If you’ve decided to earn an online Master’s degree in public health, good on you. You’re headed towards a rewarding career with diverse options that’s anticipated to see heavy growth in the next decade and beyond. As the Boomers grow older and new technology, legislation and practices become integrated into public health, there’s a wealth of opportunities in advocacy, education, government, startups, and many other areas that interact with the field. This means more jobs and opportunities, especially for those who attain higher degrees in public health. Some Master’s in Public Health can cost upwards of $50,000, so choosing the right program can have a powerful impact on your financial freedom, especially as you complete your degree then look for better employment.
When you’re looking for an online master’s degree, you’re making an investment. You’re investing time and money in the hopes that you’ll be rewarded with better career prospects, compensation and more control over your life. Higher education is expensive, sometimes prohibitively so. There are many factors that influence how expensive a school’s tuition is, including prestige, national rankings, and whether it’s run for-profit or is a public institution. Also, many schools charge less tuition for students who live in rather than out of state, even if students are attending online programs. At the end of the day, what you do with your degree matters far more than where you got it from, so choosing a school that’s affordable to earn an online degree is a huge step towards making sure you see good return on your investment. Other things to consider include the reviews of former students, the school’s professional network, and its delivery method.
With those factors and many others in mind, we’ve ranked some of the best online Master’s in public health. The schools were ranked based on their Tuition and Opportunity Cost (60%), based on tuition and the estimated average earnings of students as they earn their degree, Prestige (20%) program requirements, based on average GRE/MCAT scores, and the percentage of applicants the program accepts, and Employment Statistics (20%), based on post-degree outcomes for students.
On our ranking, several schools stand out for their affordability. Fort Hays State University, which operates out of Hays, Kansas, offers an extremely valuable degree that can be completed by most students for approximately $7,600, which is much lower than average.
Another affordable online MPH program can be found at Des Moines University, where tuition and fees total $15,200 for the two and half year program, and students can choose to complete one course at a time.
American Public University offers a three year online MPH program noted for its flexibility and affordability. Tuition for the program is roughly $16,250. The University of Alabama Birmingham offers a unique dual degree option that meshes a Master’s in Public Health with a Masters in Social Work. They also offer three completely online MPH options that range from 42 to 45 credit hours. UAB’s MPH coursework can be finished in two years of full time study. In state tuition for this program is only $9,063 with out of state tuition still extremely reasonable for $16,259.
Finally, a great, affordable online MPH option can be found at the University of Illinois Springfield, which also offers five certificate options for students who can’t commit to a full Masters in Public Health. The program cost for the online MPH degree program is just $18,960.
