Graduate degrees are usually large investments of time and money, which can often plunge students into the perils of hefty student debt accumulation. Prospective students would be wise to have specific career goals in mind, and calculate how long it will take them to pay off their debt with their expected salary. In order to cut down on tuition and be able to quickly turn a profit on your MPH program, it is prudent to look for cheap online master’s programs. Fortunately, the state of California has a well regarded state university system that has low in-state rates for California residents. UC Berkeley, San Diego State University, and University of California-San Francisco, all offer online MPH programs that are very affordable for in-state residents, and are reasonably priced for out-of-state residents. SDSU’s online MPH is a particularly great deal, as the total cost of the degree is only $28,662. For reference to some of the most well-regarded public health degrees in California, have a look at the list of The 5 Best Public Health Degree Programs in California.
UC Berkeley’s programs are highly selective as it is one of the most prestigious universities in the nation, but their programs offer very reasonable tuition rates, making them one of the most desired institutions around. UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health offers an online MPH program that usually takes 27 months to complete, though they offer an accelerated curriculum that allows highly motivated students to complete the degree in an 11-month period. The degree requires the completion of 42 credit hours at the rate of $1,158 per unit, coming out to approximately $49,000. As the degree is designed to take 4 semesters to complete, the tuition comes out to an average of $12,250 per semester, which is a very competitive rate for MPH programs.
San Diego State University’s Graduate School of Public Health offers a fully online MPH degree that specializes in Health Promotion and Behavioral Science. The degree is designed for early to mid-career professionals, allowing them to maintain their normal job while working towards their MPH to take them to the next level. SDSU online offers students a digital platform for accredited classes that are also offered on-campus, including Theoretical Foundations of Health Promotion, Biostatistics, and Environmental Determinants of Human Health. The program generally takes students 20-months to complete a total of 51 credits which are offered at a competitive rate of $562 per unit, coming out to a total of $28,662 for the full program.
University of California-San Francisco’s School of Nursing and Health Professions has an online MPH that offers students hands-on coursework in fields of epidemiology, biostatistics, community and behavioral health, environmental health, and public health policy and management. The program is comprised of 45 credits that are spread out over 6 semesters.
The tuition rate is an average of $1,340 per unit, which brings the total cost of the degree to $60,300, or $10,050 per semester. UCSF’s School of Nursing and Health Professions has a long list of financial aid scholarships for their students to apply for, which can greatly decrease the cost of their degree.
