2027 Best Value Public Health Schools in District of Columbia
[Public Health](/majors/health-care-professions/public-health/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value public health schools.
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2027 Best Value Public Health Schools in District of Columbia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in public health, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Public Health Schools
Leading the list is George Washington University, our #1 best value for public health in District of Columbia. Located in the city of Washington, George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $67,710. Typical student debt for public health graduates is $23,822. Soon after graduation, public health degree recipients from George Washington University generally make around $57,119. That is a strong return on a $23,822 median debt. The acceptance rate is 47%.
Students looking for strong value in public health will find it at Georgetown University, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Washington, Georgetown University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $68,089. Students borrow a median of $12,000 to complete the public health program here. Soon after graduation, public health degree recipients from Georgetown University generally make around $54,666. That is a strong return on a $12,000 median debt. Georgetown University admits about 13% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in public health will find it at American University, which ranked #3. American University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $58,771. Typical student debt for public health graduates is $23,452. Soon after graduation, public health degree recipients from American University generally make around $52,907. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 62%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Howard University earned it the #4 place for public health. Located in the city of Washington, Howard University is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $35,810. Students borrow a median of $25,498 to complete the public health program here. Soon after graduation, public health degree recipients from Howard University generally make around $58,495. That is a strong return on a $25,498 median debt. The acceptance rate is 41%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 4 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.
