Best Public Health Colleges and Universities in the World
About Public Health
Public health is an art and science concerned with protecting and promoting the health of people and communities at large. While a physician treats sick patients, a public health official encourages healthy habits and lifestyles to keep people from becoming ill. It is a challenging field that necessitates the coordination of many different organizations. On the one hand, it entails medical care and public awareness campaigns, while on the other, it has global health implications and necessitates measures to prevent epidemics/pandemics and enhance the health of entire nations.
The COVID-19 pandemic has very well highlighted the critical importance of a competent public health system for managing, preventing, and promoting public health, as well as responding to emergency situations.
The vision of Public Health Services
The ultimate goal of public health services is to improve long-term health and well-being in a sustainable way while enhancing integrated public health services and eliminating inequities. They do so by implementing policies, educational programs, conducting research, collaborating with other health sectors to address and remove structural barriers to health. These barriers include race, gender inequality, intersectionality, and other types of injustice. In a nutshell, public health services ensure that everyone has an equal and fair chance at keeping good health and well-being.
10 Essential Public Health Services/Duties of Public Health Services
The overall responsibility of the public health system is to ensure the effective delivery of the ten services listed below:
- Monitor and assess public health
- Investigate and address the root causes of public health hazards
- Effectively communicate with the public to educate and create awareness about health and diseases
- Strengthen, support, and mobilize communities and partnerships to enhance health
- Create, promote, and put policies, strategies, and legislation in place
- Make use of legislative and regulatory initiatives aimed at improving and protecting public health
- Develop and support a trained and diversified public health staff
- Create and maintain a solid public health organizational infrastructure
- Enhance and innovate public health functions through continuous review, research, and quality improvement
- Assist in the development of a system that allows for fair access to the individual services and care that people require in order to stay healthy
They also undertake public health surveillance, which is the continuous gathering, analysis, and interpretation of health-related data that is necessary for public health planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Perks of Public Health jobs
Public health is a diverse area that offers a plethora of benefits to job seekers. Let’s take a look at a few of these advantages.
Job security: Because of the increased need for public health services due to the rising number of chronic diseases and infectious disease outbreaks, the employment rate for the public health sector stays high when compared to other sectors.
Job opportunities: Because public health is an interdisciplinary field, graduates from a variety of medical and lifestyle fields can occupy the same job.
Professional variety: The range of professions available in public health occupations is a desirable aspect. Additionally, employees have the option of working for the government, the business sector, academia, or a non-profit organization.
Global impact: Public health professionals can apply for jobs in other countries, where they will have the opportunity to interact with individuals from different cultures and broaden their knowledge and relationships.
Popular degrees for pursuing a career in Public Health
Bachelor’s Programs
- Bachelor’s in Public Health (BPH)
- Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BS)
- Bachelor of Arts in Public Health (BA)
- Bachelor of Health Science (BHS)
- Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health (BSEH)
- Bachelor of Science in Social Work (BSSW)
- Bachelor’s to Master’s Dual Degree
Master’s Programs
- Masters in Public Health (MPH)
- Master of Public Health/Registered Dietitian (MPH/RD)
- Masters in Health Administration (MHA)
- Masters in Health Informatics (MHI)
- Masters in Social Work (MSW)
- Masters in Communication Disorders (MCD)
- Health Information Management (MHIHIM)
- Masters in Public Policy (MPP)
- Masters in Health Science (MHS)
- Masters in Occupational Health (MOH)
- Masters in Health Services Administration (MHSA)
- Master of Science in Environmental Health (MSEH)
- Public Health & Tropical Medicine (MPH&TM)
- Dual Masters Degrees in Public Health
- Research-Focused Masters Degree Programs in Public Health
Associate Degrees
It is a two-year degree program that teaches the fundamentals of public health. Candidates with an associate’s degree in public health may be eligible for entry-level or administrative positions. If a student wants to pursue a bachelor’s degree, they can transfer their associate degree credits.
Doctoral Degrees (Ph.D.)
This is the highest level of public health education, and it is usually required to work as a researcher or a university professor. Candidates with a terminal degree are preferred for higher management or administrative positions.
