2026 Best Value Public Health Schools in Texas
[Public Health](/majors/health-care-professions/public-health/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong public health education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 44 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value public health schools.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Public Health Schools in Texas
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 Texas A And M International University, our #1 best value for public health in Texas. Texas A And M International University is a large public school located in the city of Laredo. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,894, with out-of-state students paying around $19,454. Students borrow a median of $15,095 to complete the public health program here. Early-career public health graduates make about $42,029. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 44% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of North Texas At Dallas earned it the #2 place for public health. University Of North Texas At Dallas is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Dallas. In-state tuition and fees average $9,595, with out-of-state students paying around $21,894. The acceptance rate is 84%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at The University Of Texas At El Paso earned it the #3 place for public health. Located in the city of El Paso, The University Of Texas At El Paso is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,544, while out-of-state students pay about $25,502. Public Health graduates carry a median of $24,250 in student loans. Public Health graduates of The University Of Texas At El Paso earn a median of $31,844 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 100%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at The University Of Texas At San Antonio earned it the #4 place for public health. Located in the city of San Antonio, The University Of Texas At San Antonio is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,326, while out-of-state students pay about $22,249. Public Health graduates carry a median of $24,885 in student loans. Public Health graduates of The University Of Texas At San Antonio earn a median of $33,514 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,885 median debt. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Texas A And M University Commerce earned it the #5 place for public health. Located in the town of Commerce, Texas A And M University Commerce is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,026, with out-of-state students paying around $22,326. Public Health graduates carry a median of $23,328 in student loans. Early-career public health graduates make about $44,621. Set against $23,328 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 92% of applicants are accepted.
Lamar University earned the #6 position for value in public health this year. Located in the city of Beaumont, Lamar University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,905, with out-of-state students paying around $18,745. Public Health graduates carry a median of $26,988 in student loans. Early-career public health graduates make about $53,620. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 86%.
The University Of Texas At Tyler came in at #7 for value in public health this year. Located in the city of Tyler, The University Of Texas At Tyler is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $9,512 in tuition and fees, compared with $24,512 for out-of-state students. Public Health graduates carry a median of $20,959 in student loans. Public Health graduates of The University Of Texas At Tyler earn a median of $55,134 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $20,959 median debt. The University Of Texas At Tyler admits about 94% of applicants.
University Of North Texas ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value public health schools. Set in the city of Denton, University Of North Texas is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $11,309 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $21,149. Public Health graduates carry a median of $21,817 in student loans. Public Health graduates of University Of North Texas earn a median of $49,157 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,817 median debt. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
The University Of Texas At Arlington came in at #9 for value in public health this year. The University Of Texas At Arlington is a very large public school located in the city of Arlington. Students from in state pay about $11,950 in tuition and fees, compared with $29,582 for out-of-state students. Public Health graduates carry a median of $20,108 in student loans. Early-career public health graduates make about $37,043. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The University Of Texas At Arlington admits about 80% of applicants.
University Of Houston Downtown ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value public health schools. Set in the city of Houston, University Of Houston Downtown is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $7,582, while out-of-state students pay about $17,434. Public Health graduates carry a median of $23,000 in student loans. Public Health graduates of University Of Houston Downtown earn a median of $35,119 early in their careers. Set against $23,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Houston Downtown admits about 90% of applicants.
Texas State University San Marcos earned the #11 position for value in public health this year. Located in the city of San Marcos, Texas State University San Marcos is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,450, with out-of-state students paying around $22,930. Students borrow a median of $26,710 to complete the public health program here. Soon after graduation, public health degree recipients from Texas State University San Marcos generally make around $35,564. Set against $26,710 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
Sam Houston State University ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best value public health schools. Sam Houston State University is a very large public school located in the town of Huntsville. Students from in state pay about $9,228 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $19,068. Typical student debt for public health graduates is $26,818. Public Health graduates of Sam Houston State University earn a median of $34,019 early in their careers. Set against $26,818 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
The University Of Texas At Austin came in at #13 for value in public health this year. Located in the city of Austin, The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,688, compared with $44,908 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for public health graduates is $21,500. Public Health graduates of The University Of Texas At Austin earn a median of $35,761 early in their careers. Set against $21,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 27%.
Texas A And M University College Station earned the #14 position for value in public health this year. Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public school located in the city of College Station. Students from in state pay about $12,995 in tuition and fees, compared with $40,124 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for public health graduates is $18,856. Soon after graduation, public health degree recipients from Texas A And M University College Station generally make around $54,497. That is a strong return on a $18,856 median debt. Texas A And M University College Station admits about 57% of applicants.
University Of The Incarnate Word ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the best value public health schools. University Of The Incarnate Word is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Antonio. Students from in state pay about $37,090 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $31,000 to complete the public health program here. Early-career public health graduates make about $37,319. That is a strong return on a $31,000 median debt. University Of The Incarnate Word admits about 98% of applicants.
Austin College placed #16 among the best values for public health. Austin College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Sherman. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $48,121. Public Health graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans. Early-career public health graduates make about $27,514. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Austin College admits about 48% of applicants.
West Coast University Dallas earned the #17 position for value in public health this year. West Coast University Dallas is a mid-sized private for-profit school located in the city of Richardson. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,574. Students borrow a median of $38,145 to complete the public health program here. Soon after graduation, public health degree recipients from West Coast University Dallas generally make around $60,316. That is a strong return on a $38,145 median debt.
Baylor University earned the #18 position for value in public health this year. Set in the city of Waco, Baylor University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $58,100 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for public health graduates is $22,495. Public Health graduates of Baylor University earn a median of $23,096 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,495 median debt. The acceptance rate is 51%.
More Public Health Rankings
View All Public Health Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 44 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 21 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.
