College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Public Health

731 Ranked Colleges
40,596 Degrees Awarded
$32,700 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Public Health Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended Public Health Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Public Health is the 26th most popular major in the country with 40,596 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, public health graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $43,158 and had an average of $27,396 in loans still to pay off.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Public Health Major” ranking, we looked at 731 colleges that offer a degree in public health. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular public health programs in the United States.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Public Health Schools

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Public Health Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Most Well Attended Public Health Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Public Health Major”.

1
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Johns Hopkins University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major list. Johns Hopkins is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,002 ’s public health degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Public Health at Johns Hopkins University

2
GWU crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend George Washington University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major list. GWU is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 665 ’s public health degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Public Health at GWU

3
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Out of the 731 schools in the Most Well Attended Public Health Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Rutgers University - New Brunswick landed the #3 spot on the list. New Brunswick, New Jersey is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public health degrees to 670 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full Rutgers New Brunswick Public Health Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of South Carolina - Columbia. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major list. University of South Carolina - Columbia is a large school located in Columbia, South Carolina that handed out 555 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Full UofSC Public Health Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major list. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 526 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Irvine Public Health Report

6

University of Maryland - College Park landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major ranking. College Park, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public health degrees to 516 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Health at UMCP

7

California State University - Northridge came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Health Major ranking. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public health degrees to 492 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full California State University - Northridge Public Health Report

8

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major ranking, coming in at #8. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 477 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Health at University of California - Berkeley

9

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major ranking, coming in at #9. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 467 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Public Health at USF Tampa

10

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major ranking, coming in at #10. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public health degrees to 436 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Public Health at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

11
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major ranking, coming in at #11. University of Arizona is a public institution located in Tucson, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 443 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Arizona Public Health Report

11
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Health Major ranking. Emory University is a fairly large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 436 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Health at Emory

13
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

Liberty University ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Health Major list. Liberty University is located in Lynchburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 427 ’s public health degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Public Health at Liberty University

14

University of Massachusetts Amherst ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Health Major list. UMass Amherst is a large school located in Amherst, Massachusetts that handed out 411 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Public Health at UMass Amherst

15
SNHU crest
Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester, New Hampshire

Southern New Hampshire University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major ranking, coming in at #15. Manchester, New Hampshire is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public health degrees to 378 students in 2020-2021.

Full SNHU Public Health Report

16
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

With a ranking of #16, University of Florida did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major list. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 399 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Health at University of Florida

17
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major ranking, coming in at #17. Harvard is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 372 ’s public health degrees to qualified students.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Harvard University Public Health Report

18

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #18 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Health Major list. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school awarded 359 diplomas to qualified ’s public health students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Public Health at UT Austin

19

University of California - San Diego landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major ranking. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 350 ’s public health degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Health at UCSD

19

Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #19 on this year’s Most Well Attended Public Health Major list. Columbia is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 625 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Public Health at Columbia

21

University of Alabama at Birmingham came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Public Health Major ranking. University of Alabama at Birmingham is a public institution located in Birmingham, Alabama. The school has a large population, and it awarded 340 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Health at University of Alabama at Birmingham

22

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major ranking. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 332 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Health at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

23
ECU crest
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina

East Carolina University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major ranking. East Carolina University is located in Greenville, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 344 ’s public health degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Public Health at ECU

24
Walden University crest
Walden University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

With a ranking of #24, Walden University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major list. Walden University is a large private for-profit school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 336 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Health at Walden University

25

California State University - Fullerton landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Public Health Major ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 325 ’s public health degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Public Health at California State University - Fullerton

Rest of the Best 50 in Most Well Attended Public Health Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
Benedictine U crest
Benedictine University
Lisle, Illinois
27
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan
29
30
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
31
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California
32
NAU crest
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona
33
34
35
The Graduate Center crest
The Graduate Center, CUNY
New York, New York
36
Monroe College crest
Monroe College
Bronx, New York
37
38
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia
39
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia
40
Georgia State crest
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia
41
42
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
43
National University crest
National University
La Jolla, California
44
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts
44
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
46
47
Oregon State crest
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon
48
49
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Public Health Major

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51Capella UniversityMinneapolis, MN
52Indiana University - Purdue University - IndianapolisIndianapolis, IN
53Brigham Young University - ProvoProvo, UT
53Ohio State University - Main CampusColumbus, OH
55University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical CampusDenver, CO
56University of Michigan - Ann ArborAnn Arbor, MI
57The University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonHouston, TX
58Portland State UniversityPortland, OR
59University of DelawareNewark, DE
60University of Minnesota - Twin CitiesMinneapolis, MN
61University of IowaIowa City, IA
62University of California - MercedMerced, CA
63The University of Texas at ArlingtonArlington, TX
64Keiser University - Ft LauderdaleFort Lauderdale, FL
65University of North Carolina at WilmingtonWilmington, NC
RankCollegeLocation
66Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
66Purdue University GlobalIndianapolis, IN
68University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY
69Georgia Southern UniversityStatesboro, GA
70Brown UniversityProvidence, RI
71Slippery Rock University of PennsylvaniaSlippery Rock, PA
72California State University - SacramentoSacramento, CA
73West Chester University of PennsylvaniaWest Chester, PA
73Washington University in St LouisSaint Louis, MO
75College of CharlestonCharleston, SC
76Tulane University of LouisianaNew Orleans, LA
77University at AlbanyAlbany, NY
78St Petersburg CollegeClearwater, FL
79Tufts UniversityMedford, MA
80University of New EnglandBiddeford, ME
81American InterContinental University - OnlineSchaumburg, IL
82University of Massachusetts - LowellLowell, MA
82University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR
84Saint Joseph’s UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
85Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
86Florida National University - Main CampusHialeah, FL
87University of KentuckyLexington, KY
88Sam Houston State UniversityHuntsville, TX
88Grand Canyon UniversityPhoenix, AZ
90Arizona State University - SkysongScottsdale, AZ
RankCollegeLocation
91New York UniversityNew York, NY
92Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL
92Mercer UniversityMacon, GA
92A T Still University of Health SciencesKirksville, MO
95Florida State UniversityTallahassee, FL
96Baylor UniversityWaco, TX
96Lehman CollegeBronx, NY
96Montclair State UniversityMontclair, NJ
99East Tennessee State UniversityJohnson City, TN
99Chapman UniversityOrange, CA
99University of North Carolina at GreensboroGreensboro, NC
99Chamberlain University - IllinoisAddison, IL
103University of Puerto Rico - Medical SciencesSan Juan, PR
104Purdue University - Main CampusWest Lafayette, IN
105Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH
106University of Missouri - ColumbiaColumbia, MO
107Hofstra UniversityHempstead, NY
107West Coast University - Orange CountyAnaheim, CA
109University of Wisconsin - MadisonMadison, WI
110University of Southern MississippiHattiesburg, MS

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Notes and References

References

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