California · Verified September 2026

MPH Programs in California

Where Can You Earn an MPH in California?

33 schools in California offer 50 MPH programs we verified, including Azusa Pacific University, Azusa Pacific University Global and California Baptist University. 21 can be taken online. Published tuition runs from $525 to $2,539 per credit.

Researched and edited by Taylor Rupe · Updated September 28, 2026

Bixby Creek Bridge arching over a rocky canyon on the Big Sur coast of California, with green hills and blue Pacific surf — Photo: José Oliveira / Pexels

Who Hires Public Health Graduates in California

California’s public health work is split between the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and 61 local health jurisdictions. Each of the 58 counties runs one, and three cities (Berkeley, Long Beach and Pasadena) run their own health departments separately from their counties. So if you want local public health work, you apply to each county or city department, not to one state system.

The job counts are large. California has 75,090 health services manager jobs, 16,230 environmental and occupational health specialists, 12,520 health education specialists and 9,500 community health workers. Pay is high too: epidemiologists earn a median $110,760 across 1,480 jobs and biostatisticians $135,960, both well above the U.S. median. Read the epidemiologist and biostatistician career guides for what those jobs involve.

California MPH Schools Compared

33 schools in California offer an MPH or a related public health master's degree. 27 are on the CEPH accredited list.

School	MPH programs	Formats	CEPH	Lowest per credit	Credits
University of California-Los AngelesLos Angeles · Public	8 + 6	Campus	Accredited
Loma Linda UniversityLoma Linda · Private nonprofit	7	Campus, Online	Accredited		52–57
California Baptist UniversityRiverside · Private nonprofit	2	Campus, Online	Accredited	$773	44–48
California State University-NorthridgeNorthridge · Public	2	Campus, Online	Accredited	$857	42
Claremont Graduate UniversityClaremont · Private nonprofit	2 + 1	Online	Accredited	$2,070	44
San Diego State UniversitySan Diego · Public	2 + 1	Campus, Online	Accredited	$629	51
San Jose State UniversitySan Jose · Public	2	Campus, Online, Hybrid	Accredited	$868	42
University of California-BerkeleyBerkeley · Public	2 + 4	Campus, Online	Accredited	$1,629	42
University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles · Private nonprofit	2 + 4	Campus, Online	Accredited	$2,539	42
Azusa Pacific UniversityAzusa · Private nonprofit	1	Online, Campus	Accredited	$695	43
Azusa Pacific University GlobalSan Dimas · Private nonprofit	1	Online		$680	42
California State University-FresnoFresno · Public	1	Online	Accredited
California State University-FullertonFullerton · Public	1	Campus	Accredited
California State University-Long BeachLong Beach · Public	1		Accredited		42
California State University-Los AngelesLos Angeles · Public	1		Accredited	$525
California State University-SacramentoSacramento · Public	1	Hybrid	Accredited	$730	42
California State University-San BernardinoSan Bernardino · Public	1		Probation		42
California State University-San MarcosSan Marcos · Public	1	Hybrid, Online	Accredited	$650	42
Charles R Drew University of Medicine and ScienceLos Angeles · Private nonprofit	1	Hybrid	Accredited		45
Concordia University-IrvineIrvine · Private nonprofit	1	Online	Accredited	$665	42
National UniversitySan Diego · Private nonprofit	1	Online, Campus, Hybrid	Accredited	$644	48
San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco · Public	1	Hybrid	Accredited		43
The Chicago School at Los AngelesLos Angeles · Private nonprofit	1	Online	Accredited	$975	42
Touro University CaliforniaVallejo · Private nonprofit	1	Online	Accredited	$1,070	42
University of Arizona Global CampusSan Diego · Private for-profit	1	Online		$600	42
University of California-DavisDavis · Public	1 + 2	Campus	Accredited		56
University of California-IrvineIrvine · Public	1 + 2		Accredited
University of California-San DiegoLa Jolla · Public	1 + 2			$1,149	64
University of San FranciscoSan Francisco · Private nonprofit	1	Hybrid	Accredited	$1,555	42
West Coast University-Orange CountyAnaheim · Private for-profit	1	Online	Accredited	$608	42
Keck Graduate InstituteClaremont · Private nonprofit	0 + 1
Stanford UniversityStanford · Private nonprofit	0 + 3
University of California-San FranciscoSan Francisco · Public	0 + 3

