Best Public Health Programs in the Midwest (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Health Professions Colleges in the Midwest
Regional list from Best Public Health Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 38 Public Health programs in the Midwest by median earnings of Public Health graduates four years after completing. Oakland University leads the list with median earnings of $85,266 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $85,266 to $30,771, with a median of $58,026. For 3 of the 38 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 31 of the 38 programs, alongside 7 private nonprofits. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ranks 16th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, the strongest showing on the page. Indiana University-Northwest posts the lowest average net price, at $5,130.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oakland University · Rochester Hills, MI | $85,266 | $9,120 | $4,422 | 87.8% |
| Oakland University reports $85,266 in median earnings for its Public Health graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $9,120. | |||||
| 2 | Illinois State University · Normal, IL | $84,790 | $19,398 | $11,568 | 88.2% |
| Illinois State University ranks 2nd on this list and shows a median of $84,790 for Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI | $78,928 | $13,138 | $1,043 | 15.6% |
| With an admission rate of 16%, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor posts $78,928 in median earnings for its Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $70,369 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus graduates 112 students in the earnings cohort, who earned a median of $70,369 four years after completing the Public Health program. | |||||
| 5 | Indiana University-Bloomington · Bloomington, IN | $68,038 | $16,264 | $6,324 | 78.2% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $19,509 in federal loans at Indiana University-Bloomington, where Public Health completers earned a median of $68,038 four years after graduating. | |||||
| 6 | Purdue University-Main Campus · West Lafayette, IN | $66,892 | $14,600 | $5,098 | 49.9% |
| Purdue University-Main Campus reports an average net price of $14,600 and median earnings of $66,892 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | Carroll University · Waukesha, WI | $66,494 | $15,193 | $15,718 | 66.8% |
| A private nonprofit university in Waukesha, Carroll University lists $66,494 in median earnings for Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL | $65,978 | $14,355 | $2,038 | 42.4% |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks 35th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports $65,978 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | Missouri Southern State University · Joplin, MO | $63,965 | $12,007 | $9,759 | 97.0% |
| Missouri Southern State University admits 97% of applicants, and its Public Health graduates earned a median of $63,965 four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | Saint Louis University · Saint Louis, MO | $63,652 | $24,398 | $22,501 | 75.0% |
| Saint Louis University shows a median of $63,652 for Public Health graduates four years after completing, with a school-wide median federal debt of $25,000 across all borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 11 | University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire · Eau Claire, WI | $63,016 | $16,550 | $10,270 | 82.3% |
| University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire reports $63,016 in median earnings for its Public Health graduates four years after completing, and an average net price of $16,550. | |||||
| 12 | Lindenwood University · Saint Charles, MO | $62,455 | $19,638 | $15,678 | 56.8% |
| Lindenwood University ranks 12th on this list, with Public Health graduates earning a median of $62,455 four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | Ohio University-Main Campus · Athens, OH | $62,153 | $21,637 | $15,673 | 85.0% |
| Ohio University-Main Campus reports median earnings of $62,153 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing, with 11 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 14 | St Catherine University · Saint Paul, MN | $61,169 | $19,764 | $17,890 | 91.9% |
| A private nonprofit institution in Saint Paul, St Catherine University admits 92% of applicants and its Public Health graduates earn a median of $61,169 four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | Truman State University · Kirksville, MO | $60,157 | $12,780 | $6,046 | 83.8% |
| Truman State University posts an average net price of $12,780 alongside median earnings of $60,157 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | University of Minnesota-Duluth · Duluth, MN | $59,639 | $18,743 | $7,256 | 88.8% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left University of Minnesota-Duluth with a median of $22,024 in federal loans, while its Public Health completers earned a median of $59,639 four years after graduating. | |||||
| 17 | University of St Thomas · Saint Paul, MN | $59,389 | $29,155 | $28,131 | 85.4% |
| University of St Thomas ranks 526th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $59,389 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | University of Illinois Chicago · Chicago, IL | $58,603 | $10,974 | $7,529 | 77.4% |
| With an admission rate of 77%, University of Illinois Chicago shows median earnings of $58,603 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $10,974. | |||||
| 19 | Eastern Michigan University · Ypsilanti, MI | $58,252 | $15,407 | $13,250 | 79.6% |
