Get to Know Boston
If you’re interested in public health, then Boston is the city for you. The city has been the epicenter of research, innovation, and leadership in the field for generations. Boston’s commitment to public health manifests itself in healthcare, biotech, and pioneering nonprofit and government programs. Boston-area public health organizations have been responsible for leading-edge programs advancing healthcare policy and reform, teen relationships, addiction services, homelessness, and violence prevention.
As an SPH student, you’ll find that Boston is a vibrant living laboratory, offering rich opportunities for observation, research, and participation. You’ll collaborate with public and private partners in the area, helping to reshape the public health agenda to address historic inequities and prioritize what matters most to the health of populations.
Why Boston is at the frontier of public health
- Home to the first public health department in the country
- Consistently receives the highest amount of annual funding from the National Institutes of Health of any city in the country
- Supports 14 teaching hospitals, including SPH neighbor Boston Medical Center, a merger of BU Medical Center Hospital and Boston City Hospital—the first municipal hospital in the US
- Location of Boston University’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories—also an SPH neighbor
- Host to hundreds of community health organizations and global health-related NGOs
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