Public Healthat University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Graduates earn $40,564/yr in their first year — about 4.0% above the national Public Health average. Base-case 10-year earnings $668K; scenarios range from $586K to $676K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at UIUC
Graduates earn $40,564/yr, roughly in line with the $38,916 national median for Public Health. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.
The 10.4x 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 13% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
With first-year pay of $40,564 far exceeding the $19,728 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.
Ranked #30 out of 213 programs, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Public Health program lands in the top 5% — a strong signal of graduate success.
Earnings growth from $40,564 to $71,261 over five years (76% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful salary progression.
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.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to UIUC's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
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.
Peer schools offering Public Health
How UIUC stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at UIUC
Other highest-scoring programs offered at UIUC, 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 →Frequently asked about Public Health at UIUC
How does University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Public Health program score?
This program scores 57/100, 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.
Why does University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign rank so high for Public Health?
The #30 ranking out of 213 programs is driven by strong financial outcomes — graduates earn well, debt is manageable relative to income, and the job market supports the field.