Duration of Public Health Service Degrees
| Country | Bachelor’s in Public Health | Master’s in Public Health | Ph.D. in Public Health |
| USA and Canada | 4 years | 1-2 years | 3-6 years |
| UK and Australia | 4 years | 1-2 years | 3-6 years |
| Others | 4 years | 1-2 years | 3-6 years |
Career opportunities for Public Health Servants
It is good to know that there is no shortage of demand for well-trained public health experts now that we have had a direct experience with a public health disaster like COVID19. The public health service field is a broad field that offers a number of career opportunities as
- First responders
- Health educators
- Scientists and researchers
- Epidemiologists
- Public health physicians
- Public health nurses
- Occupational health and safety professionals
- Public policymakers
- Nutritionists
- Biostatisticians
- Community planners
- Social workers
- Sanitarians
- Restaurant inspectors
- Public health analyst
The public health graduates get the opportunity to work in a number of settings such as
- Public: Government jobs in disaster management units, public nursing, public health physicians, health department administrators, etc.
- Private: Public health jobs such as in insurance companies, health care facilities, pharmaceutical settings, etc., fall under the private category.
- Academic: These include research-based or teaching jobs such as for students enrolled in public health service programs.
- Non-profit: These organizations are involved in generating revenues from donations, grants, and memberships for the purpose of serving public health.
Average salaries of Public Health Servants
Public health sector is booming worldwide, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic Therefore public health workers are in high demand. But before you plan on making a career in this field, take a look at the average salaries of a public health worker.
| Type of job | Annual salary in USD (Source: US Bureau of labor statistics) |
| Medical scientist/researcher | 91,510 |
| Epidemiologists | 74,560 |
| Nutritionists and Dieticians | 63,090 |
| Social workers | 51,760 |
The annual average salary for public healthcare workers in Canada is 62,075 USD/year and ranges from 48,037- 73,706 USD/year. (Source: Talent, Canada)
The average salary for a public healthcare worker in the UK is 25,577 USD/year, for entry-level jobs the salary starts at 22,758 USD/year whereas experienced workers get paid up to 32,480 USD/year. (Source: Talent, UK)
The average salary for a public healthcare worker in Australia is 83,900 USD/year. For entry-level jobs, the salary starts at 67,926 USD/year and for experienced workers at 140,752 USD/year. (Source: Talent, Australia)
Top 50 Universities in the world for Public Health Services based on ranking (US World News/Shanghai/QS)
| US World News Ranking | Shanghai Ranking | QS Ranking | University | Country | BachelorsPrograms | Masters Programs |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | Harvard University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 2 | 30 | 3 | Stanford University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 3 | 10 | 2 | University of Oxford | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 4 | 2 | 5 | Johns Hopkins University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 5 | 5 | NA | University College London | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 6 | 17 | 26 | University of Michigan–Ann Arbor | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 7 | 4 | 15 | University of Washington | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 8 | 12 | 16 | Columbia University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 9 | 8 | 32 | University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 10 | 11 | 13 | University of Toronto | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
| 11 | 20 | 4 | University of Cambridge | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 12 | 17 | 40 | Utrecht University | Netherlands | Click Here | Click Here |
| 13 | 25 | 11 | Yale University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 14 | 3 | 44 | London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 15 | 36 | 29 | University of British Columbia | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
| 16 | 27 | 8 | University of California–Los Angeles | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 17 | 26 | 20 | University of California–Berkeley | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 18 | 39 | 16 | Duke University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 19 | 16 | 25 | University of Melbourne | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
| 20 | 47 | 14 | University of Pennsylvania | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 21 | 201-300 | 6 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 22 | 34 | 22 | University of Sydney | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
| 23 | 14 | 7 | University of California–San Francisco | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 24 | 24 | 38 | University of Queensland Australia | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
| 25 | 76-100 | 36 | University of Amsterdam | Netherlands | Click Here | Click Here |
