2026 Best Value General Public Health Schools in District of Columbia
[General Public Health](/majors/health-care-professions/public-health/public-health-general/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for general public health students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value General Public Health Schools in District of Columbia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general public health, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Public Health Schools
Trinity Washington University tops our 2026 list of the best value general public health schools in District of Columbia. Trinity Washington University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $26,610. Typical student debt for general public health graduates is $31,194. Soon after graduation, general public health degree recipients from Trinity Washington University generally make around $56,796. Set against $31,194 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Trinity Washington University admits about 100% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes George Washington University one of the best values for general public health. Located in the city of Washington, George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $67,710. Typical student debt for general public health graduates is $23,822. Soon after graduation, general public health degree recipients from George Washington University generally make around $57,119. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. George Washington University admits about 47% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in general public health will find it at American University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Washington, American University is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $58,771. General Public Health graduates carry a median of $23,452 in student loans. Early-career general public health graduates make about $52,907. Set against $23,452 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 62%.
More General Public Health Rankings
View All General Public Health Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
