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2023 Best Online Health Care Management Degrees

By OnlineU Staff Writers | Updated 6/2/2023
2023 Best Online Bachelor's Degrees in Healthcare Management Badge

An online bachelor’s in healthcare management is designed for students and healthcare professionals looking to assume managerial and leadership roles in healthcare facilities. These programs explore finance, economics, and employee relations from a healthcare perspective. With an online bachelor’s in healthcare management, students develop the skills and business practices necessary to succeed with a career in healthcare management. Some of the most common core courses these programs offer are Ethics in Healthcare Management, Quality in Healthcare, and Leadership in Healthcare. To graduate, students usually need to complete a practicum, internship, and capstone course. Graduates may pursue careers like human resources coordinators, clinical directors, and medical records supervisors.

Explore similar programs to an online bachelor’s in healthcare management, such as healthcare administration and management degrees. View our methodology for more details about our lists or learn about OnlineU.

2023 Best Online Bachelor's Degrees in Healthcare Management Badge
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Online Healthcare Management Bachelor's Degrees You May Be Interested In


#1 Ottawa University Online

  • Salary Score: 99
  • Median Starting Salary: $58,931
  • Locations: Ottawa (KS)
  • Accreditation: HLC

Ottawa University Online (OU) — a private, nonprofit, American Baptist institution — offers an online Bachelor of Arts in Health Care Management with two tracks: (1) Clinical and (2) Non-Clinical. Both of these tracks are between 48-52 hours, which can take part-time and full-time students anywhere from 2-3 years to finish. Both online programs offer four concentrations, such as Economics and Human Resources.

OU facilitates asynchronous and synchronous online learning on the learning management system (LMS) Blackboard. A bachelor’s in healthcare management covers healthcare's financial, economic, and budgeting aspects. Sample courses are Health Care Law and Ethics, Quality in Health Care, and Management of Health Care Organizations. Both program tracks also require a seminar. Potential career opportunities include case managers, human resources coordinators, and insurance specialists.

#2 University of Cincinnati

  • Salary Score: 99
  • Median Starting Salary: $57,367
  • Locations: Cincinnati (OH) (and 1 other)
  • Accreditation: HLC

At the University of Cincinnati (UC), a public institution, prospective students can pursue an online Bachelor of Technical and Applied Studies - Healthcare Leadership totaling 60 credit hours. It can take two years for full-time students to complete this program.

UC students complete their coursework online in asynchronous and synchronous formats through the LMS Canvas. This program is designed for healthcare professionals who are looking to advance their expertise in their preferred practice area. The program’s core courses include Healthcare Delivery Systems, Leadership Strategies in Healthcare, and Interpersonal Connections in the Workplace. An internship and a capstone course are also required for graduation. Then, alumni may pursue careers like practice managers, medical records supervisors, and healthcare managers.

#3 Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

  • Salary Score: 98
  • Median Starting Salary: $56,266
  • Locations: Lubbock (TX)
  • Accreditation: SACS COC

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), a public institution, offers an online Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management that requires 54-120 credit hours. Full-time students can spend 2-4 years completing this program online. It has two concentrations: (1) Executive Management and (2) Healthcare Professional.

At TTUHSC, distance learners complete their coursework asynchronously and synchronously via the Blackboard LMS. The program provides students with the skills, knowledge, and capabilities to assume leadership roles in healthcare settings. Community Health Issues, Healthcare Strategy and Marketing, and Healthcare Financial Management are some sample courses. Students are required to complete the course Interprofessional Health Graduation before they can graduate and enters careers as research managers, directors of social services, and coding specialists.

#4 University of New Hampshire College of Professional Studies

  • Salary Score: 97
  • Median Starting Salary: $53,940
  • Locations: Concord (NH)
  • Accreditation: NECHE

Granite State College is a public institution that offers an online Bachelor of Science in Health Care Management, requiring 48-120 credit hours. Full-time students can expect to spend 2-4 years completing this program.

Granite facilitates asynchronous and synchronous online learning via Canvas. A bachelor’s in healthcare management delivers coursework on the best practices and skills for managing a healthcare facility. The program’s courses are Population Health, Managing Conflict, and Informatics for Health Professionals. An integrative capstone course is also required. Graduates may go on to pursue job roles as practice administrators, outpatient managers, and nursing supervisors.

