Estimating the Potential Supply of Newly Trained Data Scientists for Government Public Health Employment
May 5, 2026
In a new article published in Public Health Reports, Estimating the Potential Supply of Newly Trained Data Scientists for Government Public Health Employment, Robert D. Kirkcaldy and colleagues, including ASPPH’s Sarah Gusman and Emily Burke, examine the pipeline of data science graduates and assess their potential to strengthen the governmental public health workforce amid growing data and analytic demands.
Key Findings
- A substantial pool of data science graduates exists
- In 2023, more than 467,000 students graduated with data science related degrees from US institutions, representing a large potential workforce for public health roles.
- Interest in government public health is limited but notable
- Using public health graduates as a proxy, between 8.3% and 15.7% reported entering government public health positions, suggesting a modest but meaningful share of graduates may pursue these roles.
- Potential supply ranges widely
- Based on these estimates, approximately 29,000 to more than 57,000 data science graduates could be eligible for and interested in government public health employment.
- Estimates likely overstate true availability
- The authors note that these projections likely overestimate the workforce supply due to differences in training, interest, and hiring requirements across sectors.
- Workforce gaps may persist despite strong graduate numbers
- Even with a large number of graduates, demand for skilled data scientists in public health may outpace supply, particularly given competition from other industries.
- Upskilling and curriculum changes are critical strategies
- Strengthening current staff skills and aligning academic training with public health needs are key approaches to closing workforce gaps.
Implications
The authors highlight both the opportunity and limitations of relying on newly trained data scientists to meet public health workforce needs. While the educational pipeline is robust, targeted recruitment, workforce development, and stronger alignment between academia and practice will be essential to ensure sufficient capacity. Investments in upskilling and curriculum modernization can help bridge the gap between supply and demand.
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