MPH Programs in Alabama

What an MPH Costs in Alabama

4 Alabama MPH programs publish both a per-credit rate and the credits you need, so you can estimate tuition before fees. Estimates run from $12,924 to $42,210. The median published rate in Alabama is $526 per credit, against $842 for the 213 MPH programs nationwide that publish one.

Program	Per credit	Credits	Estimated tuition
Columbia Southern University: Master of Public Health/Community Health EducationMaster of Public Health/Community Health Education	$359	36	$12,924
The University of Alabama: Master of Public Health in Health Education and PromotionMaster of Public Health in Health Education and Promotion	$480	42	$20,160
University of Alabama at Birmingham: Master of Public HealthMaster of Public Health	$526	42	$22,092
Samford University: Online Master of Public HealthOnline Master of Public Health	$1,005	42	$42,210

Estimated tuition is the published per-credit rate times the published credits, before fees. Public schools usually charge non-residents more. Turn any program into a full cost and loan estimate with the MPH cost and loan calculator.

Largest Public Health Programs in Alabama

By public health master's degrees awarded in 2022-23 (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS), University of Alabama at Birmingham has Alabama's largest program, followed by The University of Alabama and Columbia Southern University. Size tells you how many classmates, electives and alumni to expect, not how good a program is.

School	Public health master's awarded, 2022-23
University of Alabama at Birmingham	554
The University of Alabama	146
Columbia Southern University	128
Samford University	60
Tuskegee University	6
Oakwood University	2

Public Health Pay in Alabama

Among the public health jobs an MPH leads to, medical and health services managers earn the highest median pay in Alabama, $97,790. Epidemiologists earn a median $74,740 (14% below u.s.), 32nd of 43 states with a published figure, across 70 jobs.

Job	Median	vs U.S. median	State rank	Jobs
Epidemiologists	$74,740	14% below U.S.	32nd of 43	70
Statisticians (including biostatisticians)	$76,400	28% below U.S.	40th of 46	200
Health education specialists	$65,210	2% above U.S.	19th of 53	540
Community health workers	$43,340	16% below U.S.	48th of 52	270
Occupational health and safety specialists	$82,260	9% below U.S.	45th of 53	2,510
Medical and health services managers	$97,790	21% below U.S.	51st of 54	10,360

Annual wages in Alabama, BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. A high median on few jobs describes a small market, so read pay beside the job count.

Online MPH Options for Alabama Residents

You aren't limited to schools in Alabama: 253 online MPH programs at schools in other states accept students nationwide. Before you apply, confirm on the school's site that it can enroll Alabama residents online. These CEPH-accredited online programs have the lowest estimated tuition of any online MPH that publishes a per-credit rate and its credits:

Program	Per credit	Estimated tuition
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston: Master of Public HealthTexas	$287	$12,915
University of West Florida: Master of Public Health (online)Florida	$386	$16,206
University of Nevada-Las Vegas: Master of Public HealthNevada	$383	$18,013
Georgia State University: Master of Public HealthGeorgia	$464	$19,488
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University: Master of Public HealthNew York	$471	$19,782

Compare every option on the online MPH programs page, or let the program matcher rank them for you.

UAB, Alabama or Tuskegee: Which CEPH Program Fits You

Three Alabama schools hold CEPH accreditation, and they suit very different students.

UAB School of Public Health, Birmingham

UAB is the only accredited school of public health in the state and the biggest producer by far, with 554 public health master’s degrees in 2022-23. Its MPH runs one track per concentration (Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Health Behavior, Health Policy and Organization, Maternal and Child Health Policy and Leadership, and Population Health), each offered in class and online, at 42 to 44 credits. You apply through SOPHAS. UAB also runs 13 dual degrees and an MSPH with Industrial Hygiene and Environmental Health Sciences tracks, which suits you if you want a technical, lab or safety career. Pick UAB if you want the widest choice of concentrations and the largest alumni network in Alabama.

The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

The University of Alabama offers one MPH, in Health Education and Promotion: 42 credit hours, 36 required and 6 elective, on campus or online. It earned CEPH accreditation on July 1, 2023, with reaccreditation due July 1, 2028. You apply directly through the UA Graduate School, not SOPHAS. It suits you if you want health promotion work and a single focused curriculum, and it pairs well with the CHES certification.

Tuskegee University

Tuskegee runs its CEPH-accredited MPH from the Department of Graduate Public Health inside the College of Veterinary Medicine, and it took its first cohort in August 2011. Every student does research, thesis preparation and applied practice experiences. Faculty lead community projects such as a cervical cancer awareness program in Alabama’s Black Belt counties. It is small, with 6 public health master’s degrees awarded in 2022-23, so you get close faculty contact and a research-heavy path toward a doctorate or professional school.

What Residency Is Worth at UAB

Residency changes the price of an in-person UAB degree more than any other choice you make. For 2026-27, UAB charges $526 per semester hour for School of Public Health courses if you are an Alabama resident and $1,284 if you are not. That gap applies to blended and in-person courses.

Fully online courses work differently. UAB lists one online School of Public Health rate, $624 per semester hour, for both in-state and out-of-state students. So if you live in Alabama and can come to Birmingham, the campus rate is the lower one. If you live out of state, taking the online version of your concentration costs far less than the campus rate.

UAB also funds scholarships through its BSMART system. Domestic students with a GPA above 3.0 are eligible from their first fall semester, and the deadline for full consideration is February 1. You don’t need a letter of recommendation if you apply before you enroll. For more ways to pay, read the MPH scholarships guide.

The Private and Online-Only Options

Three private schools round out Alabama’s list, and none of them is on the CEPH accredited list. That matters if you want federal, military or some state public health jobs, which can require a degree from a CEPH-accredited school or program. The CEPH accreditation guide explains why.

• Columbia Southern University in Orange Beach is the low-cost, flexible pick: a fully online 36-credit MPH in Community Health Education at $359 per credit hour, with 11 start dates a year and up to 24 transfer credits. Active-duty service members using tuition assistance pay $250 per credit hour. It awarded 128 public health master’s degrees in 2022-23, the third most in the state.
• Samford University in Birmingham offers an online MPH with Nutrition and Public Health Management concentrations at $1,005 per credit, a two-year full-time plan over 42 credits.
• Oakwood University in Huntsville offers an online MPH in Nutrition and Wellness at $570 per credit hour, built around biology and nutrition prerequisites.

If none of these fit, compare the accredited online MPH programs open to Alabama residents nationwide.