2026 Best Value Public Health Schools in District of Columbia
[Public Health](/majors/health-care-professions/public-health/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for public health students.
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2026 Best Value Public Health Schools in District of Columbia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in public health, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Public Health Schools
Leading the list is Trinity Washington University, our #1 best value for public health in District of Columbia. Trinity Washington University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Students from in state pay about $26,610 in tuition and fees. Public Health graduates carry a median of $31,194 in student loans. Public Health graduates of Trinity Washington University earn a median of $56,796 early in their careers. Set against $31,194 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Trinity Washington University admits about 100% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in public health will find it at George Washington University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Washington, George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $67,710. Students borrow a median of $23,822 to complete the public health program here. Early-career public health graduates make about $57,119. Set against $23,822 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. George Washington University admits about 47% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Georgetown University earned it the #3 place for public health. Set in the city of Washington, Georgetown University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $68,089 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for public health graduates is $12,000. Public Health graduates of Georgetown University earn a median of $54,666 early in their careers. Set against $12,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 13% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in public health will find it at American University, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Washington, American University is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $58,771. Students borrow a median of $23,452 to complete the public health program here. Early-career public health graduates make about $52,907. Set against $23,452 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 62%.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