#5 Capella University

  • Salary Score: 95
  • Median Starting Salary: $52,610
  • Locations: Minneapolis (MN)
  • Accreditation: HLC

Capella University is a private, for-profit institution offering an online Bachelor of Science in Business - Health Care Management, which totals 180 quarter credit hours. This full-time business program takes approximately four years.

Capella students complete coursework asynchronously and synchronously through the LMS Blackboard. The healthcare emphasis provides students with the skills and knowledge to make a significant impact with a healthcare management career. Some of the program’s courses include Fundamentals of Leadership, Cultural Competence in Health Care, and Evidence-Based Health Care Management. Students must complete a capstone course to graduate. Prospective careers for alums are chief executive officers, medical directors, and case managers.

#6 University of Minnesota - Online

  • Salary Score: 95
  • Median Starting Salary: $52,474
  • Locations: Minneapolis (MN) (and 4 others)
  • Accreditation: HLC

The University of Minnesota Online is based in Crookston (UMC) and is a public institution offering an online Bachelor of Science in Health Management that helps prepare students to plan, direct, and coordinate medical health services in various settings. Graduating requires completing 120 credits, which generally takes four years of full-time attendance. UMC is competitive, accepting just under half of applicants, and has a 52% graduation rate.

UMC delivers its online program content and instruction via Canvas. The online health management curriculum includes technology, management, leadership, and healthcare-related classes. Distance learners enroll in courses such as Performance Improvement in Health Care, Health Care Finance, Health Care Law and Biomedical Ethics, and Supervision and Leadership.

#7 Waldorf University

  • Salary Score: 95
  • Median Starting Salary: $52,459
  • Locations: Forest City (IA)
  • Accreditation: HLC

Iowa's Waldorf University (WU) is a private, for-profit institution offering an online Bachelor of Arts in Health Care Management to help students become effective mid-level healthcare managers in this growing field and prepare for graduate studies. This 120-credit program takes full-time students approximately four years to complete. WU also offers an online Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Administration - Health Care Management. WU has a 72% acceptance and a 54% graduation rate.

WU delivers its online curriculum via Blackboard. Online health care management curriculum courses include Comparative Health Systems, Long-Term Care Management, Research Methods for Health Professionals, and Risk Management in Health Care.

#8 Oregon Institute of Technology

  • Salary Score: 94
  • Median Starting Salary: $51,687
  • Locations: Klamath Falls (OR)
  • Accreditation: NWCCU

The Oregon Institute of Technology (Oregon Tech) is a public institution in Klamath Falls offering an online Bachelor of Science in Health Care Management with Administrative, Clinical, and Radiologic Sciences concentration options, depending on career goals. The Administrative option, for example, includes Medical Sociology, Psychology, and Health Data Analytics tracks. Graduating requires approximately 121 credits and generally takes full-time students four years. Oregon Tech accepts 91% of applicants, and 51% of students graduate.

Oregon Tech delivers online coursework and instruction via Canvas. Depending on the option, healthcare management distance learners take classes such as Total Quality Health Care, Medical Sociology, Health Care Information Systems Management, and Ethics in the Professions. This online degree program culminates in a senior project.

#9 National Louis University

  • Salary Score: 90
  • Median Starting Salary: $49,720
  • Locations: Chicago (IL)
  • Accreditation: HLC

Chicago's National Louis University (NLU) is a private, nonprofit, Hispanic-serving institution offering an online Bachelor of Science in Health Care Leadership designed to accommodate the unique scheduling needs of working professionals. Students can choose from concentrations such as Health Services Administration, Long-Term Care Administration, and Public Policy. Students complete 120 credits, which generally takes four years of full-time enrollment. NLU accepts 97% of applicants, and 50% of students graduate with degrees.

NLU uses Desire2Learn (D2L) to deliver its online programming to distance learners. Depending on the concentration, online healthcare leadership students participate in courses such as Resident Services Management and Quality Care, Strategic Analysis and Planning in Health Care, Urban Inequality and Social Change, and Public Health Systems.

#10 Colorado State University Global

  • Salary Score: 86
  • Median Starting Salary: $48,123
  • Locations: Greenwood Village (CO)
  • Accreditation: HLC

Colorado State University Global (CSU Global) is a public institution offering an online Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration and Management, with concentrations such as Organizational Leadership, Emergency Management, Public and Non-Profit Management, and Data Management and Analysis. Graduating requires completing 120 credits, and it generally takes full-time students at least four years to finish. Some students may enroll dually in this online bachelor's program and CSU's online master's in healthcare administration to finish both degrees faster. CSU Global accepts 96% of applicants, and 46% of students graduate with degrees.

