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County health officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a county health officer. County health officers usually study criminal justice, business, or nursing. 56% of county health officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 166 real county health officer resumes to see exactly what county health officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for county health officers are the Howard University and the Howard University.

There are also many online county health officer courses to help get the education required to be a county health officer.

What education do you need to become a county health officer?

What degree do you need to be a county health officer?

The most common degree for county health officers is bachelor's degree, with 56% of county health officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 18% and associate degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 56%
  • Associate, 18%
  • Master's, 8%
  • High School Diploma, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 10%

What should I major in to become a county health officer?

You should major in criminal justice to become a county health officer. 16% of county health officers major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a county health officer include business and nursing.

Most common colleges for county health officers

County health officers often get their degrees at Howard University, Eastern Michigan University, and University of Phoenix. Here are the most common colleges for county health officers in the US based on their resumes.
County health officer common collegePercentages
Howard University10.71%
Eastern Michigan University7.14%
University of Phoenix7.14%
Brigham Young University7.14%
California State University - San Bernardino7.14%

Best majors for county health officers

RankMajorPercentages
1Criminal Justice15.7%
2Business12.0%
3Nursing9.6%
4Law6.0%
5General Studies4.8%

Best colleges for county health officers

The best colleges for county health officers are University of Tulsa, Boston College, and SUNY at Binghamton.

A county health officer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for county health officers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become county health officers.

1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

2. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

5. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

7. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Enrollment

32,072

9. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,464

Enrollment

9,639

10. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

20 best online courses for county health officers

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2. Health Behavior Change: From Evidence to Action

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5. Health for All Through Primary Health Care

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10. Systems Thinking In Public Health

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12. Health Care IT: Challenges and Opportunities

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A strong argument can be made that the health care field is one of the most information-intensive sectors in the U.S. economy and avoidance of the rapid advances in information technology is no longer an option. Consequently, the study of health care information technology and systems has become central to health care delivery effectiveness. This course covers the modern application of information technology that is critical to supporting the vision and operational knowledge of the health care...

13. Foundations of Public Health Practice

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This specialisation will enable you to reflect on and cultivate the behaviours you require to become an effective public health professional –whether as an academic, practitioner, clinician, manager or leader.The specialisation is shaped into four courses covering the origins of public health, health improvement, behaviour change, and health protection. The specialisation will draw upon learning from the Statistics for Public Health and Epidemiology for Public Health specialisations, and builds...

14. Health Care Delivery in Healthcare Organizations

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15. Health Systems Development: Introduction to Health Systems

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17. Public Health in Humanitarian Crises 2

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18. Social Determinants of Health

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19. Human Health Risks, Health Equity, and Environmental Justice

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20. Participatory Approaches in Public Health

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Top 10 most affordable universities for county health officers

The most affordable schools for county health officers are SUNY Farmingdale, brigham young university, and florida international university.

If the best universities for county health officers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for county health officers.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for county health officers

The hardest universities for county health officers to get into are University of Tulsa, Boston College, and SUNY at Binghamton.

Some great schools for county health officers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for county health officers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

2. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

3. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,304

6. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,367

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

8. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

New Brunswick, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

60%

SAT average

1,303

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

Admissions rate

64%

SAT average

1,324

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for county health officers

The easiest schools for county health officers to get into are Nyack College, gwynedd mercy university, and wayland baptist university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a county health officer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for county health officers.

1. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

4. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

5. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

9. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average county health officer salary by education level

County health officers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $38,215 annually. With a Master's degree, county health officers earn a median annual income of $36,562 compared to $34,366 for county health officers with an Bachelor's degree.
County health officer education levelCounty health officer salary
Bachelor's Degree$34,366
No Education$33,737
Some College/ Associate Degree$33,813
Master's Degree$36,562
High School Diploma or Less$28,168

County health officer education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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