Public Health at Rasmussen University-North Dakota

Rasmussen's public health program in North Dakota puts graduates $40,809 in debt to earn $35,433 in their first year—a concerning imbalance that places this among the highest-debt public health programs in the country (95th percentile). While first-year earnings match the state median for public health degrees, they trail the national median by about $2,000, and graduates carry nearly double the typical national debt load of $26,000. The 1.15 debt-to-earnings ratio means borrowers face more than a year's salary in loans, making repayment particularly challenging on an entry-level public health salary.

The program serves a significant population of Pell-eligible students (46%), but the debt burden creates serious questions about affordability. North Dakota has only four schools offering this degree, so state comparisons are limited, yet even within this small pool, Rasmussen sits at the higher end for debt. Public health careers often require graduate degrees for advancement, which means these graduates may need to take on additional loans before seeing meaningful salary growth.

For families considering this program, the math is straightforward: you're paying premium prices for below-average outcomes. Unless your child has substantial scholarships that dramatically reduce the debt load, other pathways into public health—including starting at a community college or attending a public university—would likely deliver better financial returns.