[Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/public-health-community-nurse-nursing/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for public health/community nurse/nursing students.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the public health/community nurse/nursing degrees they offer, see the list below.
Wayne State University earned the #1 spot for value among public health/community nurse/nursing schools in the Great Lakes Region. Located in the city of Detroit, Wayne State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $16,159 in tuition and fees, compared with $34,650 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for public health/community nurse/nursing graduates is $30,165. Public Health/community Nurse/nursing graduates of Wayne State University earn a median of $103,835 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in public health/community nurse/nursing will find it at University Of Michigan Ann Arbor, which ranked #2. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public school located in the city of Ann Arbor. Students from in state pay about $18,848 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $63,081. Typical student debt for public health/community nurse/nursing graduates is $19,000. Early-career public health/community nurse/nursing graduates make about $91,969. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 16%.
Methodist College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value public health/community nurse/nursing schools. Located in the city of Peoria, Methodist College is a small private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,008. Students borrow a median of $46,375 to complete the public health/community nurse/nursing program here. Early-career public health/community nurse/nursing graduates make about $67,809. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Methodist College admits about 39% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in public health/community nurse/nursing will find it at Ohio University Main Campus, which ranked #4. Set in the town of Athens, Ohio University Main Campus is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,158, compared with $24,838 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for public health/community nurse/nursing graduates is $26,778. Soon after graduation, public health/community nurse/nursing degree recipients from Ohio University Main Campus generally make around $49,736. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Ohio University Main Campus admits about 85% of applicants.
A rank of #5 makes Cedarville University one of the best values for public health/community nurse/nursing. Set in the rural area of Cedarville, Cedarville University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $37,150. Typical student debt for public health/community nurse/nursing graduates is $25,000. Soon after graduation, public health/community nurse/nursing degree recipients from Cedarville University generally make around $86,430. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 65%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
