Community Health and Preventive Medicine: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries
Program Overview
Community Health and Preventive Medicine equips professionals with the expertise to design, implement, and oversee public health initiatives within local communities. This interdisciplinary field emphasizes proactive strategies to improve population health, reduce disease burden, and strengthen community resilience through evidence-based planning and coordinated service delivery.
- Public Health Foundations: Core principles of population health, health equity, and the social determinants of well-being that shape community health outcomes.
- Community Health Services and Delivery: Models and systems for organizing, accessing, and evaluating health care services tailored to local needs and demographics.
- Health Behavior and Cultural Factors: The influence of individual and group behaviors, cultural norms, and belief systems on health decisions and intervention effectiveness.
- Local Government Operations: Functions and administrative structures of municipal and county-level public health agencies and their role in policy implementation.
- Human Services Integration: Coordinating care across social, medical, and community support systems to ensure holistic service access.
- Health Communication and Promotion: Strategies for developing targeted messaging, campaigns, and outreach programs that inform and engage diverse populations.
- Health Services Administration in Local Settings: Leadership and management practices specific to community health centers, clinics, and regional public health departments.
- Environmental Health: Assessment and mitigation of environmental risks—such as air and water quality, waste management, and occupational hazards—that impact community well-being.
- Preventive and Comparative Medicine: Approaches to disease prevention, early detection, and evaluating the effectiveness of health interventions across populations.
- Epidemiology: The scientific study of disease patterns, causes, and distribution within communities to guide public health action.
- Biostatistics: Application of statistical methods to analyze health data, interpret trends, and support decision-making in public health research and practice.
- Family and Community Health: Focus on the health needs of families and neighborhoods, integrating clinical, social, and preventive care strategies.
- Applicable Law and Regulations: Legal frameworks governing public health practice, including privacy standards, reporting requirements, and compliance protocols.
Community Health and Preventive Medicine Graduate Trends (2010-2024)
Community Health and Preventive Medicine Career Pathways & Salary Outlook
The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Community Health and Preventive Medicine degrees, including Medical and Health Services Managers, Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary and Community Health Workers. These career paths represent common employment outcomes but are not guaranteed for all graduates. Salary ranges vary by location, employer, experience level, and specific role requirements. Nationally, these occupations employ approximately 856,290 professionals.
National Average Salaries
| Occupation | Median Salary | Salary Range | Total Employment | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical and Health Services Managers 11-9111 | $117,960 | $69,680 - $219,080 | 565,840 | $56.71 |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1071 | $105,620 | $51,760 - $239,200 | 229,720 | N/A |
| Community Health Workers 21-1094 | $51,030 | $37,930 - $78,560 | 60,730 | $24.54 |
Community Health and Preventive Medicine Salary Map by State
Geographic location significantly impacts earning potential for these careers. Average salaries range from $72,457 in Oklahoma to $131,477 in District of Columbia—a 81% difference. The highest-paying states include District of Columbia, Washington, and New York. Nationwide, these occupations employ over 856,290 professionals across all states. Explore the interactive map below to compare regional compensation and identify optimal markets for your career goals.
Average Salary Range:
Top Universities for Community Health and Preventive Medicine by Graduate Enrollment
Below are the top 100 institutions offering Community Health and Preventive Medicine programs for the 2023-2024 academic year (the most recent data reported as of 2025), ranked by the number of graduates. The highest graduate enrollment in Community Health and Preventive Medicine is found at Brigham Young University (BYU–I), Idaho (259 graduates), Western Governors University (WGU) (188 graduates), University of Florida (UF) (174 graduates), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) (159 graduates), and George Mason University (157 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 2,559 graduates across all degree levels. Program availability varies by award level, including Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees at participating universities and schools.
