Public Health Schools and MPH Programs in Oregon 

Public health focuses on protecting the public from illness, disease, trauma, injury and other threats to wellness. If you live in the state of Oregon and want to pursue a public health degree, a Master of Public Health (MPH) might be a good option. Two MPH programs in Oregon are accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), one offered by the Oregon Health & Science University/Portland State University and the other by Oregon State University. Oregon is also home to a growing public health industry, with job growth for multiple public health careers all set to outpace the national rate.

Students who are moving up the educational ladder may have the initiative to find careers working in public health in an effort to improve the wellness of the people around them. Earning an MPH could be your way of minimizing health risks and helping citizens throughout the state understand and improve their own health and well-being.

Oregon Health & Science University/Portland State University and Oregon State University offer CEPH-accredited MPH programs. Both schools offer MPH programs that can be pursued on campus or online, depending on the concentration. Online MPH programs in Oregon are a great way for students to take part in this popular field without having to rearrange their current living arrangements. Online MPH programs generally take around two or three years to complete and include different daily requirements such as online discussions, quizzes and course projects. Some online MPH programs with no GRE requirement are also available.

The quality of these programs is comparable to traditional degree programs since most share the same teachers as standard in-person classes. These accredited programs are helpful to students who wish to take part in independent learning while still having access to close support from instructors.

Public Health Careers Outlook in Oregon

In the state of Oregon, residents value their health and wellness to a high degree. The whole purpose for public health degree programs is to put students on track for an innovative field that works hard to keep people safe and healthy. One field in particular that moves mountains for public health awareness is epidemiology, which has a projected job growth of 25% in Oregon from 2018 to 2028. This scientific field works to better understand how diseases and illnesses are created, contracted, spread and treated. The knowledge gained about different determinants can contribute to the formation of more effective policies and prevention plans for society. 

Many other public health careers have brighter outlooks in Oregon than they do nationally. For example, health specialties professors, environmental health specialists, epidemiologists, medical and health services managers/healthcare administrators, health educators, occupational health specialists, dietitians and nutritionists, and health informatics specialists earn median salaries in Oregon that are higher than their respective national levels. Within Oregon, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that Washington County experienced the greatest increase in average weekly wages from 2019 to 2020.

The table below reflects the demand and earning potential for public health careers in Oregon, based on data provided by O*NET OnLine.

Job TitleMedian Salary in OR, 2020 (Yearly)Median Salary in U.S., 2020 (Yearly)Projected Job Growth in OR, 2018–2028Projected Job Growth in U.S., 2019–2029
Biostatisticians
$77,760
$92,270
31%
35%
Health Specialties Professors
$139,610
$99,090
23%
21%
Environmental Health Specialists
$81,540
$73,230
18%
8%
Epidemiologists
$77,770
$74,560
25%
5%
Medical and Health Services Managers/Healthcare Administrators
$116,060
$104,280
20%
32%
Health Educators
$62,060
$56,500
16%
11%
Occupational Health Specialists
$79,130
$76,340
12%
4%
Medical Records and Health Information Technicians
$51,610
$51,840
13%
8%
Dietitians and Nutritionists
$72,000
$63,090
14%
8%
Health Informatics Specialists 
$98,390
$93,730
10%
7%

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 July 2021