First-Destination Outcomes for 2015–2018 Public Health Graduates: Focus on Employment

Abstract

Objectives: To improve understanding of the future public health workforce by analyzing first-destination employment outcomes of public health graduates. Methods: We assessed graduate outcomes for those graduating in 2015–2018 using descriptive statistics and the Pearson χ2 test. Results: In our analysis of data on 53 463 graduates, we found that 73% were employed; 15% enrolled in further education; 5% entered a fellowship, internship, residency, volunteer, or service program; and 6% were not employed. Employed graduates went to work in health care (27%), corporations (24%), academia (19%), government (17%), nonprofit (12%), and other sectors (1%). In 2018, 9% of bachelor’s, 4% of master’s, and 2% of doctoral graduates were not employed but seeking employment. Conclusions: Today’s public health graduates are successful in finding employment in various sectors. This new workforce may expand public health’s reach and lead to healthier communities overall. Public Health Implications: With predicted shortages in the governmental public health workforce and expanding hiring because of COVID-19, policymakers need to work to ensure the supply of public health graduates meets the demands of the workforce.