Best Public Health Programs in the West (2026)
Updated
Regional list from Best Public Health Programs in the United States
This page ranks 31 Public Health programs in the West by the median earnings of Public Health graduates four years after completing. University of Southern California ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $89,522 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $89,522 to $35,594, with a median of $58,974. For 3 of the 31 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 24 of the 31 programs, and private nonprofits for 7. University of California-San Diego holds the best Azimuth composite rank on the page, ranking 1st among nonprofit four-year institutions.
California State University-Los Angeles posts the lowest average net price on the page, 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, reporting $89,522 in median earnings of Public Health graduates four years after completing alongside an admission rate of 10%. | |||||
| 2 | Montana Technological University · Butte, MT | $86,855 | $16,481 | $11,914 | 91.1% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed from Montana Technological University left with a median of $18,750 in federal loans, and its Public Health completers earn $86,855 four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | California Baptist University · Riverside, CA | $77,329 | $26,285 | $22,298 | 84.9% |
| California Baptist University, a private nonprofit university in Riverside, posts median earnings of $77,329 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $76,572 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
| With an average net price of $13,481, University of California-Berkeley ranks 4th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 5 | Chapman University · Orange, CA | $72,529 | $46,555 | $33,559 | 65.4% |
| Chapman University admits 65% of applicants and its Public Health graduates earn a median of $72,529 four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | University of Arizona · Tucson, AZ | $66,937 | $16,674 | $13,353 | 86.1% |
| University of Arizona reports $66,937 in median earnings for its Public Health graduates four years after completing, with 218 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 7 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $66,110 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
| Ranking 7th on this list, University of California-San Diego carries an average net price of $12,470 and a median of $15,500 in federal loans across all of its borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 8 | California State University-San Bernardino · San Bernardino, CA | $65,961 | $4,564 | $2,681 | 93.7% |
| California State University-San Bernardino shows median earnings of $65,961 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing, and ranks 8th on this list. | |||||
| 9 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion · Tempe, AZ | $64,275 | $14,967 | $9,070 | 89.9% |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion posts an admission rate of 90% and a school-wide median federal debt of $19,500 for its borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 10 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus · Seattle, WA | $63,666 | $14,091 | $6,384 | 39.2% |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus reports $63,666 in median earnings for its Public Health graduates four years after completing, and ranks 72nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 11 | Oregon State University · Corvallis, OR | $62,633 | $19,604 | $12,107 | 77.3% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed from Oregon State University left with a median of $21,221 in federal loans, and its Public Health completers earn $62,633 four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | Central Washington University · Ellensburg, WA | $62,435 | $18,476 | $11,846 | 90.6% |
| Central Washington University shows an average net price of $18,476 and median earnings of $62,435 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | Northern Arizona University · Flagstaff, AZ | $61,757 | $14,158 | $9,709 | 89.6% |
| Northern Arizona University reports median earnings of $61,757 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $14,158. | |||||
| 14 | San Diego State University · San Diego, CA | $60,904 | $15,364 | $9,910 | 36.2% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at San Diego State University left with a median of $15,000 in federal loans, and the program's earnings cohort numbered 162 graduates. | |||||
| 15 | University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $60,430 | $14,251 | $8,123 | 28.6% |
| University of California-Irvine admits 29% of applicants and ranks 12th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 16 | Westminster University · Salt Lake City, UT | $58,974 | $27,094 | $22,972 | 66.6% |
| A private nonprofit university in Salt Lake City, Westminster University shows median earnings of $58,974 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | Portland State University · Portland, OR | $58,860 | $9,552 | $7,655 | 90.9% |
| Portland State University ranks 17th on this list and reports an average net price of $7,655 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 18 | California State University-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $56,466 | $3,967 | $2,877 | 91.3% |
| With an average net price of $3,967, California State University-Los Angeles reports median earnings of $56,466 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | University of California-Merced · Merced, CA | $56,393 | $11,983 | $7,945 | 90.5% |
| University of California-Merced posts a median of $16,144 in federal loans across all of its borrowers who completed, and its Public Health graduates earn a median of $56,393 four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | University of Hawaii at Manoa · Honolulu, HI | $56,371 | $15,664 | $10,675 | 86.6% |
| An admission rate of 87% and an Azimuth composite rank of 258th among nonprofit four-year institutions accompany the $56,371 median earnings of University of Hawaii at Manoa's Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA | $55,989 | $7,021 | $4,905 | 93.5% |
| California State University-Northridge shows median earnings of $55,989 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing, with an earnings cohort of 312 graduates. | |||||
| 22 | University of Utah · Salt Lake City, UT | $55,200 | $16,200 | $13,123 | 86.0% |
| A public university in Salt Lake City, University of Utah carries an average net price of $16,200 and a school-wide median federal debt of $19,000. | |||||
| 23 | Pacific University · Forest Grove, OR | $55,116 | $35,273 | $23,318 | 89.6% |
| Pacific University reports median earnings of $55,116 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $23,318 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 24 | University of Alaska Anchorage · Anchorage, AK | $53,245 | $15,301 | $11,582 | Not reported |
| University of Alaska Anchorage ranks 24th on this list, with median earnings of $53,245 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | Western Oregon University · Monmouth, OR | $52,452 | $17,237 | $15,575 | 98.1% |
| Western Oregon University reports median earnings of $52,452 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 98%. | |||||
| 26 | Brigham Young University · Provo, UT | $51,996 | $15,564 | $10,444 | 67.8% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at Brigham Young University left with a median of $11,069 in federal loans, and the school ranks 27th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 27 | Fort Lewis College · Durango, CO | $47,830 | $17,296 | $18,622 | 77.3% |
| Fort Lewis College, a public university in Durango, shows an average net price of $17,296 and a Public Health earnings cohort of 16 graduates. | |||||
| 28 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins · Fort Collins, CO | $47,260 | $21,279 | $13,259 | 88.5% |
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins posts median earnings of $47,260 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $13,259 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 29 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus · Las Cruces, NM | $42,410 | $8,889 | $6,648 | 89.0% |
| With an average net price of $8,889, New Mexico State University-Main Campus reports median earnings of $42,410 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 30 | Boise State University · Boise, ID | $42,188 | $21,610 | $18,165 | 87.2% |
| Boise State University admits 87% of applicants and reports median earnings of $42,188 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 31 | Santa Clara University · Santa Clara, CA | $35,594 | $50,062 | $22,985 | 48.0% |
| Santa Clara University, a private nonprofit university in Santa Clara, reports median earnings of $35,594 for its Public Health graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $22,985 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 West appear. The figure is the median for federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled. For 3 of the 31 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 range and median below cover the 31 schools with a published figure. University of Southern California leads at $89,522, and the gap to second-ranked Montana Technological University is $2,667.
Related rankings
- Best Public Health Programs in the United States
- Best Colleges in the West
- Best Public Health Programs in the Midwest
- Best Public Health Programs in the Northeast
- Best Public Health Programs in the South
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- Health Professions Colleges in the West
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