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Health Professions · Public Health Rank #16 of 213

Public Healthat California State University-Los Angeles

Graduates earn $40,750/yr in their first year — about 5.0% above the national Public Health average. Base-case 10-year earnings $550K; scenarios range from $504K to $552K depending on AI disruption.

Los Angeles, CA Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
60 SOLID
60
Optimistic
57
Pessimistic
Earnings
$40,750
1-year post-graduation
ROI
19.7x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$550K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
52% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Cal State LA

California State University-Los Angeles's Public Health program produces graduates earning $40,750/yr — within striking distance of the $38,916 national average for this field.

The 20.2x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 48% task exposure — and the 9% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $12,457 in median debt clears quickly against $40,750 in annual earnings.

A #16 ranking out of 213 Public Health programs nationally puts California State University-Los Angeles in the top 10% — a strong but not elite position.

The five-year earnings trajectory from $40,750 to $56,290 shows 38% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$504K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score57/100
Earnings Multiple18.5x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$550K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score60/100
Earnings Multiple20.2x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$552K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score60/100
Earnings Multiple20.3x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Cal State LA's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Public Health graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Physicists
+4.0% 10-yr growth · 1,700 openings/yr
$166,290/yr
Very High
2
Medical and health services managers
+23.2% 10-yr growth · 62,100 openings/yr
$117,960/yr
Moderate
3
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
+17.3% 10-yr growth · 27,400 openings/yr
$105,620/yr
Moderate
4
Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
+8.7% 10-yr growth · 9,600 openings/yr
$100,590/yr
High
5
Genetic counselors
+9.3% 10-yr growth · 300 openings/yr
$98,910/yr
High
6
Physics teachers, postsecondary
+2.5% 10-yr growth · 1,300 openings/yr
$97,360/yr
Moderate
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Public Health

How Cal State LA stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
TX · Public
59
DW Score
$100K
1-yr earn
Utah State University
UT · Public
76
DW Score
$76K
1-yr earn
20.0x
ROI
Brown University
RI · Private nonprofit
52
DW Score
$76K
1-yr earn
1.6x
ROI
Top score
Montana Technological University
MT · Public
80
DW Score
$75K
1-yr earn
29.7x
ROI
Oakland University
MI · Public
67
DW Score
$59K
1-yr earn
11.4x
ROI
Also at Cal State LA

Other top programs at Cal State LA

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Cal State LA, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Public Health offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Public Health trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Public Health at Cal State LA

How does California State University-Los Angeles's Public Health program score?

This program scores 60/100, reflecting respectable but not exceptional financial outcomes for Public Health graduates.

How vulnerable is Public Health to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Public Health careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 48% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.