[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.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment 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.
For return on investment in public health/community nurse/nursing, no school beat Cuny Hunter College this year. Set in the city of New York, Cuny Hunter College is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $7,382 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $15,332. Public Health/community Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $16,944 in student loans. Public Health/community Nurse/nursing graduates of Cuny Hunter College earn a median of $51,372 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Cuny Hunter College admits about 54% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Cuny College Of Staten Island earned it the #2 place for public health/community nurse/nursing. Located in the city of Staten Island, Cuny College Of Staten Island is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,490, with out-of-state students paying around $15,440. Typical student debt for public health/community nurse/nursing graduates is $17,258. Public Health/community Nurse/nursing graduates of Cuny College Of Staten Island earn a median of $51,911 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $17,258 median debt. The acceptance rate is 92%.
Students looking for strong value in public health/community nurse/nursing will find it at Dyouville College, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Buffalo, Dyouville College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $34,940. Typical student debt for public health/community nurse/nursing graduates is $30,997. Soon after graduation, public health/community nurse/nursing degree recipients from Dyouville College generally make around $70,550. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 81%.
Suny At Binghamton is a great value for students pursuing a degree in public health/community nurse/nursing, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Vestal, Suny At Binghamton is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,567, while out-of-state students pay about $30,447. Typical student debt for public health/community nurse/nursing graduates is $23,750. Soon after graduation, public health/community nurse/nursing degree recipients from Suny At Binghamton generally make around $100,425. That is a strong return on a $23,750 median debt. The acceptance rate is 39%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 6 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.
