2026 Best Value Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene Schools in the Southeast Region

[Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene](/majors/health-care-professions/public-health/occupational-health-and-industrial-hygiene/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 9 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value occupational health and industrial hygiene schools.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene Schools in the Southeast Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the occupational health and industrial hygiene degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene Schools
Eastern Kentucky University earned the #1 spot for value among occupational health and industrial hygiene schools in the Southeast Region. Set in the town of Richmond, Eastern Kentucky University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,320 in tuition and fees, compared with $21,230 for out-of-state students. Occupational Health And Industrial Hygiene graduates carry a median of $22,999 in student loans. Occupational Health And Industrial Hygiene graduates of Eastern Kentucky University earn a median of $40,921 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Western Kentucky University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in occupational health and industrial hygiene, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Bowling Green, Western Kentucky University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $11,652 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $27,000. Typical student debt for occupational health and industrial hygiene graduates is $23,543. Early-career occupational health and industrial hygiene graduates make about $44,778. That is a strong return on a $23,543 median debt. Roughly 94% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Old Dominion University one of the best values for occupational health and industrial hygiene. Located in the city of Norfolk, Old Dominion University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $12,750 in tuition and fees, compared with $33,780 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for occupational health and industrial hygiene graduates is $26,001. Occupational Health And Industrial Hygiene graduates of Old Dominion University earn a median of $57,131 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,001 median debt. The acceptance rate is 90%.
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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 · 9 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.