Public Health Schools and MPH Programs in Michigan

Michigan residents who wish to study public health have a number of options. Six public health schools in Michigan offer master’s programs, some of which feature concentrations in various topics including community health, global health, epidemiology, environmental health, biostatistics, health policy and management, social and behavioral health and more. Whether you want to earn a Master of Public Health in Michigan, or go to a Michigan school without having to attend classes on campus, you can choose from on-campus or online MPH programs in Michigan.

Whether you’re interested in biostatistics, epidemiology, or nutrition and wellness, there are multiple concentrations available through these Master of Public Health programs in Michigan accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

Public Health Schools and Highlights in Michigan

The six universities with on-campus, hybrid or online MPH programs in Michigan range from large state universities to smaller schools, and some offer more than one concentration. Michigan is also home to one fully online MPH program.

Andrews University College of Health & Human Services

8975 Old 31, Berrien Springs, MI 49104

Andrews University is in Berrien Springs, close to the urban centers of Detroit, Chicago and Indianapolis. Founded in 1874, the school is faith-based and named for John Nevins Andrews, an important figure in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. U.S. News & World Report has named Andrews one of the most racially and ethnically diverse universities in the country. Andrews offers 67 graduate programs; total enrollment is just under 5,000. Andrews University’s MPH program is fully online and emphasizes vegetarian nutrition. 

Email: mphprogram@andrews.edu

Central Michigan University – The Herbert H. & Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions

1280 E. Campus Drive, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859

Central Michigan University began as the Central Michigan Normal School and Business Institute in 1892. In 2019, it had about 27,000 students on campus in Mount Pleasant and online. The school has about 100 graduate degree programs. The University’s College of Health Professions was established in 1997 and now includes 11 graduate programs. 

Email: mph@cmich.edu

Grand Valley State University 

1 Campus Drive, Allendale, MI 49401-9403

Grand Valley State University was chartered by the Michigan Legislature in 1960 to provide a public, four-year college in Michigan’s second-largest metropolitan region. It educates more than 23,000 students primarily at campuses in Allendale, Grand Rapids and Detroit. Grand Valley State University was ranked No. 3 in Top Public Schools, No. 8 in Most Innovative Schools, and No. 21 in Best Value Schools by U.S. News & World Report. The university emphasizes the ability of its liberal arts education to form critical thinkers and well-rounded leaders. It reports that more than 90% of its graduates are employed or enrolled in a graduate program. Master of Public Health courses are offered at the Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall in downtown Grand Rapids.

Email: brewr@gvsu.edu

Oakland University School of Health Sciences

318 Meadow Brook Road, Rochester, MI 48309

When it was established in 1957, Oakland University (OU) was called Michigan State University – Oakland. It was the first school created with the specific recommendations of junior and senior honors college students at the time. OU’s MPH program is part of the School of Health Sciences. It combines evening courses in a hybrid format with community-based research and service-learning opportunities. A 2020 report by Gradreports.com found that recent OU graduates earn among the highest median salaries in public health fields compared to other recent graduates. 

Email: dallo@oakland.edu

University of Michigan School of Public Health

1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029 

The University of Michigan (U-M) was founded in 1817 as one of the first public universities in the country. U.S. News and World Report ranked University of Michigan–Ann Arbor as one of the best public health schools in the country in 2021. The National Science Foundation continually ranks U-M as the No. 2 research university in the United States. The University of Michigan has more than 51,000 students and 5,600 faculty at campuses in Ann Arbor, Flint and Dearborn), and one of the largest alumni networks in the world. The School of Public Health of the University of Michigan offers five master’s degrees across eight areas of study via both on-campus and online formats, as well as several dual degree programs, a joint program and two undergraduate degree options.

Email: sph-inquiries@umich.edu

Wayne State University School of Medicine

42 West Warren Avenue, Detroit, MI 48202

In the heart of Detroit, Wayne State was founded as the Detroit Medical College in 1868. Today it offers almost more than 300 degrees—including an MPH degree and joint MPH degrees—and is one of the 50 largest public universities in the country. The university’s Public Health Student Organization plans an annual public health week celebration and organizes and participates in public health events in Detroit. Wayne State partners with the University of Michigan and Michigan State University as part of the state’s University Research Corridor.

