

Sherman

Texas

Texas A&M UniversityCommerce

Commerce

Texas

Sam Houston State University | SHSU

Huntsville

Texas

Texas A&M University

College Station

Texas

University of Texas at Austin | UT Austin

Austin

Texas

University of Texas at San Antonio | UTSA

San Antonio

Texas

Brigham Young University | BYU

Provo

Utah

Utah State University

Logan

Utah

Westminster College (Utah)

Salt Lake City

Utah

Bennington College

Bennington

Vermont

Central Washington University | CWU

Ellensburg

Washington

Eastern Washington University | EWU

Cheney

Washington

University of Washington

Seattle

Washington

West Virginia University | WVU

Morgantown

West Virginia

University of California, Merced | UC Merced

Merced

California

University of Arkansas at Little Rock | UA Little Rock

Little Rock

Arkansas

University of California, Irvine | UC Irvine

Irvine

California

George Washington University | GW

Washington

Washington DC

Indiana University Bloomington | Indiana

Bloomington

Indiana

University of Maryland, College Park | Maryland

College Park

Maryland

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor

Michigan

Westminster College (Missouri)

Fulton

Missouri

Portland State University | PSU

Portland

Oregon

Lehigh University

Bethlehem

Pennsylvania

Furman University

Greenville

South Carolina

University of South Carolina | USC

Columbia

South Carolina

Shenandoah University

Winchester

Virginia

 

What Are Your Chances of Acceptance?

 

No matter your major, you must be academically comparable to previous years’ admits to be a competitive college applicant. Most selective schools use the Academic Index, a complex tool based on your grades, test scores, and class rankings, to evaluate academic aptitude and filter out students who don’t meet their standards.

 

The qualitative aspects of your application, like your essays and extracurriculars, are your place to show who you are and demonstrate fit with your chosen schools and major. Students interested in public health can showcase their passions through getting involved in the healthcare field in high school. Internships, public health nonprofit volunteering, research, and shadowing medical professionals are all great ways to learn about this field and expand your knowledge.

 

If you’re struggling to figure out where you match up to other applicants, we recommend using our free Chancing Engine. Unlike other solely stats-based chancing calculators, ours considers your profile holistically, including both your quantitative stats and qualitative extracurriculars.

Michelle Foley
Essay Breakdown Writer

Short Bio
Michelle Foley is currently taking a gap year before starting at Yale College in Fall '21, where she is considering majoring in Art, English, or Cognitive Studies while earning her Spanish certificate. In her free time, she likes to paint, run, and read!