The 5 Best Public Health Degree Programs in Ohio

Public Health Overview And Public Health Degree Programs in Ohio

Ohio is the 7th most populous state in America, but also the 34th largest by area. This breeds a lot of congestion and public health issues that stem from wealth inequality, the vastly different needs of its urban and rural populations, racial discrimination, drug and gun epidemics, and much more.

Ohio is also known for its higher education, and a thriving economy. It has 5 of the top colleges in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report. Its unemployment levels have been more than halved in the last eight years, dropping from 10.7% in May 2010 to 4.5% in February 2018. Major sectors of the Ohio economy include healthcare, education, government, and professional and technical services.

Major health problems in Ohio include:

• Heart Disease
• Cancer
• Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease (CLRD)
• Stroke
• Diabetes
• Unintentional injuries like poisonings, motor vehicle traffic crashes, and falls
• Health complications from drug abuse

According to U.S. News & World Report, Ohio ranks 23rd in healthcare access, 28th in healthcare quality, and 41st in public health. That all needs to change, and you can be a part of it.

Some of the things you could work on as a public health professional in Ohio include:

• Tobacco use prevention
• Food Inspection
• HIV Prevention
• Obesity Prevention
• Adolescent Health
• Expanding Access to Care
• Violence Prevention
• Lowering infant mortality rates

On this list we’ve ranked five of the best public health degree programs in Ohio using the following methodology:

Ohio Public Health Degree Program Methodology

In building the ranking for The 5 Best Public Health Degree Programs in Ohio, we here at OnlineMastersinPublicHealth looked through all of the public health degree programs available in the state of Ohio. We then followed our standard methodology which is explained in detail below.

1: The Ohio State University

Columbus, Ohio

OSU is a massive, public university. It was founded in 1870 and has over 59,400 students while still maintaining a 19:1 student to faculty ratio. Ohio State has so many schools and programs that it reached over 742,000 degrees conferred in its history last year. Its graduates are known for having incredible careers in government, business, science, medicine, education, sports, and entertainment. In 2017, U.S. News & World Report ranked it 43rd in the world among Global universities. The Ohio State Buckeyes have seen incredible success in NCAA Division I competition, and currently offer 15 men’s varsity sports, 16 for women, and one co-ed sport (Pistol – Rifle). OSU’s vast alumni network boasts Medal of Honor winners, Hall of Fame athletes and world champions in several sports, U.S. governors, and Fortune 500 CEOs, among many other ridiculously successful people. In 2017-18, graduate tuition for OSU was:

• $12,425 for in-state students.
• $33,897 for out-of-state students.

OSU offers a stunning breadth of Public Health degrees. They include (but aren’t limited to):

• A Bachelor of Science in Public Health that comes in an Environmental Public Health specialization and a Public Health Sociology specialization.
• A BSPH + MPH program that can be completed in 5 years.
• A Master of Public Health with 8 specializations.
• A Master of Health Administration.
• A Master of Science with four health-related specializations.
• A Doctor of Philosophy with 5 health-related specializations.
• Four public health graduate certifications, and two minors.

On top of all those degree options, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Ohio State’s College of Public Health #11 among public schools of public health and named the college’s MHA program 10th in the country.

You can find the Ohio State University’s Public Health Degree Programs here. Prospective students should contact the university for details and request information.

2: Ohio University

Athens, Ohio

Ohio University is a large public research university based out of Athens, with a number of other regional campuses. It’s the oldest university in Ohio and was established with the state’s approval in 1804. OU offers undergraduate programs in 250 areas of study, and graduate degrees in most of its departments, which include Arts and Sciences, Business, Communication, Education, Engineering and Technology, Fine Arts, Health Sciences and Professions, Leadership and Public Affairs, Medical and Graduate Studies, among others. Over 29,500 students attend the school, which has an 18:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Its eCampus offers free online tutoring services, and a survey that allows students to assess their readiness for participating in an online program at the school. The Ohio Bobcats are made up of 16 varsity teams (6 for men and 10 for women) that compete in NCAA Division I. Notable alumni include Sir Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, co-recipient of 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, George Voinovich, U.S. senator and governor of Ohio, and Thomas Ewing, U.S. senator, among many others. In 2017-18 graduate tuition and fees for Ohio were:

• $9,515 for in-state students.
• $17,507 for out-of-state students.

Ohio State University offers several public health programs. They include:

• A Bachelor of Science in Public and Community Health that teaches students to monitor and discover the health needs of various groups and how to design, implement and evaluate health programs that meet the specific health needs of those groups.
• An MPH with a concentration in social and behavioral sciences that builds on its undergraduate counterpart, preparing students to work in “local or state health departments, community-based organizations, governmental organizations (CDC) and global health.”
• A D.O./MPH program that combines the MPH program with a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine in five years.

You can find Ohio University’s Public Health Degree Program Webpage here. Prospective students should contact the university for details and request information.

3: Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, Ohio

Case Western is a private doctorate-granting university in Cleveland, Ohio. It was founded in 1826. Over 11,600 students attend CWRU, which has an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio. U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 rankings placed Case Western Reserve 37th among national universities and 146th among global universities. CWRU confers Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctoral degrees and undergraduate and graduate certificates. It’s especially known for its programming in medicine, business, law, biomedical engineering, biomedical teaching and research. The Case Western Reserve Spartans compete in 19 varsity sports: 10 men’s and 9 women’s in NCAA Division III. 17 Nobel Laureates have been associated with Case Western, and its notable alumni include Craigslist founder Craig Newmark, Avengers directors Directors Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, and many others.