CSU Global provides access to Canvas so students can access its online program curriculum. Depending on the concentration, healthcare administration and management distance learners take courses such as Data Mining, Leading Teams in Organizations, Comprehensive Emergency Planning, and Public Administration.

#11 East Carolina University

  • Salary Score: 82
  • Median Starting Salary: $46,750
  • Locations: Greenville (NC)
  • Accreditation: SACS COC

East Carolina University (ECU) in Greenville is a public institution offering an online Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management (HIM) as the only program in North Carolina accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). This 120-credit program takes full-time students approximately four years to complete. An online Bachelor of Science in Health Services Management (Hybrid) is also offered for students who want some face-to-face instruction. ECU has a 94% acceptance and a 68% graduation rate.

ECU's distance learners access Canvas for online coursework and instruction. Those enrolled in the online HIM program engage with peers and instructors in classes such as Health Care Delivery Systems, Health Data Management, Managing the Health of Populations, and Classification Systems in Health Care. A five-credit allied health management experience is also required to graduate.

#12 The College of Saint Scholastica

  • Salary Score: 81
  • Median Starting Salary: $46,420
  • Locations: Duluth (MN)
  • Accreditation: HLC

The College of Saint Scholastica (CSS) in Duluth, Minnesota, is a private, Roman Catholic-faith-based institution offering an online Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics and Information Management for students who want to develop skills in using information to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the healthcare industry. This 120-credit program generally takes four years of full-time study and culminates in a Professional Practice Experience. CSS has a 74% acceptance rate and a higher-than-average 73% of students graduate with degrees.

CSS provides access to Brightspace so online learners can access their academic programs remotely. The online health informatics and information management degree program courses include Introduction to Medicolegal Issues, Classification of Clinical Data, Health Data Analytics, and Alternative Health Records Systems.

#13 Bellevue University

  • Salary Score: 79
  • Median Starting Salary: $45,934
  • Locations: Bellevue (NE)
  • Accreditation: HLC

Nebraska's Bellevue University (BU) is a private, nonprofit institution offering an accelerated online Bachelor of Science in Health Science that helps prepare students for various healthcare specialties, medical school, or pre-professional programs. Graduating requires completing 127 credits total and generally takes full-time students four years. BU also offers an online Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management as an accelerated cohort degree-completion program. BU has an open admission policy, accepts all applicants, and has a 51% graduation rate.

BU uses Canvas for online curriculum delivery. Health science distance learners take courses such as Understanding Health Research, Medical Ethics and Leadership, Normal Aging and Disease Changes, and Human Development. All BU students must also complete nine credits in the Kirkpatrick Signature Series, including American Vision and Values, Tradition and Change, and Freedom and Responsibility.

#14 Southern New Hampshire University Online

  • Salary Score: 78
  • Median Starting Salary: $45,661
  • Locations: Manchester (NH)
  • Accreditation: NECHE

New England's Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) online is a public institution offering an online Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management. Graduating requires completing 120 credits and allows students to transfer up to 90 credits into the program and receive credit for certificates in fields such as medical billing and coding. As a result, full-time students may be able to finish this online degree program in as little as two years. SNHU also offers an online Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration. SNHU has a 94% acceptance and a 40% graduation rate.

SNHU uses Brightspace to deliver its online curriculum. The online health information management program courses include Healthcare Data Management, Communication and Technologies, Healthcare Quality Management, and Computer Platform Technologies. Completing a professional practical experience is also required. The curriculum also helps prepare students for the Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) credential exam.

#15 Davenport University

  • Salary Score: 66
  • Median Starting Salary: $42,980
  • Locations: Grand Rapids (MI)
  • Accreditation: HLC

Davenport University (DU) in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is a private, nonprofit institution offering an online Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management that combines information technology, business, problem-solving, and management skills through courses aligned with Quality Matters. Specialties include Cancer Tumor Registry, Global Project Management, and Revenu Management. Students complete 120 credits, which typically takes four years to finish. An online Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management: Completion is also available for students with at least 60 transfer credits and may be completed in as little as a year. DU has a 98% acceptance rate, and 38% of students graduate with degrees.

DU delivers online coursework and instruction via Blackboard. Depending on the specialty, HIM distance learners take classes such as Oncology Treatment and Coding, Project Scheduling with Agile, Corporate Finance, and Abstracting Methods. The curriculum helps prepare students for the RHIA exam.

