by our College Data Analytics Team
[Public Health](/majors/health-care-professions/public-health/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The highest-paying schools turn a public health degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying public health schools.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send public health graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
For graduate earnings in public health, no school beat Western Kentucky University this year. Set in the city of Bowling Green, Western Kentucky University is a public institution. Public Health graduates of Western Kentucky University earn a median of about $51,773 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in public health will find them at University Of Kentucky, which ranked #2. University Of Kentucky is a public school located in the city of Lexington. Students who complete the public health program here go on to a median salary of roughly $80,618.
A rank of #3 makes Murray State University one of the highest-paying schools for public health. Murray State University is a public school located in the town of Murray. After graduating, public health degree recipients from Murray State University typically earn about $38,753 annually.
A rank of #4 makes Eastern Kentucky University one of the highest-paying schools for public health. Located in the town of Richmond, Eastern Kentucky University is a public institution. After graduating, public health degree recipients from Eastern Kentucky University typically earn about $45,573 annually.
University Of Louisville produces some of the highest-paid graduates in public health, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Louisville, University Of Louisville is a public institution. Early-career public health graduates from University Of Louisville make a median of around $63,342 per year.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries public health graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 5 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.