Public Health at University of Missouri-Columbia

Missouri's flagship university produces public health graduates who outperform the state median by nearly $3,000, placing in the 60th percentile among Missouri programs. While first-year earnings of $36,867 fall slightly below the national median, the debt picture tells a more compelling story: graduates leave with $19,000 in loans—about $7,700 less than the state median and significantly below the national average. That translates to a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.52, meaning graduates owe roughly half their first year's salary.

The caveat here matters: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, so individual outcomes could vary considerably. What we can say is that Mizzou delivers lower debt than peer institutions while maintaining competitive earnings within Missouri. You're essentially trading slightly below-average starting pay for substantially lower financial burden, which may prove advantageous given public health's typical career trajectory in nonprofit and government sectors where loan forgiveness programs exist.

For families choosing between Missouri public health programs, this represents a calculated middle path—not the highest earnings, but paired with debt loads that won't strain a public sector salary. The small sample means you'll want to investigate employment outcomes and internship networks closely before committing.