| College Name | Award Levels | Graduates | Location | Control | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brigham Young University (BYU–I) |
Other Award
|
259 | Rexburg, Idaho | Private | byui.edu |
| Western Governors University (WGU) |
Bachelor's
|
188 | Salt Lake City, Utah | Private | wgu.edu |
| University of Florida (UF) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
174 | Gainesville, Florida | Public | ufl.edu |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
159 | Champaign, Illinois | Public | illinois.edu |
| George Mason University |
Bachelor's
|
157 | Fairfax, Virginia | Public | www2.gmu.edu |
| Indiana University (IUB) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
137 | Bloomington, Indiana | Public | indiana.edu |
| City College of San Francisco (CCSF) |
Other Award
|
116 | San Francisco, California | Public | ccsf.edu |
| Tufts University |
Bachelor's
|
81 | Medford, Massachusetts | Private | tufts.edu |
| University of Maryland (UMCP) |
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
|
79 | College Park, Maryland | Public | umd.edu |
| Portland State University (PSU) |
Bachelor's
|
66 | Portland, Oregon | Public | pdx.edu |
| University of California (UCLA) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
59 | Los Angeles, California | Public | ucla.edu |
| University of Wisconsin (UWL) |
Bachelor's
|
50 | La Crosse, Wisconsin | Public | uwlax.edu |
| National University (NU) |
Bachelor's
|
41 | San Diego, California | Private | nu.edu |
| St Catherine University (St. Kate’s) |
Bachelor's
Other Award
|
41 | Saint Paul, Minnesota | Private | stkate.edu |
| Kean University |
Bachelor's
|
41 | Union, New Jersey | Public | kean.edu |
| Utah Valley University (UVU) |
Associate's
Bachelor's
|
37 | Orem, Utah | Public | uvu.edu |
| Hofstra University |
Bachelor's
|
36 | Hempstead, New York | Private | hofstra.edu |
| Murray State University (MSU) |
Bachelor's
|
31 | Murray, Kentucky | Public | murraystate.edu |
| Monroe College |
Bachelor's
|
30 | Bronx, New York | Private | monroecollege.edu |
| Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) |
Master's
|
30 | Claremont, California | Private | kgi.edu |
| University of Florida (UF Online) |
Bachelor's
|
29 | Gainesville, Florida | Public | ufonline.ufl.edu |
| Saint Mary's University of Minnesota (SMUMN) |
Other Award
|
28 | Winona, Minnesota | Private | smumn.edu |
| Indian River State College (IRSC) |
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
|
25 | Fort Pierce, Florida | Public | irsc.edu |
| University of California (UCSD) |
Bachelor's
|
22 | La Jolla, California | Public | ucsd.edu |
| Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) |
Other Award
|
22 | Albuquerque, New Mexico | Public | cnm.edu |
| Stanford University |
Master's
|
22 | Stanford, California | Private | stanford.edu |
| Governors State University (GSU) |
Bachelor's
|
21 | University Park, Illinois | Public | govst.edu |
| Arizona Western College (AWC) |
Associate's
Other Award
|
20 | Yuma, Arizona | Public | azwestern.edu |
| Rasmussen University |
Bachelor's
|
20 | Ocala, Florida | Private | rasmussen.edu |
| South Dakota State University (SDSU) |
Bachelor's
|
20 | Brookings, South Dakota | Public | sdstate.edu |
| Western Washington University (WWU) |
Bachelor's
|
20 | Bellingham, Washington | Public | wwu.edu |
| Brown University |
Master's
|
18 | Providence, Rhode Island | Private | brown.edu |
| University of Utah (U of U) |
Postbac Cert.
