International Public Health: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries
Program Overview
International Public Health is a dynamic, interdisciplinary field dedicated to addressing pressing health challenges in low- and middle-income countries through evidence-based strategies and global collaboration. This program equips learners with the analytical, managerial, and cultural competencies needed to design, implement, and evaluate health initiatives that improve population well-being across diverse global contexts.
- Health Education and Promotion: Strategies to inform and empower communities about preventive health practices, disease awareness, and healthy behaviors through culturally appropriate messaging and outreach.
- Research Design and Evaluation: Methods for developing rigorous studies and assessing the impact of health interventions using quantitative and qualitative approaches.
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology: The study of disease patterns, transmission dynamics, and outbreak responses in vulnerable populations worldwide.
- International Health Policy and Management: Frameworks for shaping health systems, managing cross-border health programs, and navigating regulatory environments in global health settings.
- Public Nutrition and Food Security: Analysis of dietary needs, malnutrition trends, and sustainable food systems to ensure equitable access to nutritious food in resource-limited regions.
- Health Information Systems: Development and use of digital tools and data infrastructure to monitor health outcomes, track disease spread, and support decision-making.
- Program Evaluation: Techniques for measuring the effectiveness, efficiency, and equity of public health initiatives using standardized assessment models.
- Medical Anthropology: Insights into cultural beliefs, social structures, and traditional practices that influence health behaviors and healthcare access.
- International Communication: Principles of cross-cultural messaging, media engagement, and public awareness campaigns tailored to global audiences.
- Behavioral Sciences: Understanding individual and group decision-making related to health choices, adherence to treatment, and lifestyle changes.
- Maternal and Child Health: Focus on reducing mortality and morbidity among women and children through targeted interventions, prenatal care, and immunization programs.
- Demography and Population Policy: Analysis of population trends, migration, fertility, and aging to inform sustainable health planning and resource allocation.
- Health Care Finance and Economics: Tools for assessing costs, funding mechanisms, and economic impacts of health programs in low-resource environments.
International Public Health Graduate Trends (2010-2024)
International Public Health Career Pathways & Salary Outlook
The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with International Public Health degrees, including Medical and Health Services Managers and Health Education Specialists. 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 630,990 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 Education Specialists 21-1091 | $63,000 | $42,210 - $112,900 | 65,150 | $30.29 |
International Public Health Salary Map by State
Geographic location significantly impacts earning potential for these careers. Average salaries range from $69,030 in Mississippi to $135,835 in District of Columbia—a 97% difference. The highest-paying states include District of Columbia, Maryland, and Georgia. Nationwide, these occupations employ over 630,990 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 International Public Health by Graduate Enrollment
Below are the top 69 institutions offering International Public Health 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 International Public Health is found at University of Wisconsin-Madison (255 graduates), University of California (UCSD), San Diego (140 graduates), Johns Hopkins University (JHU) (135 graduates), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Campus (103 graduates), and University of Southern California (USC) (91 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 1,500 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin-Madison |
Postbac Cert.
Other Award
|
255 | Madison, Wisconsin | Public | wisc.edu |
| University of California (UCSD) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
140 | La Jolla, California | Public | ucsd.edu |
| Johns Hopkins University (JHU) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
135 | Baltimore, Maryland | Private | jhu.edu |
| University of Pittsburgh |
Other Award
|
103 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Public | pitt.edu |
| University of Southern California (USC) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
91 | Los Angeles, California | Private | usc.edu |
| Drexel University |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
65 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Private | drexel.edu |
| Georgetown University (GU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
56 | Washington, District of Columbia | Private | georgetown.edu |
| Northwestern University |
Bachelor's
|
54 | Evanston, Illinois | Private | northwestern.edu |
| Duke University |
Master's
|
49 | Durham, North Carolina | Private | duke.edu |
| University of Washington (UW) |
Master's
Doctorate (Other)
|
42 | Seattle, Washington | Public | washington.edu |
| George Washington University (GW) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
36 | Washington, District of Columbia | Private | gwu.edu |
| University of California (UCSF) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
32 | San Francisco, California | Public | ucsf.edu |
| Cornell University |
Bachelor's
|
28 | Ithaca, New York | Private | cornell.edu |
| Emory University |
Master's
|
22 | Atlanta, Georgia | Private | emory.edu |
| University of Miami (UM) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
21 | Coral Gables, Florida | Private | miami.edu |
| University of California (UCSC) |
Bachelor's
|
20 | Santa Cruz, California | Public | ucsc.edu |
| University of New Haven (UNH) |
Postbac Cert.
|
20 | West Haven, Connecticut | Private | newhaven.edu |
| Denison University (DU) |
Bachelor's
|
18 | Granville, Ohio | Private | denison.edu |
| Mercer University |
Bachelor's
|
16 | Macon, Georgia | Private | mercer.edu |
| Indiana University (IU Indianapolis) |
Master's
Doctorate (Professional)
|
16 | Indianapolis, Indiana | Public | indianapolis.iu.edu |
| DePauw University |
Bachelor's
|
15 | Greencastle, Indiana | Private | depauw.edu |
| Ohio University (OHIO) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Other Award
|
15 | Athens, Ohio | Public | ohio.edu |
| Columbia University in the City of New York |
Post-Master's
|
14 | New York, New York | Private | columbia.edu |
| Arizona State University |
Bachelor's
|
14 | Scottsdale, Arizona | Public | asu.edu |
| Michigan State University (MSU) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
13 | East Lansing, Michigan | Public | msu.edu |
| Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
13 | Rootstown, Ohio | Public | neomed.edu |
| Harvard University |
Master's
|
12 | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Private | harvard.edu |
| University of Massachusetts |
Postbac Cert.