"+" counts related public health master's degrees (MS, MSPH, MHS). Per-credit rates as each school publishes them, reviewed September 2026.

What an MPH Costs in California

21 California MPH programs publish both a per-credit rate and the credits you need, so you can estimate tuition before fees. Estimates run from $25,200 to $106,638. The median published rate in California is $773 per credit, against $842 for the 213 MPH programs nationwide that publish one.

Program	Per credit	Credits	Estimated tuition
University of Arizona Global Campus: Master of Public HealthMaster of Public Health	$600	42	$25,200
West Coast University-Orange County: Master of Public HealthMaster of Public Health	$608	42	$25,536
California State University-San Marcos: Master of Public HealthMaster of Public Health	$650	42	$27,300
Concordia University-Irvine: Master of Public HealthMaster of Public Health	$665	42	$27,930
Azusa Pacific University Global: Master of Public Health (MPH)Master of Public Health (MPH)	$680	42	$28,560
Azusa Pacific University: Master of Public Health (MPH)Master of Public Health (MPH)	$695	43	$29,885
California State University-Sacramento: Master of Public HealthMaster of Public Health	$730	42	$30,660
National University: Master of Public HealthMaster of Public Health	$644	48	$30,912
San Diego State University: Online Master of Public Health (SDSU Global Campus)Online Master of Public Health (SDSU Global Campus)	$629	51	$32,079
California Baptist University: Master of Public Health (Online)Master of Public Health (Online)	$773	44	$34,012

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 California

By public health master's degrees awarded in 2022-23 (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS), University of California-Berkeley has California's largest program, followed by University of Southern California and University of California-Los Angeles. 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 California-Berkeley	590
University of Southern California	524
University of California-Los Angeles	376
San Diego State University	262
University of San Francisco	168
National University	166
California State University-Northridge	152
California State University-San Marcos	134

Public Health Pay in California

Among the public health jobs an MPH leads to, medical and health services managers earn the highest median pay in California, $141,480. Epidemiologists earn a median $110,760 (27% above u.s.), 3rd of 43 states with a published figure, across 1,480 jobs.

Job	Median	vs U.S. median	State rank	Jobs
Epidemiologists	$110,760	27% above U.S.	3rd of 43	1,480
Statisticians (including biostatisticians)	$135,960	29% above U.S.	3rd of 46	2,480
Health education specialists	$63,610	1% below U.S.	24th of 53	12,520
Community health workers	$58,050	12% above U.S.	7th of 52	9,500
Occupational health and safety specialists	$102,840	14% above U.S.	4th of 53	16,230
Health information technologists and medical registrars	$90,750	33% above U.S.	3rd of 51	2,920
Medical and health services managers	$141,480	14% above U.S.	7th of 54	75,090

Annual wages in California, 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 California Residents

You aren't limited to schools in California: 237 online MPH programs at schools in other states accept students nationwide. Before you apply, confirm on the school's site that it can enroll California 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.

What California Residency Is Worth

At public universities, the gap between resident and nonresident tuition is the biggest cost lever you have.

UC Berkeley charges new MPH students $18,677.75 a semester as California residents and $24,800.25 as nonresidents, including Professional Degree Supplemental Tuition.
San Diego State charges California graduate students $5,745 a semester for full-time study in fall 2026, fees included. Nonresidents add $471 for every unit they take.
UC San Diego runs its MPH as a self-supporting degree priced per unit: $1,149 per unit for non-Californians and an effective $723 per unit for residents, after a California Resident Fellowship.

