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FIRST PROFESSIONAL DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 5122

Public Health: is this first professional degree worth it?

National picture across 5 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$77,992 in median year-4 earnings

A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.

$77,992Median year-4 earnings

$22,184Average institution net-price context

Not availableMedian federal debt

Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$77,992Median reported earnings · year 4

$88,948Average reported earnings · year 5

Not availableMedian federal debt

36thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

5Reporting programs

5With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

The same field can produce a different equation.

Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings: $36,698
Federal debt: $17,726
Reporting programs: 8

7 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $43,403
Federal debt: $21,789
Reporting programs: 22

21 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $57,499
Federal debt: $25,875
Reporting programs: 256

217 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $77,605
Federal debt: $20,716
Reporting programs: 8

8 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $79,533
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 207

207 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $111,411
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 10

10 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

First Professional Degree

Year-4 earnings: $77,992
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 5

5 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $95,664
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 9

9 report earnings →

COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median

25th percentile$73,749National median$77,99275th percentile$109,806

5 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Dartmouth College$116,416 2University of California, Berkeley$109,806 3University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus$77,992 4University of Oklahoma-Health Sciences Center$73,749 5University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus$73,749

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Health Specialties Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1071 · 11 crosswalk linksMedical and Health Services ManagersSOC 11-9111 · 7 crosswalk linksCommunity Health WorkersSOC 21-1094 · 5 crosswalk linksHealth Education SpecialistsSOC 21-1091 · 5 crosswalk linksOccupational Health and Safety SpecialistsSOC 19-5011 · 3 crosswalk linksOccupational Health and Safety TechniciansSOC 19-5012 · 3 crosswalk linksCompliance OfficersSOC 13-1041 · 1 crosswalk linksEnvironmental Scientists and Specialists, Including HealthSOC 19-2041 · 1 crosswalk linksEpidemiologistsSOC 19-1041 · 1 crosswalk linksGenetic CounselorsSOC 29-9092 · 1 crosswalk linksMedical Scientists, Except EpidemiologistsSOC 19-1042 · 1 crosswalk linksPhysicistsSOC 19-2012 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR PUBLIC HEALTH

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	ROI status	Cost context
1	Dartmouth CollegeFirst Professional Degree	Hanover, NH	$116,416	Not available	Baseline needed	$29,519
2	University of California, BerkeleyFirst Professional Degree	Berkeley, CA	$109,806	Not available	Baseline needed	$13,481
3	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusFirst Professional Degree	Pittsburgh, PA	$77,992	Not available	Baseline needed	$30,434
4	University of Oklahoma-Health Sciences CenterFirst Professional Degree	Oklahoma City, OK	$73,749	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
5	University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusFirst Professional Degree	Norman, OK	$73,749	Not available	Baseline needed	$15,300

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.