MPH Programs in Pennsylvania:25 Master of Public Health Programs (2026)

Who Hires Public Health Graduates in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania splits local public health two ways, and that shapes where the jobs are. Under Act 315, the Local Health Administration Law of 1951, seven counties run their own health departments: Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Erie, Montgomery and Philadelphia. Four cities do too: Allentown, Bethlehem, Wilkes-Barre and York. These departments must deliver personal health services and environmental health work such as food, water and housing inspection, and together they cover 46 percent of the state’s people.

Everywhere else, the Pennsylvania Department of Health serves residents directly through 59 State Health Centers that handle immunizations, TB treatment, HIV and STD testing and naloxone distribution. So if you want county-level epidemiology or environmental health work, the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh metros and the southeastern collar counties hold most of the local departments. Outside them, the state itself is the main public employer.

That geography lines up with the schools. Five of the state’s MPH schools sit in Philadelphia, home to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, and Pitt’s School of Public Health sits in Allegheny County.

School	MPH programs	Formats	CEPH	Lowest per credit	Credits
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh · Public	8 + 5	Campus	Accredited	$1,305	42–47
Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia · Private nonprofit	5 + 2	Campus, Online	Accredited	$850	42–56
Arcadia UniversityGlenside · Private nonprofit	2	Campus, Online	Accredited	$875	42
East Stroudsburg University of PennsylvaniaEast Stroudsburg · Public	1	Online, Campus	Accredited	$602	42
La Salle UniversityPhiladelphia · Private nonprofit	1	Campus	Accredited	$1,110	48
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic MedicineErie · Private nonprofit	1	Online			45
Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusUniversity Park · Public	1	Campus	Accredited		42
Pennsylvania State University-World CampusUniversity Park · Public	1	Online	Accredited	$1,048	42
Slippery Rock University of PennsylvaniaSlippery Rock · Public	1	Online	Accredited		42
Temple UniversityPhiladelphia · Public	1 + 2	Campus, Online	Accredited	$1,249	42
Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphia · Private nonprofit	1	Campus, Online, Hybrid	Accredited	$1,402	45
University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia · Private nonprofit	1	Campus	Accredited		14
West Chester University of PennsylvaniaWest Chester · Public	1	Online, Hybrid	Accredited	$516	46
Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main CampusIndiana · Public	0 + 1

What an MPH Costs in Pennsylvania

21 Pennsylvania MPH programs publish both a per-credit rate and the credits you need, so you can estimate tuition before fees. Estimates run from $23,736 to $79,296. The median published rate in Pennsylvania is $1,305 per credit, against $842 for the 213 MPH programs nationwide that publish one.

Program	Per credit	Credits	Estimated tuition
West Chester University of Pennsylvania: Master of Public HealthMaster of Public Health	$516	46	$23,736
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania: Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) in Community HealthMaster of Public Health (M.P.H.) in Community Health	$602	42	$25,284
Arcadia University: Master of Public Health (on-campus)Master of Public Health (on-campus)	$875	42	$36,750
Arcadia University: Public Health, Online MPHPublic Health, Online MPH	$875	42	$36,750
Pennsylvania State University-World Campus: Master of Public Health (online)Master of Public Health (online)	$1,048	42	$44,016
Drexel University: Online MPH in EpidemiologyOnline MPH in Epidemiology	$850	56	$47,600
Drexel University: Online MPH in Global HealthOnline MPH in Global Health	$850	56	$47,600
Drexel University: Online MPH in Urban HealthOnline MPH in Urban Health	$850	56	$47,600
Temple University: Master of Public HealthMaster of Public Health	$1,249	42	$52,458
La Salle University: Master of Public HealthMaster of Public Health	$1,110	48	$53,280

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 Pennsylvania

By public health master's degrees awarded in 2022-23 (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS), Thomas Jefferson University has Pennsylvania's largest program, followed by Drexel University and University of Pennsylvania. 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
Thomas Jefferson University	164
Drexel University	160
University of Pennsylvania	134
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus	84
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine	82
Temple University	78
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus	76
West Chester University of Pennsylvania	48

Public Health Pay in Pennsylvania

Among the public health jobs an MPH leads to, medical and health services managers earn the highest median pay in Pennsylvania, $103,670. Epidemiologists earn a median $87,860 (1% above u.s.), 13th of 43 states with a published figure, across 360 jobs.

