2026 Best Value Environmental Health Schools in California

[Environmental Health](/majors/health-care-professions/public-health/environmental-health/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 8 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for environmental health students.
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Featured Environmental Health Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BS in Public Health
Make a meaningful impact and improve quality of life with this specialized online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
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Master of Public Health (MPH)
The online MPH degree at SNHU gives you a solid grounding in the scientific basis of public health, preparing you to effect change for entire populations.
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2026 Best Value Environmental Health Schools in California
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in environmental health, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Environmental Health Schools
Our analysis ranked California State University San Bernardino the best value for a degree in environmental health in California. Set in the city of San Bernardino, California State University San Bernardino is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,088, with out-of-state students paying around $20,688. Typical student debt for environmental health graduates is $15,149. Early-career environmental health graduates make about $51,772. Set against $15,149 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 94% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at California State University Northridge earned it the #2 place for environmental health. California State University Northridge is a very large public school located in the city of Northridge. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,458, compared with $20,058 for out-of-state students. Environmental Health graduates carry a median of $14,000 in student loans. Environmental Health graduates of California State University Northridge earn a median of $54,044 early in their careers. Set against $14,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 93%.
Students looking for strong value in environmental health will find it at University Of California San Diego, which ranked #3. Located in the city of La Jolla, University Of California San Diego is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,788, while out-of-state students pay about $47,676. Environmental Health graduates carry a median of $15,280 in student loans. Environmental Health graduates of University Of California San Diego earn a median of $39,144 early in their careers. Set against $15,280 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of California San Diego admits about 27% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of California Irvine earned it the #4 place for environmental health. Set in the city of Irvine, University Of California Irvine is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,752, while out-of-state students pay about $46,640. Environmental Health graduates carry a median of $17,285 in student loans. Early-career environmental health graduates make about $51,370. Set against $17,285 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 29% of applicants are accepted.
University Of California Los Angeles came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value environmental health schools. Located in the city of Los Angeles, University Of California Los Angeles is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,233, compared with $46,121 for out-of-state students. Environmental Health graduates carry a median of $16,097 in student loans. Environmental Health graduates of University Of California Los Angeles earn a median of $95,337 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $16,097 median debt. Roughly 9% of applicants are accepted.
University Of California Berkeley earned the #6 position for value in environmental health this year. Set in the city of Berkeley, University Of California Berkeley is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $15,377, compared with $47,265 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $11,729 to complete the environmental health program here. Environmental Health graduates of University Of California Berkeley earn a median of $70,847 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $11,729 median debt. University Of California Berkeley admits about 11% of applicants.
University Of California Davis placed #7 among the best values for environmental health. University Of California Davis is a very large public school located in the suburb of Davis. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,804, with out-of-state students paying around $47,692. Typical student debt for environmental health graduates is $14,404. Soon after graduation, environmental health degree recipients from University Of California Davis generally make around $53,749. Set against $14,404 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.