Europe has a strong public health education and research landscape, with universities offering programs that cover epidemiology, health policy, health promotion, health economics, environmental health, global health, and public health management.
As such, there is much to gain from a public health course in Europe. Here are some of the top universities to learn from:
Top Public Health Schools in Europe
1. London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is a leading public health school in Europe that specializes in research and postgraduate education in public and global health. In the 2025 ShanghaiRanking Global Ranking of Academic Subjects for Public Health, LSHTM ranked 3rd in the world and 1st in the UK. Students are given extensive exposure to public health issues through the university’s network of academics, researchers, and health practitioners.
The MSc Public Health can be completed in one year full-time, or part-time or through split study over two years. The course is divided into taught terms and ends with a project report. Students take core modules and can follow a general pathway or choose a specialist stream.
Streams include areas such as Environment and Health, Health Economics, Health Promotion, Health Services Management, and Health Services Research. These pathways allow students to focus on topics such as environmental determinants of health, health systems, health policy, health promotion, and research methods.
For students interested in related subjects, the university also offers specialized programs such as MSc Public Health for Global Practice, MSc Health Policy, Planning & Financing, and MSc Nutrition for Global Health.
2. University College London
The University College London is one of Europe’s strongest universities for public health. In the 2025 ShanghaiRanking Global Ranking of Academic Subjects for Public Health, UCL ranked 4th in the world. UCL’s public health teaching draws on multidisciplinary expertise and addresses public health problems across local, national, and international settings.
UCL offers an online Master of Public Health that allows students to study public health through a flexible, interactive learning design. The course covers applied epidemiology, statistics, public health practice, group work, and independent study. UCL also offers related graduate programs in areas such as population health, global health, and development.
Students can prepare for careers in public health organizations, policy, research, epidemiology, biostatistics, and related sectors that address population health and public welfare.
3. University of Oxford
As one of the world’s leading universities, the University of Oxford offers graduate programs related to public health, epidemiology, global health, tropical medicine, modeling, and healthcare leadership.
The MSc in Global Health Science and Epidemiology is a one-year, full-time course that provides intensive training in epidemiology and statistics. The MSc in International Health and Tropical Medicine focuses on health challenges in resource-limited contexts. Oxford also offers programs such as MSc Modelling for Global Health and MSc Global Healthcare Leadership.
Course formats differ by program. Some are full-time one-year programs, while the Global Healthcare Leadership program is designed for current healthcare professionals and is delivered part-time. Applicants should check the official course page for each program before applying.
4. Karolinska Institute
The Karolinska Institute in Sweden offers a Master’s Programme in Public Health Sciences. Through a global and multidisciplinary perspective, the program teaches students to use research-based methods to improve public health and quality of life.
The program consists of two years of full-time study and 120 credits. Students choose one of two specializations: Public Health Epidemiology or Health Promotion and Prevention. Both tracks include advanced studies in epidemiology, biostatistics, and methods for evaluating interventions. The program ends with a thesis related to the chosen specialization.
5. University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen in Denmark offers a Master of Science in Global Health. The program helps students understand the determinants that affect human health and disease, from individual-level factors to social, political, economic, environmental, and cultural influences.
The program is a two-year, English-taught degree. Teaching includes lectures, case-based group work, fieldwork, and research projects. The curriculum includes compulsory courses, electives or specialization, a country exposure course, and a thesis. Students can specialize in tracks such as policy, financing and health care systems; disease burden; e-health and ICT in health; disaster risk management; or a generalist track.
Graduates may pursue careers in policy, research, consulting, development organizations, government agencies, NGOs, and international organizations.
6. City St George’s, University of London.
City St George’s, University of London offers an MPH Public Health program designed to prepare students to investigate, evaluate, and respond to complex public health challenges.
The MPH is available with multiple start dates and can be studied through campus-based and online options. The program includes taught modules and a dissertation, with full-time and part-time study options available.
7. Imperial College London
Imperial College London offers a Master of Public Health that develops students’ understanding of epidemiology, biostatistics, and health research methods. Imperial also offers an online Master of Public Health for students who need a fully online format.
The program is designed to build research and analytical skills for public health careers. Students study core public health methods and apply them to real public health problems across health systems, services, and populations.
We hope that this article on the Best Universities for Public Health in Europe was helpful. Make sure to also check out the Programs in Europe for International Students!