In 2017-18, graduate tuition and fees at CWRU are:

• $43,888 for students regardless of their residence.

CWRU is a great place to get your Master’s in Public Health. They’re the top-ranked school by USNR that’s offering an MPH in Ohio. They’ve also been ranked highly for their medical school. Students can choose from the following concentrations: Global Health, Health Policy and Management, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Population Health Research, and Health Informatics. To sweeten the deal further, CWRU offers eleven stunning dual degree programs:

• MD/MPH
• JD/MPH
• MSN/MPH
• MBA/MPH
• MA Bioethics/MPH
• DMD/MPH
• MSSA/MPH
• IGS/MPH
• MA-PhD
• Anthropology/MPH
• MA Nutrition/MPH
• And an MSM-HC/MPH.

The CWRU MPH network is widely respected, and students will have ample, nay limitless opportunities to do community-based work, research, internships and more locally, abroad, with government agencies and other top public health organizations.

You can find the Case Western Reserve University Public Health Degree Program Webpage here. Prospective students should contact the university to request info or inquire about program details.

4: Kent State University

Kent, Ohio

Kent State is a humongous, public research university. It was founded in 1910 in Kent, Ohio as a teacher-training school. Since then, it’s grown to offer more than 300 degree programs, including 250 baccalaureates, 40 associate, 50 master’s, and 23 doctoral programs of study through several campuses in Ohio, and additional facilities in New York City and Florence, Italy. Kent also now serves over 30,000 people, with a 21:1 student-to-faculty ratio. It’s known for its programs in health, nursing, business, history, library science, aeronautics, journalism, and more. Its Public Health school was founded in 2009. The Kent State Golden Flashes boast 19 varsity teams competing in NCAA Division I (eight for men and 11 for women). Notable alumni include Drew Carey, Arsenio Hall, Steve Harvey, actors John de Lancie, Michael Keaton, and Ray Wise, as well as actresses Alaina Reed Hall and Alice Ripley among many others.

In 2017-18, graduate tuition and fees at Kent are:

• $11,310 for in-state students.
• $20,396 for out-of-state students.

Kent’s College of Public Health’s mission is to, “develop public health leaders and promote sustainable public health innovations in collaboration with community partners in northeast Ohio through teaching, research, and service.” It offers Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees, including some online programs!

Kent offers Bachelor’s of Science in Public Health in the following specializations. All are on-campus only unless otherwise noted:

• BSPH in Health Services Administration (online and on-campus)
• BSPH in Health Promotion and Education (online and on-campus)
• BSPH in Environmental and Occupational Health
• BSPH in Global Health
• BSPH in Pre-Medicine, Dentistry and Osteopathy Professions
• BSPH in Environmental Health Sciences
• BSPH in Allied Health (online and on-campus)
• BSPH in Clinical Trials Research (online and on-campus)
• BSPH in Community-Based Public Health

Kent then moves on to its Master’s offerings, including:

• MPH in Biostatistics
• MPH in Environmental Health Sciences
• MPH in Epidemiology
• MPH in Health Policy and Management
• Online MPH in Health Policy and Management
• MPH in Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Online MPH in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Finally, Kent’s Public Health offerings conclude with three specializations at the Doctoral level:

• Epidemiology
• Health Policy and Management
• Prevention Science

You can find the Kent State University Public Health Programs Webpage here. Prospective students should contact the university for further details or to request information.

5: Ohio Northern University

Ada, Ohio

Ohio Northern University is a private, United Methodist Church-affiliated university based in Ada, Ohio. It was founded in 1871. It has been ranked second in its region several times in recent years by U.S. News & World Report. Over 3,100 students attend ONU, which has an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio. It offers Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctorates and Certificates through schools of Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Engineering, Pharmacy, and Law. The ONU Polar Bears compete in the NCAA Division III in 11 men’s sports and 10 women’s. Notable alumni include Bruce Mays, Director of Operations for the Dallas Cowboys, William J. Brown, former Ohio Attorney General, Robert R. Cupp, Ohio Supreme Court Justice, and many others.

In 2017-18, graduate tuition and fees at ONU are:

• $28,170 for students regardless of residence.

ONU offers a Bachelor of Science in Public Health. Its curriculum covers health, public policy, equity, disease prevention, biology, statistics, communication studies, sociology, political science, and much more. Graduates often find work in entry-level positions of patient advocacy, global health, epidemiology and research, environmental health, communications, community health work and more. The Public Health portion of this degree requires 55 credits (120 overall for the Bachelor of Science).

You can find the Ohio Northern University Program Webpage here. Prospective students should contact the university to request info or inquire about program details.

Ohio Public Health Degree Programs – In Conclusion

Before confining yourself to public health degree programs in Ohio, take a look at some of the top MPH programs in the country. We’ve ranked them here, on our Top 25 Online MPH Programs ranking. The following is a preview of the top 10:

• 1. University of Florida
• 2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• 3. University of California, Berkeley
• 4. Purdue University
• 5. Indiana University Bloomington
• 6. University of Massachusetts Amherst
• 7. University of South Florida
• 8. University of South Carolina
• 9. George Mason University
• 10. San Diego State University

You might also want to check out our rankings on online Biostatistics MPH degree programs. We’ve also ranked the online Bachelor’s in Public Health Degree Programs, and Online Master’s Degree in Health Administration programs.