College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2025 Best Public Health Master's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region

57 Colleges in the Southeast Region
4,250 Master's Degrees
$55,094 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #14 in popularity, public health is one of the most sought-after master's degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 57 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Public Health Master's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 4,250 master's degrees in public health to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Public Health School for Your Master's Degree

Best Public Health Master's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region The public health master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality public health program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we consider a college's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a host of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for public health students working on their master's degree.

More Ways to Rank Public Health Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Public Health Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Public Health Master's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list to help you make the college decision.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Public Health in the Southeast Region

Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for public health students seeking a a master's degree. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

11 Top Southeast Region Schools for a Master's in Public Health

1
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA

Emory University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in public health. Emory is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Atlanta.

Master's recipients from the public health degree program at Emory University get $8,728 more than the typical college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a master’s in public health from Emory University

2

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in public health. Located in the small city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Public Health master's degree recipients from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earn a boost of about $5,832 over the average income of public health majors.

More information about a master’s in public health from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

3
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL

It is difficult to beat University of Florida if you wish to pursue a master's degree in public health. UF is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Gainesville.

After graduation, public health master's recipients generally make around $54,905 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a master’s in public health from University of Florida

4

Tulane University of Louisiana is a good decision for individuals interested in a master's degree in public health. Located in the city of New Orleans, Tulane is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.

Public Health master's degree recipients from Tulane University of Louisiana get an earnings boost of about $3,625 above the typical income of public health majors.

More information about a master’s in public health from Tulane University of Louisiana

5

UAB is a fairly large public university located in the city of Birmingham.

After graduating, public health master's recipients typically make an average of $56,823 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a master’s in public health from University of Alabama at Birmingham

6

Located in the city of Columbia, UofSC is a public university with a very large student population.

After graduation, public health master's recipients usually make an average of $55,845 in their early careers.

More information about a master’s in public health from University of South Carolina - Columbia

7

UGA is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Athens.

Students who graduate with their master's from the public health program report average early career earnings of $47,001.

More information about a master’s in public health from University of Georgia

8
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL

Located in the suburb of Coral Gables, U Miami is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Master's recipients from the public health program at University of Miami get $13,973 above the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a master’s in public health from University of Miami

9

Located in the large city of Tampa, USF Tampa is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Master's recipients from the public health program at University of South Florida - Main Campus make $3,245 above the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a master’s in public health from University of South Florida - Main Campus

10

Located in the city of Greenville, ECU is a public university with a very large student population.

Students who graduate with their master's from the public health program report average early career income of $54,877.

More information about a master’s in public health from East Carolina University

11
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC

Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Durham.

Those public health students who get their master's degree from Duke University receive $6,593 more than the standard public health student.

More information about a master’s in public health from Duke University

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Public Health students in the Southeast Region that almost earned our Best Public Health Master's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region award.

Rank College Location
12 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
13 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
14 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
15 East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN
16 Samford University Birmingham, AL
17 Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY
18 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
19 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL

Best Public Health Colleges by State

Explore the best public health colleges for a specific state in the Southeast Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Florida 208 763
Georgia 190 806
Virginia 182 601
North Carolina 178 519
Tennessee 166 212
Alabama 151 377
Kentucky 147 103
Louisiana 147 189
South Carolina 146 61
Mississippi 145 86
Arkansas 121 54
West Virginia 112 105

View All Rankings >

One of 34 majors within the Health Professions area of study, Public Health has other similar majors worth exploring.

Public Health Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Public Health 3,263
Health Services Administration 247
Public Health Education and Promotion 215
Environmental Health 162
International Public Health/International Health 128
Community Health and Preventive Medicine 88
Other Public Health 54
Health/Medical Physics 48
Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality 25
Behavioral Aspects of Health 18

Related Major Annual Graduates
Nursing 11,667
Allied Health Professions 3,991
Mental & Social Health Services 3,537
Health & Medical Administrative Services 2,953
Communication Sciences 2,178
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions 1,624
Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences 493
Medical Illustration & Informatics 433
Health Sciences & Services 413
Dietetics & Clinical Nutrition Services 288

Notes and References

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options