Job	Median	vs U.S. median	State rank	Jobs
Epidemiologists	$87,860	1% above U.S.	13th of 43	360
Statisticians (including biostatisticians)	$93,830	11% below U.S.	27th of 46	1,630
Health education specialists	$80,670	26% above U.S.	4th of 53	2,690
Community health workers	$50,710	2% below U.S.	24th of 52	1,970
Occupational health and safety specialists	$87,050	3% below U.S.	31st of 53	4,890
Health information technologists and medical registrars	$59,980	12% below U.S.	36th of 51	1,090
Medical and health services managers	$103,670	16% below U.S.	45th of 54	30,480

Annual wages in Pennsylvania, 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 Pennsylvania Residents

You aren't limited to schools in Pennsylvania: 246 online MPH programs at schools in other states accept students nationwide. Before you apply, confirm on the school's site that it can enroll Pennsylvania 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 Residency Does to Your Pennsylvania Tuition

At the public research universities, being a Pennsylvania resident is worth real money. Temple’s College of Public Health charges $1,249 per credit to residents and $1,711 to out-of-state students for 2026-27. Pitt’s gap is wider: $16,070 per full-time term for residents against $28,908 for everyone else, or $1,305 against $2,363 per part-time credit.

Online study can erase that gap. Temple charges a flat $1,225 per credit for its online public health programs no matter where you live, so a non-resident saves by choosing the online version of Temple’s MPH. East Stroudsburg goes further for distance students: $602 per credit for residents, $886 for non-residents on campus, but $568 for non-residents in its approved distance programs.

The private schools don’t price by residency, and their rates cluster higher. Drexel lists $1,416 per credit for its campus MPH, but its online MPH concentrations in epidemiology, global health and urban health run $850 per credit, a 40 percent cut from that base rate.

Choosing Among Pennsylvania’s 25 MPH Programs

Twelve of the 14 schools are on the CEPH accredited list. The two that aren’t, Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, still award a lot of public health degrees, so check the credential you need before you apply. If a federal or state job may require a CEPH-accredited degree, stay within the twelve.

For the lowest cost: West Chester’s MPH publishes $516.00 per credit plus $162.65 per credit in fees, online or hybrid, with community health, environmental health and health care management concentrations. East Stroudsburg’s community health MPH adds a 12-month accelerated track and a waivable GRE.

For the widest choice of specialties: Pitt offers eight MPH programs, including separate MPHs in epidemiology, behavioral and community health sciences, environmental and occupational health, and health policy and management, plus five public health MS degrees. All go through SOPHAS with the GRE optional.

For dual degrees: Penn’s MPH pairs with 13 dual degrees and Jefferson’s with eight. Penn’s MPH is priced per course unit, $5,490 each across 14 units, and doesn’t require the GRE.

For working adults near Hershey or State College: Penn State’s residential MPH at Hershey holds classes late afternoons and early evenings, and Penn State World Campus runs a fully online 42-credit MPH with a global health focus at $1,048 per credit.

For a one-year finish: Arcadia’s campus MPH takes 12 months, and Jefferson offers a one-year accelerated pathway alongside part-time study.

Application routes split, too: 22 Pennsylvania programs use SOPHAS and 11 take applications directly, including West Chester, Arcadia and Drexel’s online concentrations. The SOPHAS guide explains the shared application if you’re applying to several. For a wider comparison of prices, see affordable MPH programs and online MPH programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Pennsylvania Public Universities Charge Out-of-State Students More for an MPH?

Yes, on campus. Temple's College of Public Health charges $1,249 per credit for Pennsylvania residents and $1,711 for out-of-state students in 2026-27, and Pitt charges $1,305 against $2,363 per part-time credit. Temple's online public health programs charge everyone the same $1,225 per credit.

Which Pennsylvania Counties Run Their Own Health Departments?

Seven counties: Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Erie, Montgomery and Philadelphia. Four cities also run one: Allentown, Bethlehem, Wilkes-Barre and York. Together they cover 46 percent of the state's population; the rest is served through 59 State Health Centers.

What Is the Most Affordable CEPH-Accredited MPH in Pennsylvania?

By published rate, West Chester's MPH at $516.00 per credit plus $162.65 per credit in fees, over 46 credits, taken online or hybrid. East Stroudsburg follows at $602 per credit for residents.

How Many MPH Programs Are in Pennsylvania?

We verified 25 MPH programs and 10 related public health master's degrees at 14 schools in Pennsylvania; 12 of those schools are CEPH accredited.

Which Pennsylvania Schools Have CEPH-Accredited Public Health Programs?

Arcadia University, Drexel University, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, La Salle University, Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus, Pennsylvania State University-World Campus, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania and Temple University and 4 more.

Can Pennsylvania Residents Earn an MPH Online?

Yes. Beyond Pennsylvania's own programs, 246 online MPH programs at schools in other states are open to students nationwide; check each program's state authorization for Pennsylvania residents. Online MPH programs.

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

Epidemiologists: median $87,860; Statisticians (including biostatisticians): median $93,830; Health education specialists: median $80,670 (BLS, May 2025).

MPH Programs in Pennsylvania

Where Can You Earn an MPH in Pennsylvania?