Public Health at University of the Ozarks

University of the Ozarks' Public Health program graduates earn $32,564 in their first year—below both national and state medians for the degree. While that's middle-of-the-pack among Arkansas's limited pool of public health programs (40th percentile), it still trails the state median by about $1,600 and lags nearly $5,000 behind national figures. With debt at $25,065, graduates face a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.77, meaning they owe roughly nine months' salary. That's manageable compared to many programs, but the relatively low starting salary means less breathing room in the budget than grads from higher-earning programs would have.

The caveat here matters: fewer than 30 graduates means these numbers could swing significantly year to year. A few particularly strong or weak outcomes can dramatically shift the median. That said, even with this uncertainty, the pattern suggests this program produces below-average earnings for the field. For families weighing options, the nearby University of Arkansas offers a comparison point—its public health grads earn about $3,200 more right out of the gate while carrying similar debt.

If your student is committed to public health and University of the Ozarks appeals for fit or affordability reasons beyond the degree itself, the debt load isn't crushing. But purely from an earnings standpoint, this program underperforms its peers, and the small sample size means you're taking on additional uncertainty about what outcomes to expect.