by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 40,596 people earned their degree in public health, making the major the 26th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, public health graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $43,158 and had an average of $27,396 in loans still to pay off.
At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 981 public health graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate” ranking, we looked at 123 colleges that offer a degree in public health. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in public health.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree public health students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Walden University. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 149 doctorate’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 123 schools in the Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, Capella University landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 74 doctorate’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Johns Hopkins University. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate. This large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 39 doctorate’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Georgia Southern University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate. Georgia Southern University is a large school located in Statesboro, Georgia that handed out 33 doctorate’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Oklahoma - Health Sciences Center. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate list. This small school is located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and it awarded 28 doctorate’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Public Health at University of Oklahoma - Health Sciences Center
University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s public health students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s public health students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.
University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate ranking. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Public Health at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
University of Arizona came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate ranking. This large school is located in Tucson, Arizona, and it awarded 18 doctorate’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
With a ranking of #9, Harvard University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate list. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 18 doctorate’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
With a ranking of #11, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 17 doctorate’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Tulane University of Louisiana came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate ranking. Tulane is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New Orleans, Louisiana. It awarded 17 doctorate’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
University of New Mexico - Main Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate ranking. Albuquerque, New Mexico is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s public health degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
Full University of New Mexico - Main Campus Public Health Report
With a ranking of #14, American InterContinental University - Online did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate list. AIU Online is a fairly large school located in Schaumburg, Illinois that handed out 16 doctorate’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.
Full American InterContinental University - Online Public Health Report
University of South Carolina - Columbia landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate ranking. UofSC is a public institution located in Columbia, South Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full University of South Carolina - Columbia Public Health Report
With a ranking of #16, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate list. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 doctorate’s public health degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
With a ranking of #17, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate list. Located in Athens, Georgia, this large public school handed out 14 degrees to qualified doctorate’s public health students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Georgia State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #17. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s public health degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Public Health at Georgia State University
With a ranking of #17, The Graduate Center, CUNY did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate list. The Graduate Center, CUNY is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 14 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
With a ranking of #20, Florida International University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate list. FIU is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 12 doctorate’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
San Diego State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate ranking. San Diego State University is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 doctorate’s public health degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Widener University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #20. Widener University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chester, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified doctorate’s public health students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Health at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate ranking. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 11 doctorate’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate ranking. Columbia is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of Maryland - College Park landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate ranking. UMCP is located in College Park, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 doctorate’s public health degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #25, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s public health degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Public Health at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Radford University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate ranking. Radford University is a public institution located in Radford, Virginia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate list. UC is a large school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 10 doctorate’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Public Health Report
Oregon State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #25. Corvallis, Oregon is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s public health degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Public Health at Oregon State University
With a ranking of #25, Morgan State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate list. Morgan State University is a public institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Jackson State University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Jackson, Mississippi, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.
Yale University ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate list. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 10 degrees to qualified doctorate’s public health students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #25. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Public Health at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
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