|
17 | Salt Lake City, Utah | Public | utah.edu |
| Eastern Florida State College (EFSC) |
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
Associate's
|
15 | Melbourne, Florida | Public | easternflorida.edu |
| South Suburban College (SSC) |
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
Other Award
|
15 | South Holland, Illinois | Public | ssc.edu |
| State University of New York |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
15 | Cortland, New York | Public | www2.cortland.edu |
| Cabrillo College |
Other Award
|
14 | Aptos, California | Public | cabrillo.edu |
| Trinity Washington University |
Master's
|
14 | Washington, District of Columbia | Private | trinitydc.edu |
| Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) |
Bachelor's
|
14 | Chicago, Illinois | Public | neiu.edu |
| Saint Cloud State University (SCSU) |
Bachelor's
|
14 | Saint Cloud, Minnesota | Public | stcloudstate.edu |
| University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
14 | University, Mississippi | Public | olemiss.edu |
| Howard Community College (HCC) |
Associate's
|
13 | Columbia, Maryland | Public | howardcc.edu |
| University of South Dakota (USD) |
Master's
|
13 | Vermillion, South Dakota | Public | usd.edu |
| Wilmington University (WilmU) |
Master's
|
12 | New Castle, Delaware | Private | wilmu.edu |
| Louisiana State University (LSUS) |
Bachelor's
|
12 | Shreveport, Louisiana | Public | lsus.edu |
| University of Massachusetts |
Master's
Other Award
|
12 | Amherst, Massachusetts | Public | umass.edu |
| Foothill College |
Other Award
|
11 | Los Altos Hills, California | Public | foothill.edu |
| Big Sandy Community and Technical College (BSCTC) |
Other Award
|
11 | Prestonsburg, Kentucky | Public | bigsandy.kctcs.edu |
| Fontbonne University |
Master's
|
11 | Saint Louis, Missouri | Private | fontbonne.edu |
| University of Cincinnati (UC) |
Master's
Other Award
|
11 | Cincinnati, Ohio | Public | uc.edu |
| Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC) |
Associate's
Other Award
|
11 | Phoenix, Arizona | Public | paradisevalley.edu |
| The University of Alabama (UA) |
Master's
|
10 | Tuscaloosa, Alabama | Public | ua.edu |
| Broward College (BC) |
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
Associate's
|
10 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | Public | broward.edu |
| Eastern Illinois University (EIU) |
Master's
|
10 | Charleston, Illinois | Public | eiu.edu |
| University of Pittsburgh |
Postbac Cert.
|
10 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Public | pitt.edu |
| Western Kentucky University (WKU) |
Bachelor's
|
9 | Bowling Green, Kentucky | Public | wku.edu |
| University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) |
Bachelor's
|
9 | San Antonio, Texas | Private | uiw.edu |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
9 | Madison, Wisconsin | Public | wisc.edu |
| The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) |
Postbac Cert.
|
9 | Memphis, Tennessee | Public | uthsc.edu |
| Drury University |
Bachelor's
|
9 | Springfield, Missouri | Private | drury.edu |
| Moravian University |
Bachelor's
|
8 | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania | Private | moravian.edu |
| Whitworth University |
Bachelor's
|
8 | Spokane, Washington | Private | whitworth.edu |
| University of Wisconsin (UWEC) |
Bachelor's
|
8 | Eau Claire, Wisconsin | Public | uwec.edu |
| The University of Montana (UM) |
Bachelor's
|
7 | Missoula, Montana | Public | umt.edu |
| Concordia University |
Bachelor's
|
6 | Saint Paul, Minnesota | Private | csp.edu |
| University of Memphis (UofM) |
Postbac Cert.
|
6 | Memphis, Tennessee | Public | memphis.edu |
| Diablo Valley College (DVC) |
Other Award
|
5 | Pleasant Hill, California | Public | dvc.edu |
| Florida State College (FSCJ) |
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
Associate's
|
5 | Jacksonville, Florida | Public | fscj.edu |
| Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU) |
Associate's
|
5 | Lawrence, Kansas | Public | haskell.edu |
| Johns Hopkins University (JHU) |
Postbac Cert.
