Best Online Public Health Programs in Waco, TX (2026)

Waco, Texas has 5 accredited schools offering public health programs, with tuition ranging from $58,100 to $74,226 per year for indexed programs. Waco has a population of about 141,925. Median household income is $51,468 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Waco, TX metro area, the top-earning public health-related role is Medical and Health Services Manager at a median $104,840 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Public Health Schools to Waco

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public health programs near Waco, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Waco city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Waco. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

McLennan Community College

Waco, TX 2.4 miles from Waco BOC Score 53.3
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,163
Avg net price $5,051/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Baylor University

Waco, TX 2.5 miles from Waco BOC Score 70.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 51%
Graduation rate 80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,793
Avg net price $41,104/yr
Tuition
In‑state$58,100
Out‑of‑state$58,100
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Southern Careers Institute-Waco

Waco, TX 2.5 miles from Waco BOC Score 30.2
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $27,035
Avg net price $23,140/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Texas State Technical College

Waco, TX 7.9 miles from Waco BOC Score 47.6
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,916
Avg net price $13,508/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 76

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Texas schools on the Texas public health page.


Public Health Wages Near Waco

Waco is part of the Waco, TX metro area (BLS area code 47380). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Texas statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Epidemiologist$77,170TX statewide$83,427
Health Education Specialist$60,320Waco, TX$65,211
Medical and Health Services Manager$104,840Waco, TX$113,341
Community Health Worker$48,290Waco, TX$52,205

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Waco at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population141,925Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$51,468Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+28.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)92.5 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Waco-Area Cities With Public Health Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public health schools are near Waco, TX?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public health programs near Waco. The closest is Baylor University in Waco, TX (2.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is The University of Texas at Arlington (81.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying public health roles near Waco?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public health-related roles near Waco are: Medical and Health Services Manager ($104,840), Epidemiologist ($77,170), Health Education Specialist ($60,320). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Texas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Temple instead of Waco?

Temple, TX is 33.4 miles from Waco and has its own set of local public health programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Waco an affordable place to study public health?

Waco’s median household income of $51,468 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Waco while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Texas public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Public Health Programs

Other Programs Available in Waco

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Waco:

Data verified: July 30, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.