Texas · Verified September 2026

MPH Programs in Texas

Where Can You Earn an MPH in Texas?

21 schools in Texas offer 23 MPH programs we verified, including Angelo State University, Baylor University and Lamar University. 15 can be taken online. Published tuition runs from $287 to $2,824 per credit.

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

Aerial view of downtown Austin's towers above Lady Bird Lake, with a pedestrian bridge and a rail bridge crossing the water — Photo: Drone Task Force / Pexels

Who Hires MPH Graduates in Texas

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is the state’s public health agency, and much of its field work runs through the Division of Regional and Local Health Operations. That division runs every local DSHS public health office, organized into eight named regions that cover numbered regions 1 through 11, from the Northwest Region in the Panhandle to the South Region along the lower Rio Grande. It also houses an Office of Border Public Health and a Center for Health Emergency Preparedness and Response. If you want state public health work outside Austin, a regional office is the likeliest door.

The pay table further down this page shows how epidemiologists and health educators earn here against the national median, and the epidemiologist career guide explains what the job involves.

How Texas Programs Differ

Texas’s 21 schools with public health master’s programs aren’t interchangeable. The biggest split is accreditation. Six public universities and health science centers plus Baylor and West Coast University’s Dallas campus sit on the CEPH list, while several large programs, including Lamar University’s online MPH, don’t. Lamar awarded 148 public health master’s degrees in 2022-23, more than Texas Tech or UNT Health Science Center, so size alone won’t tell you a program’s status. If you’re aiming for federal or state jobs that ask for a CEPH-accredited degree, check the CEPH accreditation guide before you apply.

Texas MPH Schools Compared

21 schools in Texas offer an MPH or a related public health master's degree. 8 are on the CEPH accredited list.

School	MPH programs	Formats	CEPH	Lowest per credit	Credits
Texas A & M University-College StationCollege Station · Public	2	Campus, Online	Accredited		45
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San AntonioSan Antonio · Public	2	Campus, Online, Hybrid			45
The University of Texas Medical Branch at GalvestonGalveston · Public	2 + 1	Campus, Online	Accredited		42–43
University of North Texas Health Science CenterFort Worth · Public	2	Campus, Online	Accredited		48
Angelo State UniversitySan Angelo · Public	1	Online			48
Baylor UniversityWaco · Private nonprofit	1	Campus	Accredited	$2,824	42
Lamar UniversityBeaumont · Public	1	Online		$360	42
Parker UniversityDallas · Private nonprofit	1	Online		$871
Sam Houston State UniversityHuntsville · Public	1	Online			44
Texas A & M University-CommerceCommerce · Public	1	Online, Campus			42
Texas State UniversitySan Marcos · Public	1 + 1	Campus, Online			42
Texas Tech University Health Sciences CenterLubbock · Public	1	Online	Accredited		45
Texas Woman's UniversityDenton · Public	1 + 1	Hybrid			42
The University of Texas at ArlingtonArlington · Public	1	Campus			42
The University of Texas at El PasoEl Paso · Public	1	Campus	Accredited		42
The University of Texas at TylerTyler · Public	1	Online			42
The University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonHouston · Public	1 + 1	Campus, Hybrid, Online	Accredited	$287	45
University of the Incarnate WordSan Antonio · Private nonprofit	1	Online		$415
West Coast University-DallasRichardson · Private for-profit	1	Online	Accredited	$608	42
The University of Texas at AustinAustin · Public	0 + 2
University of Houston-Clear LakeHouston · Public	0 + 1

"+" 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 Texas

4 Texas MPH programs publish both a per-credit rate and the credits you need, so you can estimate tuition before fees. Estimates run from $12,915 to $118,608. The median published rate in Texas is $415 per credit, against $842 for the 213 MPH programs nationwide that publish one.

Program	Per credit	Credits	Estimated tuition
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston: Master of Public HealthMaster of Public Health	$287	45	$12,915
Lamar University: Master of Public Health (Health Disparities Track), onlineMaster of Public Health (Health Disparities Track), online	$360	42	$15,120
West Coast University-Dallas: Master of Public Health OnlineMaster of Public Health Online	$608	42	$25,536
Baylor University: Master of Public Health (on campus)Master of Public Health (on campus)	$2,824	42	$118,608

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 Texas

By public health master's degrees awarded in 2022-23 (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS), The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston has Texas's largest program, followed by Texas A & M University-College Station and Lamar 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
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston	406
Texas A & M University-College Station	288
Lamar University	148
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center	116
University of North Texas Health Science Center	114
The University of Texas at Tyler	62
Baylor University	54
West Coast University-Dallas	40

Public Health Pay in Texas

Among the public health jobs an MPH leads to, medical and health services managers earn the highest median pay in Texas, $114,150. Epidemiologists earn a median $77,170 (12% below u.s.), 28th of 43 states with a published figure, across 1,160 jobs.