|
12 | Amherst, Massachusetts | Public | umass.edu |
| University of Massachusetts |
Master's
Post-Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
12 | Boston, Massachusetts | Public | umb.edu |
| Union Adventist University |
Bachelor's
|
12 | Lincoln, Nebraska | Private | ucollege.edu |
| Albert Einstein College of Medicine |
Postbac Cert.
|
12 | Bronx, New York | Private | einsteinmed.edu |
| Allegheny College |
Bachelor's
|
11 | Meadville, Pennsylvania | Private | allegheny.edu |
| University of Alaska (UAF) |
Master's
|
10 | Fairbanks, Alaska | Public | uaf.edu |
| University of Utah (U of U) |
Postbac Cert.
|
10 | Salt Lake City, Utah | Public | utah.edu |
| Missouri State University |
Other Award
|
8 | Springfield, Missouri | Public | missouristate.edu |
| University at Albany (UAlbany) |
Post-Master's
|
8 | Albany, New York | Public | albany.edu |
| Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) |
Master's
|
8 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Private | mcw.edu |
| Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences (OSU-CHS) |
Master's
|
7 | Tulsa, Oklahoma | Public | medicine.okstate.edu |
| Loma Linda University (LLU) |
Master's
|
6 | Loma Linda, California | Private | llu.edu |
| Central Michigan University (CMU) |
Postbac Cert.
|
6 | Mount Pleasant, Michigan | Public | cmich.edu |
| Luther College |
Bachelor's
|
5 | Decorah, Iowa | Private | luther.edu |
| CUNY Graduate School and University Center |
Master's
|
5 | New York, New York | Public | gc.cuny.edu |
| University of Kentucky (UK) |
Postbac Cert.
|
4 | Lexington, Kentucky | Public | uky.edu |
| East Tennessee State University (ETSU) |
Postbac Cert.
|
4 | Johnson City, Tennessee | Public | etsu.edu |
| Biola University |
Master's
|
3 | La Mirada, California | Private | biola.edu |
| Indiana Institute of Technology (Indiana Tech) |
Master's
|
3 | Fort Wayne, Indiana | Private | indianatech.edu |
| Hope College |
Bachelor's
|
3 | Holland, Michigan | Private | hope.edu |
| University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy (UHSP) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
|
3 | Saint Louis, Missouri | Private | uhsp.edu |
| North Carolina State University (NC State) |
Postbac Cert.
|
3 | Raleigh, North Carolina | Public | ncsu.edu |
| La Roche University (LRU) |
Other Award
|
3 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Private | laroche.edu |
| Pennsylvania State University |
Postbac Cert.
|
3 | University Park, Pennsylvania | Public | psu.edu |
| Concordia University Texas (CTX) |
Bachelor's
|
3 | Austin, Texas | Private | concordia.edu |
| Trinity University |
Bachelor's
|
3 | San Antonio, Texas | Private | new.trinity.edu |
| San Diego State University (SDSU) |
Master's
|
2 | San Diego, California | Public | sdsu.edu |
| University of Georgia (UGA) |
Postbac Cert.
Other Award
|
2 | Athens, Georgia | Public | uga.edu |
| University of Arizona |
Postbac Cert.
|
1 | Tucson, Arizona | Public | arizona.edu |
| University of California (UCI) |
Doctorate (Research)
|
1 | Irvine, California | Public | uci.edu |
| DePaul University |
Postbac Cert.
|
1 | Chicago, Illinois | Private | depaul.edu |
| Bethel University |
Bachelor's
|
1 | Mishawaka, Indiana | Private | betheluniversity.edu |
| University of Maryland (UMB) |
Postbac Cert.
|
1 | Baltimore, Maryland | Public | umaryland.edu |
| New York University (NYU) |
Bachelor's
|
1 | New York, New York | Private | nyu.edu |
| Binghamton University |
Bachelor's
|
1 | Vestal, New York | Public | binghamton.edu |
| University at Buffalo (UB) |
Master's
|
1 | Buffalo, New York | Public | buffalo.edu |
| National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM) |
Master's
|
1 | Portland, Oregon | Private | nunm.edu |
| University of South Carolina (USC) |
Postbac Cert.
|
1 | Columbia, South Carolina | Public | sc.edu |
| Texas Tech University (TTU) |
Postbac Cert.
|
1 | Lubbock, Texas | Public | ttu.edu |
| George Mason University |
Master's
|
1 | Fairfax, Virginia | Public | www2.gmu.edu |
| University of Lynchburg |
Post-Master's
|
1 | Lynchburg, Virginia | Private | lynchburg.edu |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) |
Other Award
|
1 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Public | uwm.edu |
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to the most common questions about International Public Health programs
How much can I earn with a International Public Health degree?
Salaries for International Public Health graduates vary by role and location. Medical and Health Services Managers earn a median of $117,960 annually, while Health Education Specialists earn around $63,000. Geographic location significantly impacts earnings—professionals in District of Columbia average $135,835 compared to $69,030 in Mississippi. Approximately 630,990 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 International Public Health programs?
Currently 69 accredited institutions offer International Public Health degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include University of Wisconsin-Madison (255 graduates), University of California (UCSD), San Diego (140 graduates), and Johns Hopkins University (JHU) (135 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 International Public Health growing or declining?
Graduate numbers have increased over the past decade, rising from 385 in 2010 to a peak of 1,540 in 2020, before declining slightly to 1,500 in 2023-24. This represents a 290% 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 International Public Health degree?
This degree prepares you for roles such as Medical and Health Services Managers, Health Education Specialists, . Related occupations employ approximately 630,990 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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