Best Online Bachelor’s in Public Health Degree Programs for Students

Best Online Bachelor’s in Public Health Degree Programs for Students

Find top-ranked online bachelor’s in public health degree programs for students wanting to earn positions as health education specialists, emergency response planners, public health advocates, infectious disease specialists, and disaster preparedness coordinators.

Top 10 Online Public Health Bachelor's Degrees

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Key Takeaways

  • When managing public health crises, the public will always rely on effective and trained officials to implement the best possible strategies for promoting health.
  • Earning an online bachelor’s in public health will prepare students to advocate for communities by gaining the necessary soft skills and knowledge.
  • The pandemic put the spotlight on public health professionals as front liners in navigating and mitigating the spread of the virus.

Featured Programs

What An Online Bachelor’s in Public Health Degree is All About

When the world faced a health crisis, political and community leaders around the world turned to the public health department for possible recommendations. When the infection and death rates started to pile up, public health officials stepped in, together with epidemiologists, infectious disease experts, and virologists.

A career in public health has many potential pathways, ranging from epidemiologists to educators, and can include medical and health professionals, health program coordinators, public policymakers, and many more. The online bachelor’s program in public health is foundational to prepare students who are qualified to work in the field.

Online Bachelor’s in Public Health Courses

Principles of Epidemiology: Epidemiology is the science behind studying diseases. In this introductory course in public health, you will receive lectures and training in common tools used in the industry, along with the different methods for managing public health incidents and concerns.

Ethical and Legal Considerations in Public Health: This course examines the role of public health policy in ethical decision-making. Real-world samples and case studies are explored to show how much impact a policy can make on various types of communities.

Statistics for Public Health Professionals: Public health professionals should be adept at analyzing and visualizing data. In this course, you are taught about statistical best practices to apply in public health responses and leadership. Students gain data-driven decision-making and research skills, both crucial skills a public health professional should have.

Health Promotion and Education, and Health Communications: This course focuses on preparing students for health education careers, as well as teaching the public about a healthy way of life. Students will also learn the best ways to communicate with vulnerable populations.

Social and Behavioral Health: This course examines different contributions of behavioral and social sciences to community health behaviors. Students will strongly focus on policy decisions and the contributing factors to the health landscape, including principles of class, culture, race, and gender.

Online Public Health Graduate’s Careers

Biostatisticians: These professionals create studies that assess major factors like drug effectiveness, as well as the causes of particular diseases. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said mathematicians and statisticians have a median salary of more than $96,000, although this will vary for biostatisticians who work for the pharmaceutical industry, public health groups, or hospitals.

Computer and Information Systems Manager: For students who have the talent and passion for computer information systems, they can turn this into a lucrative career and become computer and information systems managers that make over six figures each year. In the public health field, these professionals manage crucial information and documents while ensuring the information remains available for stakeholders like doctors, patients, and research teams.

Emergency Management Directors: These public health degree graduates are those that handle disaster responses at the state or local level. Some emergency management directors even work for larger hospital systems and research facilities.

Medical and Health Services Managers: These important managers create, oversee, and implement policies for healthcare centers, hospitals, and research facilities. Medical and health services management jobs are said to grow up to 28% over the next decade, which quadruples the average growth rate for all other occupations during this period.

Health and Safety Engineers: These engineers are responsible for designing and maintaining systems that help protect and maintain the safety and health of their clients.

What to Expect in Online Bachelor’s in Public Health Programs

The undergraduate online programs acquaint students with topics such as environmental health sciences, epidemiology, social and behavioral sciences, federal, state, and local health policy, and biostatistics.

Students benefit from field placements or internships and earn real-world experience working in a public health agency or department under the reign of a working professional in the field.

Frequently Asked Questions About Public Health Degrees

Earning a bachelor’s degree in public health opens the door for leadership roles in the health profession. A public health career focuses on areas like policy, health promotion, infectious diseases, and access to healthcare.

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This 120-credit degree typically requires a minimum of four years for completion.

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Most programs prepare students to sit for the national certification exam to become a certified health education specialist (CHES). Though classes vary depending on individual programs, example courses include Introduction to Epidemiology, Healthcare in the U.S., Public Health Nutrition, and Field Work in Public Health.

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After program completion, graduates can earn positions as health education specialists, emergency response planners, public health advocates, infectious disease specialists, and disaster preparedness coordinators.