Job	Median	vs U.S. median	State rank	Jobs
Epidemiologists	$77,170	12% below U.S.	28th of 43	1,160
Statisticians (including biostatisticians)	$102,960	3% below U.S.	19th of 46	1,390
Health education specialists	$59,340	7% below U.S.	38th of 53	5,320
Community health workers	$48,720	6% below U.S.	34th of 52	4,210
Occupational health and safety specialists	$79,660	12% below U.S.	50th of 53	17,920
Health information technologists and medical registrars	$76,820	13% above U.S.	14th of 51	2,880
Medical and health services managers	$114,150	8% below U.S.	31st of 54	58,420

Annual wages in Texas, 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 Texas Residents

You aren't limited to schools in Texas: 243 online MPH programs at schools in other states accept students nationwide. Before you apply, confirm on the school's site that it can enroll Texas 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.

Paying Resident Tuition in Texas

Texas residency is worth real money at a public health science center. UTHealth Houston charges $287 per semester credit hour to Texas residents and $1,124 to non-residents, plus an $85 per-credit academic and technology resource fee. UNT Health Science Center publishes a full-program estimate for its online MPH: $14,904.20 for residents on the 48-credit plan, against $39,000.20 for non-residents. Texas A&M quotes about $17,727 for residents and $38,069 for non-residents for its online MPH.

If you moved to Texas recently, confirm whether you qualify as a resident before you compare prices, because the gap is larger than the difference between most programs.

Matching a Texas MPH to Your Situation

You want the largest program and the most concentrations: UTHealth Houston awarded 406 public health master’s degrees in 2022-23, the most in the state, and teaches at six locations: Houston, Austin, Brownsville, Dallas, El Paso and San Antonio. It lists eight MPH concentrations, including a health promotion track with a dietetic internship.
You work full time and live outside a big metro: Texas Tech Health Sciences Center’s online MPH runs 45 credit hours, takes about two years, doesn’t require the GRE, and applies through SOPHAS. UNT Health Science Center’s online MPH is built for working professionals and drops to 42 credits if you already hold an advanced degree.
You want to study border health: UTEP’s campus MPH is a CEPH-accredited, 42-credit option in El Paso that applies directly rather than through SOPHAS.
You want a quantitative track online: UTMB’s online MPH in biostatistics is 43 credits over about 20 months, with no GRE.
You want a private university campus: Baylor’s Waco MPH is CEPH accredited, but at $2,824 per credit hour its estimated tuition of $118,608 is by far the highest in the state.

Eleven Texas programs apply through SOPHAS and 17 take applications directly, so budget for the SOPHAS fee only where you need it.

Community Health Worker Certification in Texas

Texas runs one of the more developed state CHW systems, and it shapes MPH careers in community health. The DSHS Community Health Worker Program certifies CHWs (promotores), CHW instructors and training programs. You qualify for certification by finishing a DSHS-certified 180-hour competency-based training program, or by documenting at least 1,000 hours of CHW service in the past three years. Certification lasts two years and renews with at least 20 hours of continuing education.

For an MPH graduate, the relevant roles sit one level up: designing and supervising CHW programs, or teaching the certified curriculum. The community health worker career guide covers pay and duties.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much More Do Non-Residents Pay for an MPH in Texas?

Usually two to three times as much. UNT Health Science Center estimates its 48-credit online MPH at $14,904.20 for Texas residents and $39,000.20 for non-residents, and UTHealth Houston charges $287 per semester credit hour to residents against $1,124 to non-residents.

Do You Need a Degree to Be a Community Health Worker in Texas?

No. Texas DSHS certifies community health workers who finish a DSHS-certified 180-hour training program or show at least 1,000 hours of CHW work in the past three years. An MPH is a step up toward supervising CHW programs or training CHWs, not an entry requirement.

Which Texas MPH Programs Skip the GRE?

Texas A&M, Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, UNT Health Science Center, UTMB, Lamar and Texas State all list the GRE as not required for at least one MPH, and UTHealth Houston, Baylor and UTEP list it as optional. See the no-GRE MPH programs nationwide.

How Many MPH Programs Are in Texas?

We verified 23 MPH programs and 7 related public health master's degrees at 21 schools in Texas; 8 of those schools are CEPH accredited.

Which Texas Schools Have CEPH-Accredited Public Health Programs?

Baylor University, Texas A & M University-College Station, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, The University of Texas at El Paso, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, University of North Texas Health Science Center and West Coast University-Dallas.

Can Texas Residents Earn an MPH Online?

Yes. Beyond Texas's own programs, 243 online MPH programs at schools in other states are open to students nationwide; check each program's state authorization for Texas residents. Online MPH programs.

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

Epidemiologists: median $77,170; Statisticians (including biostatisticians): median $102,960; Health education specialists: median $59,340 (BLS, May 2025).

Nearby States

Sources

Official program pages of the 21 Texas schools listed, reviewed September 2026
Council on Education for Public Health, accredited schools and programs
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025