2026 Best Value Public Health Schools in Georgia
[Public Health](/majors/health-care-professions/public-health/) 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.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 19 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for public health students.
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2026 Best Value Public Health Schools in Georgia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in public health, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Public Health Schools
Georgia Institute Of Technology Main Campus earned the #1 spot for value among public health schools in Georgia. Set in the city of Atlanta, Georgia Institute Of Technology Main Campus is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $12,058, with out-of-state students paying around $34,484. Typical student debt for public health graduates is $24,323. Soon after graduation, public health degree recipients from Georgia Institute Of Technology Main Campus generally make around $83,560. Set against $24,323 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 14% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Georgia one of the best values for public health. University Of Georgia is a very large public school located in the city of Athens. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,450, with out-of-state students paying around $31,688. Public Health graduates carry a median of $21,500 in student loans. Early-career public health graduates make about $43,268. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Georgia admits about 38% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Augusta University earned it the #3 place for public health. Augusta University is a large public school located in the city of Augusta. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,414, compared with $24,734 for out-of-state students. Public Health graduates carry a median of $25,745 in student loans. Soon after graduation, public health degree recipients from Augusta University generally make around $58,410. Set against $25,745 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 86%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Georgia State University earned it the #4 place for public health. Located in the city of Atlanta, Georgia State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $8,664 in tuition and fees, compared with $24,840 for out-of-state students. Public Health graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Early-career public health graduates make about $41,972. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Georgia State University admits about 55% of applicants.
Kennesaw State University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value public health schools. Located in the suburb of Kennesaw, Kennesaw State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $5,808 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $17,736. Typical student debt for public health graduates is $28,479. Soon after graduation, public health degree recipients from Kennesaw State University generally make around $42,175. That is a strong return on a $28,479 median debt. Roughly 69% of applicants are accepted.
Georgia Southern University earned the #6 position for value in public health this year. Set in the town of Statesboro, Georgia Southern University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,022, while out-of-state students pay about $17,734. Public Health graduates carry a median of $28,500 in student loans. Public Health graduates of Georgia Southern University earn a median of $55,660 early in their careers. Set against $28,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Georgia Southern University admits about 88% of applicants.
Georgia College And State University placed #7 among the best values for public health. Georgia College And State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Milledgeville. Students from in state pay about $9,186 in tuition and fees, compared with $29,512 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the public health program here. Soon after graduation, public health degree recipients from Georgia College And State University generally make around $34,113. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Georgia College And State University admits about 78% of applicants.
Mercer University ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value public health schools. Set in the city of Macon, Mercer University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $31,565. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the public health program here. Early-career public health graduates make about $37,646. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 69%.
Emory University placed #9 among the best values for public health. Emory University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Atlanta. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $64,280. Students borrow a median of $19,431 to complete the public health program here. Soon after graduation, public health degree recipients from Emory University generally make around $63,822. Set against $19,431 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 11% of applicants are accepted.
Agnes Scott College ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value public health schools. Agnes Scott College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Decatur. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $50,604. Typical student debt for public health graduates is $26,811. Public Health graduates of Agnes Scott College earn a median of $28,191 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,811 median debt. Agnes Scott College admits about 62% of applicants.
South Universitysavannah Online ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best value public health schools. South Universitysavannah Online is a large private for-profit school located in the city of Savannah. Students from in state pay about $17,895 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for public health graduates is $56,262. Early-career public health graduates make about $41,188. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 19 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 10 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.
