Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

What Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health does

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is a private graduate school within Harvard University, founded in 1922 as the Harvard-MIT School of Health Officers and renamed in 2014 following a $350 million gift from the T.H. Chan estate — the largest single gift ever to a school of public health. The school operates from its Boston campus in the Longwood Medical Area with 1,001–5,000 employees, including nearly 500 faculty and 100+ research scientists organized across departments such as Biostatistics, Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Global Health and Population, Nutrition, and Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Its core offerings are graduate degree programs (35 in total) — primarily the Master of Public Health (MPH) in 45-, 65-, and online generalist variants; the Master of Science (SM) in 42.5, 60, and 80-credit variants; and the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) — plus the Master in Health Care Management (MHCM). In April 2026 the school launched the Advanced Learning Academy (ALA), consolidating and expanding non-degree executive education under a five-stage lifelong learning framework spanning pre-professional to executive levels, with over 30 courses in development. Research is conducted at scale, including large-scale whole-genome sequencing (e.g., 1,094 Anopheles darlingi genomes across six South American countries) and the Sentinel infectious disease surveillance project, which reached 53 of 54 African countries by November 2024.

The school's revenue derives from tuition ($38,700–$77,400 per year for degree programs), federal research grants (the school is Harvard's most federally dependent school), philanthropy and endowed gifts, and a small number of large programmatic grants such as the $100 million MacArthur Foundation 100&Change award in November 2024. Distribution is hybrid: on-campus programs at the Boston campus, fully online programs (MPH-GEN, SM-60 online), hybrid formats (MPH-EPI), and international fieldwork. The school markets to prospective students through a multi-channel approach including its website, Harvard Gazette coverage, social channels (YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Threads), admissions webinars, and alumni-driven community engagement across a 16,000+ alumni network.

Name

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Legal name

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Website

https://hsph.harvard.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is a private Harvard graduate school in Boston offering 35 degree programs and executive education across public health disciplines, serving students, professionals, and global research partners through on-campus, online, and field-based programs supported by tuition, federal grants, and philanthropy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Schools of Public Health (EDAHAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health Administration & Health Policy Schools (MHA/MPH Policy) (EDAHAGAL), Medical Schools (MD/DO Granting) (EDAHAGAB), Nutrition & Dietetics Schools (EDAHAGAK)

Keywords

• Public health education
• Graduate degree programs
• Epidemiology research
• Global health training
• Biostatistics research

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from tuition for degree programs including MPH, SM, DrPH, and non-degree programs. Tuition rates for 2026-2027 range from $38,700 to $77,400 per year depending on program
2. Federal Research Grants: Significant federal funding for research activities, though facing disruptions from federal policy changes
3. Philanthropy and Donations: Annual giving, major gifts, endowed scholarships, fellowships, named professorships, and legacy gifts from alumni and supporters
4. MacArthur Foundation Grant: $100 million 100&Change grant awarded to the Sentinel infectious disease surveillance project

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health offers graduate-level degree programs (MPH, SM, DrPH, MHCM) and the Advanced Learning Academy for non-degree continuing education in public health disciplines including epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, nutrition, and global health. The school combines rigorous academic instruction with hands-on research opportunities, on-campus, online, and international fieldwork formats. It also conducts large-scale public health research supported by federal grants and philanthropic funding.

Product overview

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is an educational institution offering a portfolio of graduate degree programs and continuing education. The core offerings include Master of Public Health (MPH) programs in multiple formats (45-credit, 65-credit, and online generalist), Master of Science (SM) programs, the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) doctoral program, and the Master in Health Care Management (MHCM). These degree programs are organized through academic departments including Biostatistics, Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Global Health and Population, Nutrition, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. The Advanced Learning Academy (ALA) provides non-degree executive education and professional development courses. The institution does not offer a technology product platform but rather educational services delivered through campus-based, online, and hybrid formats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master of Public Health (MPH) The Master of Public Health is a graduate-level degree program training professionals in public health practice, offered in multiple formats including 45-credit, 65-credit, and online generalist variants. It targets prospective graduate students pursuing careers in public health practice.
• Master of Science (SM) Master of Science degree programs providing advanced scientific training in public health disciplines including 42.5, 60, and 80-credit options. Targets students seeking research-focused graduate training.
• Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Doctoral-level professional degree program for public health leaders focusing on advanced practice and implementation. It is intended for experienced professionals pursuing senior leadership roles in public health.
• Master in Health Care Management (MHCM) Part-time, cohort-based master's program training healthcare executives in management and leadership. It targets working healthcare professionals seeking management credentials.
• Advanced Learning Academy (ALA) Non-degree education program consolidating and expanding lifelong learning offerings under a five-stage framework spanning from pre-professional to executive levels. It serves working health professionals seeking continuing education without committing to a full degree program.
• Non-Degree Course Enrollment Individual course enrollment option for non-degree students priced at $1,720 per credit, allowing flexible engagement with Harvard Chan courses without enrolling in a full degree program.

