Top Public Health Programs in California by Earnings (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Health Professions Colleges in California
This page ranks the 12 Public Health programs in California by median earnings of Public Health graduates four years after completing, highest first. University of Southern California leads the list at $89,522, followed by California Baptist University at $77,329 and University of California-Berkeley at $76,572.
Across the list, the median is $63,432, with figures ranging from $89,522 to $35,594.
Public institutions account for 8 of the 12 programs, and private nonprofits for 4. University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, while California State University-Los Angeles posts the lowest average net price at $3,967.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $89,522 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| University of Southern California ranks 1st on this list, with median earnings of $89,522 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 2 | California Baptist University · Riverside, CA | $77,329 | $26,285 | $22,298 | 84.9% |
| California Baptist University reports an admission rate of 85% and median earnings of $77,329 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $76,572 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
| Public Health completers at University of California-Berkeley who borrowed left with a median of $11,708 in federal loans, alongside median earnings of $76,572 four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Chapman University · Orange, CA | $72,529 | $46,555 | $33,559 | 65.4% |
| Chapman University, a private nonprofit university in Orange, posts an average net price of $46,555 and median earnings of $72,529 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $66,110 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
| University of California-San Diego is 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $66,110 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | California State University-San Bernardino · San Bernardino, CA | $65,961 | $4,564 | $2,681 | 93.7% |
| With an average net price of $4,564, California State University-San Bernardino also reports median earnings of $65,961 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | San Diego State University · San Diego, CA | $60,904 | $15,364 | $9,910 | 36.2% |
| San Diego State University admits 36% of applicants and shows median earnings of $60,904 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $60,430 | $14,251 | $8,123 | 28.6% |
| University of California-Irvine reports 473 graduates in the earnings cohort and median earnings of $60,430 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | California State University-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $56,466 | $3,967 | $2,877 | 91.3% |
| California State University-Los Angeles posts an average net price of $3,967 and median earnings of $56,466 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | University of California-Merced · Merced, CA | $56,393 | $11,983 | $7,945 | 90.5% |
| University of California-Merced reports median federal debt of $15,250 among Public Health completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $56,393 four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA | $55,989 | $7,021 | $4,905 | 93.5% |
| California State University-Northridge holds an Azimuth composite rank of 7th among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $55,989 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | Santa Clara University · Santa Clara, CA | $35,594 | $50,062 | $22,985 | 48.0% |
| Santa Clara University reports an average net price of $50,062 and median earnings of $35,594 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Public Health graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in California appear. The figure covers federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 1 of the 12 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between first-ranked University of Southern California and second-ranked California Baptist University is $12,193, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $53,928.
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