An undergraduate degree in public health can help you to either build a strong foundation on which to expand your public health career, or gain a better understanding of health issues plaguing the public which can assist you in preparing for a myriad of other professions or levels of education. A background in public health can help any person to better their communities as well as other communities throughout the world, as their knowledge will aid in the prevention of disease and injury as it also benefits the general health of the public. Public health professionals promote a healthy lifestyle through education and research into proper nutrition, disease, injury prevention, and all other aspects of one’s general well-being, and their goal is to put an end to health related problems before they grow to be harmful.
Getting an undergraduate degree in public health is a great way for you to begin the education you need to take the career further, and the top 5 best undergraduate programs for public health are:
Indiana University Bloomington School of Public Health
Undergraduate Minor in Public Health
Summary
At Indiana University Bloomington School of Public Health you can earn a minor in public health as well as or in addition to a baccalaureate degree, and achieving a minor in public health from this university will require the passing of 4 core public health courses as well as 2 public health related electives.
The electives offered as part of the public health minor program are extremely varied, and they allow students to pursue additional education in a vast array of different fields of interest. From men’s health studies to emerging health issues, each personal taste for knowledge will be able to be satisfied through the electives offered with this program.
Tuition
The average full-time undergraduate student at University of Indiana Bloomington School of Public Health will pay around $23,118 per year for residents and $44,568 for non-residents; however the school offers a wide variety of different scholarships as well as methods of financial aid to make attending the school more affordable.
University of Minnesota School of Public Health
Undergraduate Minor in Public Health
Summary
The University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health offers a public health minor program to undergraduate students that is geared towards building a better understanding of public health, and this minor program can enhance a person’s professional abilities in a vast array of different fields. Those pursuing careers that range from political science to health related professions can benefit from the knowledge that this program brings as it helps students to better understand health related issues and solutions facing populations around the world.
Tuition
With a minimum 14 credit requirement to complete the undergraduate minor in public health program, students are often eligible for University of Minnesota’s 13-credit flat rate cost which allows students a more affordable rate than what they may find when paying per credit. With this flat rate cost a Minnesota resident can be expected to pay around $6,030 to complete the program with non-residents paying around $9,155.
Drexel University School of Public Health
Undergraduate Minor in Public Health
Summary
The undergraduate minor in public health degree program offered by Drexel University’s School of Public health is geared towards giving students a broad range of knowledge related to public health, allowing them to build a strong foundation for whichever specific interest or career they may choose. The program consists of 24 credits in total with 4 core courses as well as 4 elective courses that a student can choose from in a varied list of specific public health related topics. Drexel’s School of Public Health is also fully accredited by the CEPH or Council on Education for Public Health.
Tuition
The public health courses offered at Drexel University School of Public Health will cost around $1,000 per credit, however many scholarships as well as financial aid is available to assist students in paying for their program selections.
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health
Undergraduate Minor in Public Health
Summary
The public health minor program offered to undergraduates at UCLA Fielding School of Public Health is designed to give students a broad view of the entire public health field, what public health professionals do, and courses that focus on each specific public health discipline. The average GPA of students completing the minor at the school in the last year was around 3.5.
Tuition
An academic degree at the school can cost a California student around $15,288 and a non-resident $30,390.
Saint Louis University College for Public Health & Social Justice
Undergraduate Minor in Public Health
Summary
This minor program is built to complement a student’s undergraduate major, and the education received can help students to gain a better understanding of health issues plaguing multiple public populations. The program can be completed in as little as 18 credit hours and may include immersion trips or travel based studies.
Tuition
A full time undergraduate student at the school can expect to pay around $36,090 per year in tuition.
Selection Criteria for Undergraduate Public Health Minor Programs
Accreditation
The quality of any public health program rests on the academic standards of the department that offers it. The qualifications of the faculty, the research and reference resources available, the subjects covered in the curriculum, the standards for administrative support and evaluation… these are all aspects of your degree program that you really want to know are nailed down.
That’s why accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) is a crucial criteria behind the schools on this list. As the speciality accreditation agency for public health programs recognized by the U.S. Department of Educationsince 1974, CEPH evaluates public health degree programs according to the unique demands and core competencies required for public health service. Accreditation is so important that it is a requirement in order to sit for the major professional certification exam, the CPH (Certified in Public Health) from NBPHE (National Board of Public Health Examiners).
Electives
Public health is a highly diversified field. The fact that you’re picking up a minor automatically means that you are already off on some tangential branch, and it only makes sense that you are going to want to take electives that align closely with your major. We’ve worked hard to find schools for this list that have not only an excellent selection of interesting and applicable electives, but also that offer them with the depth and consideration they deserve.
Research
Public health is a field that is constantly evolving, and it’s evolving because of the hard work that instructors and students put into both statistical and on-the-ground research efforts. Getting directly involved in the front-line investigations of emerging threats, old epidemiological issues, and new challenges such as the health effects of climate change are all deeply important not only to the state of knowledge in public health, but to your own formative experiences in the field.
Although taking a minor probably won’t directly involve you in a great deal of research, you definitely benefit from working with instructors and fellow students who are completely up-to-date on the current state of affairs in the field.
Faculty
Although the CEPH accreditation process covers the basic skills and qualifications that a public health program must require of faculty, there’s plenty of room above that baseline for schools to distinguish themselves. There’s no question that it’s a field that has rock stars… professors like Minnesota’s Ancel Keys, who launched the revolutionary Seven Countries Study, or James Harlan Steele of UT, widely considered to be the father of veterinary public health.
And while not every school has a faculty that reaches those heights, there are many that have instructors who are highly respected in the field. We sought out programs who have faculty with genuine on-the-ground experience and expertise in the field who are active in making important contributions in both research and practice.
Reputation
The top schools in public health don’t hide their light under a bushel; usually we’re not the only ones who have figured out they belong on lists like this. We consider the opinions of other popular third-party rankings, such as those from The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report, or the Economist. Chances are good that a school we’ve found at the top of the spectrum has also been well-reviewed by one or more of them.
All schools shown here have been contacted and informed of their inclusion on this list. Schools that do not wish to be featured are immediately removed. School names are the registered trademarks of their original owners. The use of any trade name or trademark does not imply any association with the school.
