How much debt do Chapman University public health graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $23,250, which ranks 13th lowest of 16 public health bachelor's programs in California. That works out to about $246 a month over 10 years.

Is a public health degree from Chapman University worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 93% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 63%. Compare the cost with other California programs before deciding.

Chapman University Public Health (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do Chapman University public health graduates stay in California?

Most do. 76% (41 of 54) were working in California one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Public Health
Private nonprofit university
Orange, CA
About 103 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Chapman University public health graduates earn less than graduates of most public health programs nationally, $25,007 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $23,250 in federal loans, close to the national median of $25,000. Several California programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$25,0071st percentile of 186 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$76,156205% more than year one

Median federal debt$23,25013th lowest of 16 California programs

Debt-to-earnings93%California median 42%, national 63%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The California and national columns are the medians across all public health bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	Chapman University	California	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$25,007	$39,078	$37,516
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$76,156	$63,083	$56,608
Median federal debt at graduation	$23,250	$15,265	$25,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	93%	42%	63%
Programs compared		16	186

Five years out, Chapman University graduates earn more than the national figure and about $13,074 more than the California median.

Debt and first-year pay at every California public health program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the California medians.

Chapman UniversityOther California programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 205% between the first and fifth year.

Chapman University grads, year 1$25,007

Chapman University grads, year 5$76,156

All California public health grads, year 5$63,083

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Does family income change the outcome?

Graduates who received Pell Grants, which go to students from lower-income families, earned $8,382 less in their first year than other graduates. They also borrowed more. Students who expect to rely on grants should weigh this gap.

Pell Grant recipients, year 1 earnings$21,457Median debt $25,000

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$29,839Median debt $22,250

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $246 a month, or 11.8% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (54 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	20% or less
Paying down the balance	20% or less
Paused payments (forbearance)	20% or less
In default	20% or less

The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual. Separately, 53 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $41,809.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

76% of graduates (41 of 54) were working in California one year after graduating. Prices in the Los Angeles area are about 14% above the national average, so a $25,007 salary here buys what about $22,020 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to public health, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Medical and Health Services Managers

$141,480

Median pay in California. 75,090 people work in this job in California. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 24% from 2025 to 2035, with about 62,300 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus less than 5 years of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $72,800Top 10%: $274,660

Compliance Officers

$96,980

Median pay in California. 49,880 people work in this job in California. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 32,700 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $57,530Top 10%: $158,280

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists

$136,990

Median pay in California. 29,830 people work in this job in California. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 13% from 2025 to 2035, with about 10,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: doctoral or professional degree.

Bottom 10%: $81,320Top 10%: $180,060

Occupational Health and Safety Specialists

$102,840

Median pay in California. 16,230 people work in this job in California. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 19% from 2025 to 2035, with about 17,100 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $59,760Top 10%: $161,300

About Chapman University

Tuition and fees	$64,984 / year
Average net price after aid	$46,555 / year
Admission rate	65%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	82%
Undergraduate students	7,478

Public Health ranks 17th of 22 bachelor's programs at Chapman University by first-year earnings. The top three are Accounting ($70,362), Computer Science ($67,125), and Business Administration ($55,657).

Other public health bachelor's programs near Orange

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Chapman UniversityOrange, CA · private nonprofit		$25,007	$23,250
Cal State FullertonFullerton, CA · public	6 mi	$34,909	$13,500
UC IrvineIrvine, CA · public	10 mi	$35,463	$17,285
Cal State Long BeachLong Beach, CA · public	15 mi	$32,880	$13,480
Cal State LALos Angeles, CA · public	26 mi	$40,750	$12,500
California Baptist UniversityRiverside, CA · private nonprofit	26 mi	$46,263	$35,287
USCLos Angeles, CA · private nonprofit	29 mi	$36,300	$15,250
CSUNNorthridge, CA · public	50 mi	$39,011	$14,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $25,007 one year after graduating and $76,156 five years after. The median across public health bachelor's programs in California is $39,078.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of California comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the public health program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Public Health bachelor's programs in California, ranked16 programs by pay and debt Public Health bachelor's programs in the US, ranked186 programs by pay and debt All Chapman University programs, ranked23 programs by pay and debt