| Eastern Michigan University reports 21 graduates in the earnings cohort for its Public Health program, where the median earnings four years after completing reach $58,252. | |||||
| 20 | Indiana University-Indianapolis · Indianapolis, IN | $57,800 | $11,668 | $5,701 | 76.4% |
| Indiana University-Indianapolis carries an average net price of $5,701 for families earning under $30,000, and its Public Health graduates earn a median of $57,800 four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | Miami University-Oxford · Oxford, OH | $56,955 | $28,384 | $16,015 | 75.4% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left Miami University-Oxford with a median of $23,000 in federal loans, and the school's Public Health completers earn a median of $56,955 four years after graduating. | |||||
| 22 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus · Bowling Green, OH | $56,114 | $24,022 | $18,396 | 81.0% |
| Bowling Green State University-Main Campus ranks 740th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, with median earnings of $56,114 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | University of Wisconsin-La Crosse · La Crosse, WI | $55,418 | $16,210 | $8,224 | 75.5% |
| University of Wisconsin-La Crosse admits 76% of applicants and its Public Health graduates earn a median of $55,418 four years after completing, with 68 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 24 | Wayne State University · Detroit, MI | $55,302 | $12,766 | $11,090 | 81.2% |
| Wayne State University reports an average net price of $11,090 for families earning under $30,000, and its Public Health graduates earn a median of $55,302 four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | University of Indianapolis · Indianapolis, IN | $55,147 | $21,602 | $15,346 | 66.5% |
| University of Indianapolis reports median earnings of $55,147 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $21,602. | |||||
| 26 | University of Detroit Mercy · Detroit, MI | $55,002 | $15,232 | $13,088 | 75.4% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at University of Detroit Mercy left with a median of $23,250 in federal loans, and the school admits 75% of applicants. | |||||
| 27 | Kent State University at Kent · Kent, OH | $54,544 | $20,787 | $15,280 | 86.3% |
| Kent State University at Kent ranks 27th on this list and posts an admission rate of 86%, with 166 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 28 | University of Nebraska at Omaha · Omaha, NE | $54,228 | $13,441 | $10,534 | 87.0% |
| A public university in Omaha, University of Nebraska at Omaha shows an average net price of $10,534 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 29 | Indiana University-Northwest · Gary, IN | $53,988 | $5,130 | $1,419 | 73.4% |
| Indiana University-Northwest reports median earnings of $53,988 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing, and its average net price is $5,130. | |||||
| 30 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus · Cincinnati, OH | $51,990 | $25,648 | $17,974 | 85.3% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at University of Cincinnati-Main Campus left with a median of $21,250 in federal loans, while the school's Public Health graduates earned a median of $51,990 four years after completing. | |||||
| 31 | Governors State University · University Park, IL | $51,027 | $12,329 | $9,563 | 48.3% |
| Governors State University admits 48% of applicants and reports median earnings of $51,027 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 32 | Saint Cloud State University · Saint Cloud, MN | $50,932 | $13,529 | $8,909 | 94.8% |
| Saint Cloud State University ranks 32nd on this list, with an average net price of $8,909 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 33 | Emporia State University · Emporia, KS | $48,325 | $16,261 | $11,452 | 97.7% |
| Emporia State University reports median earnings of $48,325 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing, and its admission rate is 98%. | |||||
| 34 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville · Edwardsville, IL | $47,652 | $14,889 | $8,483 | 97.5% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville left with a median of $20,500 in federal loans, and the school's average net price is $14,889. | |||||
| 35 | Winona State University · Winona, MN | $47,291 | $17,503 | $10,224 | 75.5% |
| Winona State University ranks 35th on this list and reports median earnings of $47,291 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 36 | Central Michigan University · Mount Pleasant, MI | $41,007 | $17,597 | $12,185 | 89.8% |
| Central Michigan University shows an average net price of $12,185 for families earning under $30,000, with 12 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 37 | University of Toledo · Toledo, OH | $39,369 | $17,249 | $13,524 | 92.0% |
| University of Toledo ranks 37th on this list, with median earnings of $39,369 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 92%. | |||||
| 38 | Youngstown State University · Youngstown, OH | $30,771 | $12,767 | $9,328 | 84.5% |
| Youngstown State University reports median earnings of $30,771 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $9,328 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
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 the Midwest appear. The figure is the median earnings of federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 3 of the 38 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 Oakland University and Illinois State University is $476, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $54,495.
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