Public Health: Oakland University vs Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Side-by-side ROI comparison · Bachelor's Degree
Return on Investment
10-year earnings ÷ tuition · higher is better
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, MI
In-State
10.7x
$58,776 tuition
9.7x
$68,956 tuition
Out-of-State
6.8x
$92,752 tuition
4.6x
$144,004 tuition
$629,828 10-yr earnings · Public
$665,471 10-yr earnings · Public

Head-to-Head

Oakland University Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 10.7x 9.7x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 6.8x 4.6x
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $58,776 $68,956
Year 1 Earnings $59,330 $45,408
10-Year Earnings $630K $665K
Median Debt $31,000 $24,000
Debt-to-Earnings Ratio 6.3 months 6.3 months
DegreeWorth Score (In-State) 60/100 54/100
Acceptance Rate 70.2% 65.3%

Both programs have high AI automation risk (48% task exposure) — the same career paths apply to Public Health graduates regardless of school. See full AI analysis →

ROI Breakdown

How tuition costs translate into long-term earnings for Public Health graduates.

Oakland University Rutgers University-New Brunswick
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $58,776 $68,956
4-Year Tuition (Out-of-State) $92,752 $144,004
10-Year Projected Earnings $630K $665K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 10.7x 9.7x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 6.8x 4.6x
5-Year Salary Growth +23% +61%

"Earnings Multiple" = projected 10-year earnings ÷ 4-year tuition. Higher is better. Not a discounted financial ROI.

AI Disruption Scenarios

Both schools share identical AI exposure for Public Health (same career paths). The score differences below reflect how each school's earnings and ROI hold up under stress.

Oakland University Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Optim. Base Pessim. Optim. Base Pessim.
10-Year Earnings $636K $630K $559K $673K $665K $584K
Earnings Multiple (IS) 10.8x 10.7x 9.5x 9.8x 9.7x 8.5x
DegreeWorth Score 60 60 53 55 54 48

For the full AI analysis of Public Health career paths, see the Oakland University or Rutgers University-New Brunswick program pages.

Earnings Trajectory Comparison

Projected annual earnings for Public Health graduates. Year 1 uses actual reported data.

Tuition Gap (In-State)
$10,180
Oakland University saves you this
Year 1 Earnings Gap
$13,922/yr
Oakland University grads earn more
ROI Range (In-State)
10.7x / 9.7x
Out-of-state: 6.8x / 4.6x

Career Paths

Public Health graduates from both schools map to the same career paths. Differences in earnings reflect school prestige, location, and employer networks.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Physicists $166,290 1,700 +4.0% 75%
Medical and health services managers $117,960 62,100 +23.2% 43%
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary $105,620 27,400 +17.3% 48%
Medical scientists, except epidemiologists $100,590 9,600 +8.7% 52%
Genetic counselors $98,910 300 +9.3% 50%
Physics teachers, postsecondary $97,360 1,300 +2.5% 42%
Epidemiologists $83,980 800 +16.2% 44%
Occupational health and safety specialists $83,910 14,900 +12.5% 33%
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for Public Health: Oakland University or Rutgers University-New Brunswick?
Oakland University scores 60/100 while Rutgers University-New Brunswick scores 54/100. Oakland University has significantly lower tuition, which drives its higher ROI. The best choice depends on whether you prioritize raw earnings or return on investment.
Which school has better ROI for Public Health?
Oakland University has an in-state earnings multiple of 10.7x vs Rutgers University-New Brunswick's 9.7x. That means Oakland University grads earn more per dollar spent on tuition.
How do Oakland University and Rutgers University-New Brunswick compare on Public Health earnings?
Year 1 median earnings are $59,330 at Oakland University vs $45,408 at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. Over 10 years, the projected totals are $629,828 vs $665,471 — a difference of $35,643.
How much does Public Health cost at each school?
Four-year in-state tuition is $58,776 at Oakland University and $68,956 at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. Median debt at graduation is $31,000 vs $24,000. Both programs lead to the same Public Health career paths — the cost difference is the main factor in ROI.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.