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Learn more about how to major in medicine.

Best Online Bachelor's in Public Health

Online Bachelor’s in Public Health: Choosing our Top Picks

The list features the best online bachelor’s programs in public health. This directory expands a school’s program course, program accreditation, length, admission requirements, and estimated cost.

While the ranking focuses on first-time students, the list is also applicable for a variety of student groups like transfer students. Most programs are accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health.

For those looking for financial aid options, make sure you submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) documents to check whether you are qualified for grants and loans.

Like most students, the scholarships each institution offer play a huge role in the final decision when choosing the best school for them. While there are so many scholarships offered in most schools, students should also check that the online bachelor in public health program of their choice has a state reciprocity agreement with their home state.

Health Education Specialists Salaries by Percentile in the U.S.

The following graph depicts the average salaries of Health Education Specialists for each percentile in the U.S.

Source: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

SVG Attribution: Wikipedia

Total Employed: 55830
10%
15%
50%
15%
10%
bell-curve
37020467706060078220102480
10th Percentile25th Percentile75th Percentile90th Percentile

Best Online Bachelor’s in Public Health Degree Programs

  1. #1

    University of Cincinnati

    Cincinnati , OH
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $12K

    Acceptance

    85%

    Graduation

    73%

    Student body

    34K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1225/26

    Online Degrees

    BS in Public Health
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  2. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $8K

    Acceptance

    99%

    Graduation

    45%

    Student body

    3K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1145/21

    Online Degrees

    BS in Public Health Education
    • Required Credits: 124
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BAS in Public Health Education
    • Required Credits: 124
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  3. Tuition + fees

    $37K

    Acceptance

    64%

    Graduation

    57%

    Student body

    11K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1055/21

    Online Degrees

    BS in Public Health
    • Required Credits: 48
    • Completion time: 4-5 years
    • Format: Online
  4. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $9K

    Acceptance

    96%

    Graduation

    52%

    Student body

    13K

    Online Degrees

    BS in Public Health

    Concentrations

    • Allied Health
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion time: 2-4 years
    • Format: Online
  5. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $11K

    Acceptance

    96%

    Graduation

    49%

    Student body

    19K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1065/21

    Online Degrees

    BS in Public Health
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  6. #12

    Andrews University

    Berrien Springs , MI
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $32K

    Acceptance

    82%

    Graduation

    72%

    Student body

    3K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1205/24

    Online Degrees

    BS in Public Health
    • Required Credits: 124
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  7. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $8K

    Acceptance

    83%

    Graduation

    54%

    Student body

    18K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1120/23

    Online Degrees

    BA in Public Health
    • Required Credits: None Reported
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  8. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $35K

    Acceptance

    89%

    Graduation

    54%

    Student body

    1K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1037/20

    Online Degrees

    BA in Public Health

    Concentrations

    • Human Biology
    • Social Inequality
    • Social Change and Social Institutions
    • Required Credits: None Reported
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BS in Public Health

    Concentrations

    • Quantitative Chemistry
    • Human Biology
    • Social Change and Social Institutions
    • Required Credits: None Reported
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  9. #15

    Excelsior University

    Albany , NY

    Student body

    5K

    Online Degrees

    BS in Health Sciences

    Concentrations

    • Public Health
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion time: 4-5 years
    • Format: Online
  10. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $12K

    Acceptance

    78%

    Graduation

    59%

    Student body

    25K

    Online Degrees

    BS in Health Sciences

    Concentrations

    • Public Health
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  11. Tuition + fees

    $11K

    Acceptance

    84%

    Graduation

    30%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1025/19

    Online Degrees

    BS in Public Health
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion time: 4 years
    • Format: Online
  12. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $10K

    Acceptance

    98%

    Graduation

    54%

    Student body

    18K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1095/20

    Online Degrees

    BS in Public Health Studies: Aging
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion time: 4 years
    • Format: Online
    BA in Public Health Studies: Aging
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion time: 4 years
    • Format: Online
    BS in Public Health Studies: Community Health Promotion
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion time: 4 years
    • Format: Online
    BA in Public Health Studies: Community Health Promotion
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion time: 4 years
    • Format: Online
  13. #21

    University of the Sciences

    Philadelphia , PA

    Tuition + fees

    $28K

    Acceptance

    61%

    Graduation

    77%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1215/25

    Online Degrees

    BS in Public Health
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  14. Tuition + fees