Quantifiable outcome

• 62% reduction in type 2 diabetes risk with combined aerobic activity, strength training, and limited sedentary behavior
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, major and minor.

• Broad InstituteflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024Co-founding partner of the Sentinel project for infectious disease surveillance in West Africa. The Sentinel project is based at the Broad Institute and Institute of Genomics and Global Health in Nigeria, with co-founders Pardis Sabeti and Christian Happi serving as faculty at Harvard Chan School.
• Institute of Genomics and Global Health (Nigeria)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024Primary location for the Sentinel project, working with frontline health workers to detect and contain epidemics across 53 of 54 African countries since 2020.
• Brigham and Women's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on research analyzing 143,715 adults over 19.2 years on exercise and diabetes risk reduction.
• Centre for Addiction and Mental HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublished joint review reconciling conflicting findings on alcohol's health effects, identifying 60+ diseases attributable to alcohol consumption.
• Ben-Gurion University of the NegevcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research on abdominal fat and brain aging using MRI scans of 533 adults over 16 years.
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint study on ICATT pharmacy-based public-private model that facilitated 49.2 million COVID-19 tests across 16,000 sites.
• Mass General BrighamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-authored study with 353 participants on improving new mothers' access to primary care to reduce ER visits.
• Apple Inc.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSix years of collaborative research on perimenopause detection using Apple Watch sleep data combined with cycle tracking, based on Harvard study of 338 women.
• de Beaumont FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducted survey of 2,205 U.S. adults revealing declining trust in public health officials (CDC trust dropped from 75% to 50% between 2022-2025).
• Culinary Institute of AmericamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted inaugural Food is Life, Food is Health summit in Napa, California with nearly 400 attendees from healthcare foodservice, nutrition, and public health sectors. Next edition scheduled May 5-7, 2027.
• Stanford MedicinemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Food is Life, Food is Health summit exploring culinary skill and evidence-based research for human and planetary health.
• Stanford Doerr School of SustainabilitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Food is Life, Food is Health summit focused on sustainability and health connections.
• International WELL Building Institute (IWBI)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerIWBI CEO Rachel Hodgdon speaking at Aspen Ideas: Health on healthy building design and public health outcomes.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• NIH Fogarty International Center: U.S. federal agency that funds global health research and training, including many of Harvard Chan's international faculty and trainees. Acts as both a key funder and adjacent institution in the same global health research ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: The leading U.S. peer school of public health, offering MPH, DrPH, and PhD programs with comparable research scale, faculty depth, and federal funding profile. Directly competes with Harvard Chan for top applicants, faculty, and NIH grants.
• Columbia Mailman School of Public Health: Ivy League peer offering MPH, MS, DrPH, and dual degrees across biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health, and health policy. Competes directly with Harvard Chan for the same applicant pool in the Northeast.
• University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health: Top-5 accredited school of public health offering MPH, MS, DrPH, and PhD programs with similar departmental structure (epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, nutrition, health policy). Competes for the same federal research grants and doctoral applicants.
• Emory Rollins School of Public Health: Major peer school with strengths in epidemiology, global health, and infectious disease, closely aligned with Harvard Chan's research portfolio. Competes for CDC-affiliated faculty, federal grants, and global health students.
• University of Michigan School of Public Health: Large public peer school offering comparable MPH, MS, and PhD programs with similar departmental structure. Competes for the same mid-career and doctoral applicants, particularly in biostatistics and health policy.
• UC Berkeley School of Public Health: Top West Coast peer offering MPH, MS, DrPH, and PhD programs across epidemiology, environmental health, and health policy. Comparable in research output and applicant selectivity, with a similar focus on health equity.
• University of Washington School of Public Health: Major research-intensive peer with strengths in global health, health metrics, and biostatistics (home of IHME). Directly comparable in scale, federal funding profile, and degree portfolio.

Regional players

• Boston University School of Public Health: Boston-area peer offering MPH, MS, and DrPH programs with overlapping faculty networks in the Longwood Medical Area. Same geographic talent market and applicant pool, but smaller scale and brand.
• London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine: Premier global peer school of public health based in the UK with comparable research depth in epidemiology, global health, and infectious disease. Does not directly compete in the U.S. degree market but competes for global faculty, grants, and international students.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/HarvardPublicHealth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/edu/school?id=20305&trk=tyah
• Instagraminstagram.com/harvardchansph
• TikToktiktok.com/@harvardchanschool
• Xx.com/HarvardHSPH
• Facebookfacebook.com/harvardpublichealth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health