Public Health at Brigham Young University-Idaho

BYU-Idaho's Public Health program manages to combine remarkably low debt with earnings that recover significantly over time, though graduates face a challenging first year. At just $13,048 in median debt—half the national average and among the lowest in the country—students avoid the financial trap that often comes with health-related degrees. The catch is a slow start: first-year earnings of $30,128 lag well behind Idaho's median of $38,122 and rank in just the 5th percentile nationally. However, by year four, earnings jump 30% to $39,001, nearly catching the state median and suggesting graduates are finding their footing in the field.

The debt-to-earnings picture deserves emphasis here. With a 0.43 ratio, even that modest first-year salary covers debt reasonably well—a sharp contrast to programs where graduates owe close to or more than their annual income. Among Idaho's three public health programs, this ranks near the bottom for early earnings (25th percentile), with Boise State graduates earning over $46,000 in year one. But BYU-Idaho's substantially lower debt load and strong earnings trajectory narrow that gap considerably.

For families prioritizing affordability and willing to accept slower initial career progression, this program delivers value through minimal debt burden. The trajectory matters more than the starting point here, especially given how cleanly graduates can manage their loans.