    $35K

    Acceptance

    97%

    Graduation

    59%

    Student body

    2K

    Online Degrees

    BA in Professional Psychology

    Concentrations

    • Criminal Justice
    • Organizational Psychology
    • Public Health
    • Required Credits: None Reported
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BA in Professional Psychology; Public Health

    Concentrations

    • Principles of Epidemiology
    • Health Policy and Management
    • Global Public Health
    • Public Health of Mental Illness
    • Social and Behavioral Public Health
    • Social Determinants of Health and Well-being
    • Public Health Research Methods
    • Program Planning and Evaluation
    • Required Credits: None Reported
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  15. Tuition + fees

    $6K

    Acceptance

    53%

    Graduation

    52%

    Student body

    11K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1145/24

    Online Degrees

    BS in Health Sciences

    Concentrations

    • Public Health
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  16. #25

    Goodwin University

    East Hartford , CT

    Tuition + fees

    $21K

    Graduation

    38%

    Student body

    2K

    Online Degrees

    BS in Public Health
    • Required Credits: 121
    • Completion time: 4 years
    • Format: Online
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Online Public Health Programs Looking for You

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Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require a time of adjustment. Although you’ll typically learn the same material and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, going online will require greater independence and responsibility than going in person. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, for harnessing the online educational technology that you’ll need to use, and for completing the course requirements, such as listening to lectures, learning lessons, reading texts, and handing in assignments. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take the initiative in building relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

No. The only part of online education that’s easier than campus-based education is ease of access: all you need is a computer and an internet connection for online education. But even this seeming advantage of online education can be misleading: what’s easier, studying online with your computer and internet connection from your home where you need to cook, clean, pay rent, and maintain a job? Or studying on campus in a dorm where all your living needs are handled by the school, and college staff are there to help you every step of the way?

If you take the commute to campus out of the equation, campus-based education is easier. All the support structures available on campus for students, especially with real people to help you in person, are not there online. The demands on you as an online student will largely be the same as for your campus-based counterpart, but without the same helps.

In general, your online courses will present the same material and test you in the same way as traditional in-person courses. In many cases, you’ll even have the same instructors as your on-campus counterparts. In fact, if you are adjusting to the experience of independent learning with remote educational technology for the first time, online college may be considerably more challenging than campus-based college. For a few insights on how to manage this new online experience, check out our 10 Tips for Adjusting to School Online.

Accreditation is especially important when it comes to online college. This is because the online education landscape is a mix of highly-reputable non-profit institutions on the one end and less-than-reputable for-profit institutions on the other end. Accreditation gives you the power to identify the more reputable actors in online education. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency indicating that a college or university is meeting standards of quality and credibility. School-wide accreditation falls into two major categories: regional and national accreditation. Regional accreditors generally hold jurisdiction only over schools in the states comprising their region, whereas national accreditors hold jurisdiction over schools in all states. Regional accreditation is widely regarded as a more rigorous standard of quality and credibility than national accreditation.

Attending a college or university that is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. For students seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that they opt for regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation ensures eligibility for federal loans and grants, ensures your college credits can be transferred between schools, and ensures that your degree credits can be accepted if you wish to earn an advanced degree. For more on this important topic, check out our What is Accreditation and Why Does It Matter? College & University Accreditation Guide.

As long as your online college degree is regionally accredited (see the previous point), you should have little difficulty transferring most of your credits or credentials to another regionally accredited undergraduate school. Every school carries its own standards and procedures for granting a transfer of credits. In many cases, you will encounter some bureaucratic haggling in which some of your credits will be transferred and others may be refused. However, provided that you have attended an online school with recognized regional accreditation, you should be in good shape in transferring your credits earned online.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript, or resumé differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

Some employers may express the concern that because you did your degree online, you may need to transition from an online education experience to in-person workplace experience. But in an age of Covid, that concern seems much diminished. The fact is that much employment these days is remote. And collaboration increasingly happens online over Zoom. Many employers will therefore view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will be less than ideal for you (though depending on your circumstances, it may also be the only viable option).

While there is much in traditional campus-based education that can be substituted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing that can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual in-person classroom setting. As you transition to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face in getting the most out of your online classes is overcoming this difference between “real reality” and “virtual reality.” Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

The advantages of online classes are many. Above all, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete at your own pace and on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

Resources for Online College-Bound Students

Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.