Reputation of UMD vs GW for Biostatistics MPH?

[curdled]

So, those are the only two schools I got into. University of Maryland SPH, and Milken Institute SPH (GWU).

Milken is significantly more expensive (about double UMD) but doable w/ loans if I work part time. I'm fine with both of the actual programs themselves in terms of courses offered, but is either one held in significantly higher regard than the other?

Will the school's reputation matter much for an MPH in Biostatistics anyway? I talked to a couple of advisors but didn't get any definite answers.

[bayessays]

For an MPH, you probably care more about the SPH rankings - GWU is a little bit higher, but I don't think it warrants spending tens of thousands more dollars. I'd recommend asking the department and searching LinkedIn for what alums do. MPHs in biostats are relatively rare, so if you want to lean more on the public health side rather than getting a statistician job (for which an MS would be best), there are probably less people here who are familiar with that landscape.