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Top 10 MPH Programs with No Out-of-State Tuition Fees 2018

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By TMPH Staff
December 2017

If you are serving in the field of public health, you may have the desire to rise in the ranks, to become more useful, or simply to earn a bigger paycheck. All are worthwhile objectives, and all may be achieved by obtaining a master’s degree in your chosen line of work. A master’s level program focuses on the practical elements in public health at the same time it helps students become equipped for the more advanced role of the public health administrator, which is to increase a community’s awareness about issues that influence day-to-day life, such as preventing accidents, injury, violence, and disease.

Core areas of study that are required in accredited MPH programs include environmental health, epidemiology, statistics/biostatistics, policy, and behavioral health. Other subjects that may be required are toxicology, administration of health care, issues of diversity, and program assessments. Internships, where students engage in work or work-like experiences, are also required. Some schools may offer specialized programs in the field of Mental Health Administration, either in one of the above-mentioned core areas or in an area of student interest, such as disaster management or pediatric health. A master’s degree in public health administration can be completed in two to three years and may not have a thesis requirement.

Armed with a master’s degree in public health administration, employees will find themselves eligible for positions in many settings, from healthcare to government agencies.

The ranking methodology is described here.

#10 – University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

School Profile
Points:5
Enrollment: 2,240
Tuition: $27,335
The University of Florida traces its roots to 1858. Claiming a student to faculty ratio of 49 to 1, their online master of public health is a 48 credit hour degree program that includes coursework in contemporary public health issues and principles of epidemiology. The University of Florida offers a graduate tuition rate of $550 for each credit hour for this online program. The school is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges.

#9 – Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

School Profile
Points:8
Enrollment: 50,340
Tuition: $32,940

Michigan State University’s master of public health program sees their mission as creating and promoting health equity and social justice. Maintaining a favorable student to faculty ratio of 17 to 1, their online master of public health is a 42 credit hour degree program that includes coursework in public health administration and environmental factors of health. Michigan State University asks for a rate of $660 for each online, graduate credit hour for this program. They are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges.

#8 – University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

School Profile
Points: 8
Enrollment: 43,161
Tuition: $31,124
The University of Arizona was established in 1885. Their master of public health-applied epidemiology is a 33 credit hour degree online program that has a student to faculty ratio of 20 to 1 and includes coursework in public health policy and infectious disease. The University of Arizona offers a graduate tuition rate of $950 per credit hour for this online program. They are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges.

#7 – University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts

School Profile
Points: 9
Enrollment: 30,037
Tuition: $29,644
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is the flagship campus of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Their online master of public health-nutrition is a 44 credit hour degree program that includes coursework in environmental health practices and biostatistics, and the student to faculty ratio is 18 to 1. The University of Massachusetts Amherst offers an online, graduate tuition rate of $615 for each credit hour for this program. UMass Amherst is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education.

#6 – University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

School Profile
Points: 10
Enrollment: 51,579
Tuition: $25,120
The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities is the Land of 10,000 Lakes land-grant university. Touting a favorable student to faculty ratio of 17 to 1, their online master of public health-executive public health administration and policy is a 42 credit hour degree program that includes coursework in communication skills and development of public health policy. The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities requires a charge of $960 for each online, graduate credit hour. They are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

#5 – University of Missouri-Columbia

Columbia, Missouri

School Profile
Points: 11
Enrollment: 33,239
Tuition: $23,172
The University of Missouri-Columbia is a national leader in digital education. Their online master of public health–emphasis in health promotion and policy is a 45 credit hour, degree program that includes coursework in epidemiology and health policy design. The University of Missouri-Columbia asks for $425 for each online, graduate credit hour. They are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

#4 – East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, Tennessee

School Profile
Points: 11
Enrollment: 14,022
Tuition: $22,248
East Tennessee State University was founded as a teacher’s college in 1911. Their master of public health, community health concentration is a 43 credit hour, online degree program that includes coursework in biostatistics and epidemiology and claims a very desirable student to faculty ratio of 16 to 1. The graduate tuition rate is $666 per online credit hour. East Tennessee State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges.

#3 – University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

School Profile
Points: 11
Enrollment: 29,120
Tuition: $22,217
The University of Illinois at Chicago’s School of Public health is dedicated to protecting and improving the health and well-being of people. Their master of public health is a 42-45 credit hour, online degree program that includes coursework in determinants of health and field experience in public health. Depending on the chosen concentration, the University of Illinois at Chicago offers a tuition rate of $730-760 for each credit hour for this online, graduate program, which claims a student to faculty ratio of 18 to 1. They are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges.

#2 – Kent State University

Kent, Ohio

School Profile
Points: 11
Enrollment: 30,167
Tuition: $19,362
Kent State University sees their mission as keeping communities safe through preventative care and policy change. Their master of public health is a 46 credit hour degree online program that offers two specializations: health policy and management and social and behavioral sciences. Kent State University charges an online tuition rate of $665 per graduate credit hour for this program, which has a student to faculty ratio of 21 to 1. Their out of state tuition surcharge is $10 per credit hour, so we gave them a pass for this list. They are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges.

#1 – University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

School Profile
Points: 13
Enrollment: 5,428
Tuition: $16,640
As part of the top-tier University of Illinois system, the University of Illinois at Springfield has an online master of public health-environmental health concentration degree that is a 48 credit hour degree program, including coursework in community health education and environmental toxicology. The online, graduate tuition rate is $362.25 per credit hour for this University of Illinois at Springfield program, which has a favorable student to faculty ratio of 15 to 1. They are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges.