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Health Professions · Public Health Rank #132 of 213

Public Healthat University of Southern California

Graduates earn $36,300/yr in their first year — about 7.0% below the national Public Health average. Base-case 10-year earnings $790K; scenarios range from $671K to $804K depending on AI disruption.

Los Angeles, CA Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
42 AVERAGE
43
Optimistic
42
Pessimistic
Earnings
$36,300
1-year post-graduation
ROI
2.0x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$790K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
52% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at University of Southern California

While USC's prestige opens many doors, your Public Health degree's earning potential reflects the field's varied landscape, particularly in the Los Angeles market. Many graduates find fulfilling roles in government agencies like the LA County Department of Public Health, or within major non-profits and university medical centers, where the focus is often on community impact over top-tier salaries. The program's strong reputation helps graduates secure positions in these competitive environments, from managing health programs to contributing to policy analysis. The high AI risk isn't about job elimination, but rather a shift in required skills, as many administrative and data analysis tasks become automated. To maximize your long-term prospects, prioritize developing strong analytical skills, particularly in biostatistics or data science, alongside your core public health knowledge. This will make you indispensable in an evolving field.

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
$671K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score42/100
Earnings Multiple2.5x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$790K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score42/100
Earnings Multiple2.9x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$804K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score43/100
Earnings Multiple2.9x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to University of Southern California'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 University of Southern California 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 University of Southern California

Other top programs at University of Southern California

Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of Southern California, 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 University of Southern California

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Public Health at University of Southern California?

A score of 42/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Public Health. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.

Will AI replace Public Health careers?

With 48% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $670,855 in decade earnings vs $803,739 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.

Is University of Southern California a hidden gem for Public Health?

After financial aid, the average student pays $127,708 over four years — 53% below the $272,948 sticker price. That gap makes the ROI significantly better than published tuition suggests.