Email: mphprogram@med.wayne.edu

Online MPH Programs in Michigan 

There are fewer options for an online MPH in Michigan than in other states, but there are still institutions you can attend, especially if you want a hybrid program of online and on-campus learning. 

Andrews University offers a fully online program focusing on vegetarian nutrition and the Seventh-day Adventist worldview. The University of Michigan also offers an online MPH program, though there are fewer concentrations than the school’s on-campus offering. 

Grand Valley State University offers a hybrid model, where students meet on campus one weekend per semester with the rest of the coursework taking place online. 

Public Health Careers Outlook in Michigan 

Projected job growth for public health careers in Michigan is good, though not as strong as the nation overall. Likewise, public health salaries tend to be in line with or lower than the U.S. average. Here is a sampling of jobs, salaries and projected job growth in Michigan and the United States. All data is provided by O*NET OnLine, a website managed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Job TitleMedian Salary in MI, 2020 (Yearly)Avg. Salary in U.S., 2020 (Yearly)Projected Job Growth in MI, 2018–2028Projected Job Growth in U.S., 2019–2029
Biostatisticians
$75,850
$92,270
23%
35%
Health Specialties Professors
$89,270
$99,090
18%
21%
Environmental Health Specialists
$69,000
$73,230
4%
8%
Epidemiologists
$69,890
$74,560
5%
5%
Medical and Health Services Managers /Healthcare Administrators
$95,640
$104,280
7%
32%
Health Educators
$48,890
$56,50
2%
11%
Occupational Health Specialists
$72,850
$76,340
2%
4%
Medical Records and Health Information Technicians
$62,440
$51,840
3%
8%
Dietitians and Nutritionists
$57,560
$63,090
2%
8%
Health Informatics Specialists 
$91,080
$93,730
-2%
7%

Specializations to Consider in Michigan 

Job growth in Michigan from 2018 and 2028 is projected to be greatest for biostatisticians (23%) and health specialties professors (18%), though growth is anticipated in every public health career in Michigan except for health informatics specialists. 

In most cases, national average salaries are a little higher than those in Michigan, except for epidemiologists (almost $2,500 over the national average) and medical records and health information technicians (more than $10,000 over the national average). However, projected job growth for medical records and health information technicians is much less in Michigan than across the United States.

Based on this data, if pay is a priority, it may be worth pursuing a Master of Public Health in Michigan that has a specialty related to biostatistics, health specialties, epidemiology or health informatics.

Organizations to Work for With a Public Health Degree

Below are some organizations in Michigan in which a public health degree may prove useful. 

  • Michigan Public Health Institute: This nonprofit public health institute works with schools, government, community-based organizations and healthcare providers to promote health and well-being in the state, region and nation. 
  • Michigan Department of Health and Human Services: The Department of Health and Human Services acts as an umbrella organization for state programs on everything from assistance to children and family services to public safety and environmental health. 
  • Detroit Health Department: This city health department has been providing public health services to Detroiters for over 100 years, and has led many public health efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also active in initiatives such as making Detroit’s water system lead-free.  
  • Michigan Association for Local Public Health: Unique in the United States, this private, nonprofit state organization was organized to represent Michigan’s 45 city, county and district health departments before the state and federal legislative and executive branches of government.
  • Michigan Public Health Association: Michigan’s affiliate of the American Public Health Association promotes public health throughout the state, sponsors research and communicates on health issues.
  • Henry Ford Health System: This healthcare system, which comprises five hospitals and other locations, offers jobs ranging from community project coordination to grant research and project management.

State Health Information

Almost 10 million people live in Michigan, according to the Census Bureau. The largest cities in the state are Detroit and Grand Rapids. 

Most Michigan residents consider themselves healthy, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) analysis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2013-2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. KFF reported that 14.9% of Michigan adults reported their health as excellent, 32.9% as very good and 33.4% as good. Additionally, Michigan residents’ life expectancy is in line with national averages (78.2 years in Michigan versus 78.7 across the United States).

According to KFF, only 5.8% of Michigan residents are uninsured, with 15.9% on Medicare and another 21.7% on Medicaid. It’s of note that 13.1% of Michigan residents live at or below the federal poverty level.

This page includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA

Information last updated March 2021