| 26 | 6 | 12 | Imperial College London | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 27 | 19 | 49 | Erasmus University Rotterdam | Netherlands | Click Here | Click Here |
| 28 | 51-75 | 36 | New York University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 29 | 201-300 | NA | London School of Economics and Political Science | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 30 | 301-400 | 286 | Arizona State University–Tempe | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 31 | 51-75 | 16 | University of California–San Diego | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 32 | 28 | 23 | King’s College London | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 33 | 301-400 | 374 | Hong Kong Polytechnic University | Hong Kong | Click Here | Click Here |
| 34 | 13 | 19 | University of Copenhagen | Denmark | Click Here | Click Here |
| 35 | 51-75 | 87 | University of Minnesota–Twin Cities | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 36 | 101-150 | 152 | Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam | Netherlands | Click Here | Click Here |
| 37 | 301-400 | 157 | Pennsylvania State University–University Park | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 38 | 51-75 | 55 | University of Hong Kong | Hong Kong | Click Here | Click Here |
| 39 | 37 | 35 | Monash University | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
| 40 | 101-150 | 59 | Wageningen University and Research Center | Netherlands | Click Here | Click Here |
| 41 | 151-200 | 62 | Peking University | China | Click Here | Click Here |
| 42 | 50 | 110 | University of Southern California | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 43 | 151-200 | 20 | Cornell University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 44 | 21 | 31 | McGill University | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
| 45 | 151-200 | 71 | University of Wisconsin–Madison | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 46 | 401-500 | 149 | University of Texas–Austin | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 47 | 23 | 45 | Boston University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 48 | 151-200 | 42 | University of Manchester | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 49 | 201-300 | 133 | Michigan State University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 50 | 51-75 | 27 | National University of Singapore | Singapore | Click Here | Click Here |
Top Universities in USA for Public Health Services
| University | US World News Ranking | Shanghai Ranking | Bachelors programs | Masters Programs |
| Harvard University | 1 | 1 | Click Here | Click Here |
| Stanford University | 2 | 30 | Click Here | Click Here |
| Johns Hopkins University | 4 | 2 | Click Here | Click Here |
| University of Michigan–Ann Arbor | 6 | 17 | Click Here | Click Here |
| University of Washington | 7 | 4 | Click Here | Click Here |
Top Universities in UK or Public Health Services
| University | US World News Ranking | Shanghai Ranking | Bachelors programs | Masters Programs |
| University of Oxford | 3 | 10 | Click Here | Click Here |
| University College London | 5 | 5 | Click Here | Click Here |
| University of Cambridge | 11 | 20 | Click Here | Click Here |
| London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine | 14 | 3 | Click Here | Click Here |
| Imperial College London | 26 | 6 | Click Here | Click Here |
Top Universities in Canada for Public Health Services
| University | US World News Ranking | Shanghai Ranking | Bachelors programs | Masters Programs |
| University of Toronto | 10 | 11 | Click Here | Click Here |
| University of British Columbia | 15 | 36 | Click Here | Click Here |
| McGill University | 44 | 21 | Click Here | Click Here |
Top Universities in Australia for Public Health Services
| University | US World News Ranking | Shanghai Ranking | Bachelors programs | Masters Programs |
| University of Melbourne | 19 | 16 | Click Here | Click Here |
| University of Sydney | 22 | 34 | Click Here | Click Here |
| University of Queensland Australia | 24 | 24 | Click Here | Click Here |
| Monash University | 39 | 37 | Click Here | Click Here |
Academic Requirements for studying Public Health Services in top-ranked universitites
Bachelor’s level
Bachelor’s degree requirements in public health may differ from country to country and university to university. The following are the minimum criteria for studying bachelor’s degrees at all top-ranked universities:
- A high school transcript with a GPA of 3.0
- Letter of recommendation
- Proof of English proficiency through recognized tests such as TOEFL or IELTS
- An SAT or ACT score
- A personal statement of purpose
Master’s level
The requirements for a Master’s degree vary depending on the eligibility criteria established by universities. However, the following are the minimum criteria for obtaining a master’s degree in public health at top universities:
- A graduate degree in health sciences and life sciences fields such as MBBS, Nursing, BPT, BDS, etc., from an accredited college or university.
- A minimum cumulative college GPA of 3.0
- Two letters of recommendation
- A resume
- Proof of English proficiency through recognized tests such as TOEFL or IELTS