If you’re moving to California for an MPH, plan for at least your first year at nonresident rates. The Cal State system is the low-cost path: Cal State LA’s Downtown MPH charges $525 per unit, a published total of $22,050 for the program.

UC, Cal State or Private: Which California MPH Fits You

The Big Research Schools

UC Berkeley offers an 11-month Interdisciplinary MPH and two-year epidemiology and biostatistics tracks, plus a 27-month online MPH at $1,629 per unit. UCLA’s Fielding School offers department-based MPHs, such as the two-year MPH in Epidemiology, and lists 20 dual degrees. USC offers a 42-unit campus MPH. Choose one of these if you want research depth, a big alumni network and a path to a doctorate.

San Diego State awarded 262 public health master’s degrees in 2022-23, the most of any Cal State campus. Its on-campus MPH typically takes two years full time, and you apply through SOPHAS. The UC San Diego MPH does not use SOPHAS, dropped the GRE in 2022 and is preparing its first application for CEPH accreditation, so it is not accredited yet.

Cal State Campuses: Practice-Focused and Lower-Cost

The Cal State campuses offer lower-cost MPH programs, many built around working students. Cal State Northridge has been CEPH accredited since 1971 and splits into Community Health Education and Applied Epidemiology. Cal State LA teaches urban community health at its Downtown LA site in five cohort semesters. Note that Cal State San Bernardino is on CEPH probation; read the CEPH accreditation guide before choosing a program with that status.

Mission-Driven Private Programs

Charles R. Drew University in South Los Angeles offers a 45-unit MPH in Urban Health Disparities with hybrid evening classes for working adults, and it admits for fall only on a rolling basis. It suits you if you want to work in underserved communities of color in Los Angeles. For more ways to cover costs at any of these schools, see the MPH scholarships guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Local Health Departments Are There in California?

The California Department of Public Health lists 61 local health jurisdictions: one for each of the 58 counties plus three city health departments in Berkeley, Long Beach and Pasadena. Each is a separate employer with its own hiring.

Is the UC San Diego MPH CEPH Accredited?

Not yet. UC San Diego says its MPH will apply for CEPH accreditation as part of its School of Public Health and that it is preparing its Initial Application Submission. It does not use SOPHAS, and it has not required the GRE since 2022.

How Much More Do Nonresidents Pay at San Diego State?

For fall 2026, SDSU charges California graduate students $5,745 a semester for full-time study (6.1 or more units), including campus fees. Out-of-state and international students pay Non-Resident Tuition of $471 per unit on top of that.

Which California MPH Is the Oldest Accredited Program?

Among the programs on this page, Cal State Northridge states that its MPH has been accredited by CEPH since 1971. It offers Community Health Education and Applied Epidemiology concentrations on campus, plus an online Community Health Education MPH through the Tseng College.

How Many MPH Programs Are in California?

We verified 50 MPH programs and 29 related public health master's degrees at 33 schools in California; 27 of those schools are CEPH accredited.

Which California Schools Have CEPH-Accredited Public Health Programs?

Azusa Pacific University, California Baptist University, California State University-Fresno, California State University-Fullerton, California State University-Long Beach, California State University-Los Angeles, California State University-Northridge and California State University-Sacramento and 19 more.

Can California Residents Earn an MPH Online?

Yes. Beyond California's own programs, 237 online MPH programs at schools in other states are open to students nationwide; check each program's state authorization for California residents. Online MPH programs.

How Much Do Epidemiologists and Public Health Workers Earn in California?

Epidemiologists: median $110,760; Statisticians (including biostatisticians): median $135,960; Health education specialists: median $63,610 (BLS, May 2025).

Nearby States

Sources

Official program pages of the 33 California schools listed, reviewed September 2026
Council on Education for Public Health, accredited schools and programs
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025