Public Health at Methodist College

A bachelor's in public health from Methodist College comes with an estimated $27,000 in debt—slightly above the national median but more concerning when stacked against the projected $39,956 first-year salary. That 0.68 debt-to-earnings ratio puts you at about two-thirds of a year's gross income owed, which is manageable but not generous for a field where entry-level pay hovers around $40,000. These figures come from comparable programs in Illinois and nationally, since Methodist's graduate sample was too small for the Department of Education to report actual outcomes.

What complicates the picture is the range among Illinois public health programs. Top performers like Illinois State see graduates earning $59,000 their first year—nearly 50% more than the state median this estimate reflects. Meanwhile, several programs cluster right around Methodist's projected figure, suggesting this represents a typical rather than exceptional outcome. For a family taking on $27,000 in debt, that distinction matters. You're not paying for an outlier program, but you're also not getting bottom-tier results.

The practical reality: if your child lands in that $40,000 range, they'll face monthly loan payments around $300 on a standard 10-year plan—doable but tight in most public health entry positions. Given Methodist's 56% Pell grant population, many families here are counting on every dollar to pencil out. Without actual graduate outcomes to confirm these estimates, you're betting on Methodist matching what similar programs deliver rather than exceeding them.