|
5 | Baltimore, Maryland | Private | jhu.edu |
| Prince George's Community College (PGCC) |
Associate's
|
5 | Largo, Maryland | Public | pgcc.edu |
| Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) |
Associate's
|
5 | Coon Rapids, Minnesota | Public | anokaramsey.edu |
| University at Buffalo (UB) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
5 | Buffalo, New York | Public | buffalo.edu |
| Hollins University |
Bachelor's
|
5 | Roanoke, Virginia | Private | hollins.edu |
| Sacramento City College (SCC) |
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
|
4 | Sacramento, California | Public | scc.losrios.edu |
| William Rainey Harper College |
Other Award
|
4 | Palatine, Illinois | Public | harpercollege.edu |
| Bemidji State University (BSU) |
Bachelor's
|
4 | Bemidji, Minnesota | Public | bemidjistate.edu |
| Lehigh University |
Bachelor's
|
4 | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania | Private | lehigh.edu |
| Radford University |
Bachelor's
|
4 | Radford, Virginia | Public | radford.edu |
| Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) |
Doctorate (Research)
|
4 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Private | mcw.edu |
| Chabot College (CC) |
Other Award
|
3 | Hayward, California | Public | chabotcollege.edu |
| Kansas State University (K‑State) |
Other Award
|
3 | Manhattan, Kansas | Public | k-state.edu |
| Cedar Crest College |
Bachelor's
|
3 | Allentown, Pennsylvania | Private | cedarcrest.edu |
| The University of Texas (UTSA) |
Master's
|
3 | San Antonio, Texas | Public | utsa.edu |
| Mesa Community College (MCC) |
Associate's
|
2 | Mesa, Arizona | Public | mesacc.edu |
| South Mountain Community College (SMCC) |
Associate's
|
2 | Phoenix, Arizona | Public | southmountaincc.edu |
| University of Iowa |
Doctorate (Research)
|
2 | Iowa City, Iowa | Public | uiowa.edu |
| Minnesota State University |
Master's
|
2 | Mankato, Minnesota | Public | mnsu.edu |
| Rasmussen University |
Bachelor's
|
2 | St. Cloud, Minnesota | Private | rasmussen.edu |
| Hudson County Community College (HCCC) |
Associate's
|
2 | Jersey City, New Jersey | Public | hccc.edu |
| Adelphi University |
Master's
|
2 | Garden City, New York | Private | adelphi.edu |
| St Bonaventure University (SBU) |
Master's
|
2 | Saint Bonaventure, New York | Private | sbu.edu |
| West Virginia University (WVU) |
Master's
|
2 | Morgantown, West Virginia | Public | wvu.edu |
| Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC) |
Associate's
|
2 | Chandler, Arizona | Public | cgc.maricopa.edu |
| Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania (CU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
2 | Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania | Public | commonwealthu.edu |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion (ASU) |
Master's
|
1 | Tempe, Arizona | Public | asu.edu |
| Scottsdale Community College (SCC) |
Associate's
|
1 | Scottsdale, Arizona | Public | scottsdalecc.edu |
| Cerritos College |
Other Award
|
1 | Norwalk, California | Public | cerritos.edu |
| College of the Desert (COD) |
Other Award
|
1 | Palm Desert, California | Public | collegeofthedesert.edu |
| Orange Coast College (OCC) |
Other Award
|
1 | Costa Mesa, California | Public | orangecoastcollege.edu |
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to the most common questions about Community Health and Preventive Medicine programs
How much can I earn with a Community Health and Preventive Medicine degree?
Salaries for Community Health and Preventive Medicine graduates vary by role and location. Medical and Health Services Managers earn a median of $117,960 annually, while Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary earn around $105,620. Geographic location significantly impacts earnings—professionals in District of Columbia average $131,477 compared to $72,457 in Oklahoma. Approximately 856,290 professionals work in related occupations nationwide.
Salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program, May 2024. Earnings vary by experience, employer, and market conditions.
Which universities have the largest Community Health and Preventive Medicine programs?
Currently 112 accredited institutions offer Community Health and Preventive Medicine degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include Brigham Young University (BYU–I), Idaho (259 graduates), Western Governors University (WGU) (188 graduates), and University of Florida (UF) (174 graduates).
Program size doesn't necessarily indicate quality—consider factors like faculty expertise, production opportunities, location, and available degree levels when choosing a school.
Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated.
Is enrollment in Community Health and Preventive Medicine growing or declining?
Graduate numbers have increased over the past decade, rising from 1,266 in 2010 to 2,571 in 2023-24. This represents a 103% increase overall from 2010.
The field remains specialized with steady interest, though opportunities are most concentrated in major metropolitan areas with active arts scenes like New York, California, and Illinois.
Graduate enrollment data from IPEDS, 2010-2024 academic years. Trends reflect reported completions at participating institutions.
What career paths are available with a Community Health and Preventive Medicine degree?
This degree prepares you for roles such as Medical and Health Services Managers, Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary, and Community Health Workers. Related occupations employ approximately 856,290 professionals nationwide.
Skills in project management, creative leadership, and collaboration also transfer to event planning, arts administration, marketing, and corporate training roles. Many professionals work freelance or on a project basis across theatre, film, and live events.
Career pathways mapped using CIP-SOC crosswalk from the National Center for Education Statistics. Employment data from BLS OEWS May 2024.
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