#16 Franklin University

  • Salary Score: 61
  • Median Starting Salary: $41,982
  • Locations: Columbus (OH)
  • Accreditation: HLC

Columbus, Ohio's Franklin University (FU) is a private nonprofit institution offering a customizable online Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management based on interests and career goals. Students can also integrate a microcredentials program in Healthcare Ethical Principles into this program. Graduating requires 120 credits, and students may transfer up to 75% of these credits into the program. Therefore, full-time students may be able to finish in approximately two years. Courses are 6 and 12 weeks. FU has an open admission policy, so it accepts 100% of applicants. It has a 41% graduation rate.

FU uses BlueQuill to deliver its online curriculum to distance learners. Online healthcare management courses include Legal Aspects of Healthcare Management, Healthcare Law and Ethics, Introduction to Public Health, and Healthcare Financial Management. This program culminates in a capstone.

#17 Metropolitan State University of Denver

  • Salary Score: 58
  • Median Starting Salary: $41,372
  • Locations: Denver (CO)
  • Accreditation: HLC

The Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver) is a public, Hispanic-serving institution offering an online Bachelor of Science in Health Care Management certified by the Association of University Programs in Health Administration. This 120-credit program includes an optional Executive Administrator concentration. It generally takes full-time students at least four years to complete this online degree program, which culminates in a health professions internship. MSU Denver has an 89% acceptance and a 37% graduation rate.

Distance learners at MSU Denver can access Canvas to participate in class and receive instruction. Those enrolled in the online health care management program take courses such as Health Care Operations, Managing Quality in Health Care, Essentials of Environmental Health in Public Health Practices, and Leadership in Health Care.

#18 Columbia College

  • Salary Score: 57
  • Median Starting Salary: $41,088
  • Locations: Columbia (MO)
  • Accreditation: HLC

Columbia College (CC) in Missouri is a public institution affiliated with the Christian Church. It hosts an online Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management that aims to help students understand healthcare systems and operations, human resource management, and healthcare's legal and ethical aspects. Students complete 120 credits to graduate, which takes approximately four years of full-time attendance. CC accepts 100% of applicants due to its open admission policy, and 32% of students graduate with degrees.

CC delivers its online programming via Desire2Learn (D2L). Online healthcare management courses include Case Studies in Healthcare Management, The American Healthcare System, Financial Management in Healthcare, and Comparative Healthcare Systems.

#19 Lindenwood University

  • Salary Score: 54
  • Median Starting Salary: $40,599
  • Locations: Saint Charles (MO)
  • Accreditation: HLC

Lindenwood University in Saint Charles, Missouri, is a private nonprofit institution offering an online Bachelor of Science in Health Management that explores topics including healthcare finance, legal issues, and global healthcare reform. Students can transfer up to 90 credits toward this 120-credit program that culminates in a capstone, enabling some to complete the program in two years if attending full-time. An online Bachelor of Business Administration - Healthcare Management is also available for those who want a business focus in the field. LU accepts 75% of applicants, and 55% of students graduate with degrees.

LU's distance learners access online program content through Canvas. Program content is based on recommendations from the Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Management Education. Online health management students participate in courses such as Contemporary and Critical Issues in Healthcare Management; Ethical Issues in Healthcare Management; and Healthcare Delivery, Policy, and Research.

#20 Ohio Christian University

  • Salary Score: 53
  • Median Starting Salary: $40,378
  • Locations: Circleville (OH)
  • Accreditation: HLC

Ohio Christian University (OCU) is a private, faith-based institution offering an online Bachelor of Arts in Business - Healthcare Management in a flexible five-week format for busy adults. This program helps build fundamental business knowledge and skills through the lens of a Christian worldview while specifically focusing on the healthcare management industry. A concentration in Health Information Technology is also available. Graduating requires 120 credits, and some full-time students may take less than four years due to its accelerated format. OCU's open admission policy allows it to accept all applicants. It has a 27% graduation rate.

Brightspace allows OCU's online students to engage in class and receive instruction remotely. Courses in the 12-credit healthcare management concentration include Healthcare Informatics, Legal and Regulatory Issues in Healthcare, Healthcare Finance and Reimbursement, and Healthcare Industry.

2023 Best Online Health Care Management Degrees

RankSchool Salary Score Median Starting Salary
# 1 #1 Ottawa University Online 99 99 $58,931
# 2 #2 University of Cincinnati 99 $57,367
# 3 #3 Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center 98 $56,266
# 4 #4 University of New Hampshire College of Professional Studies 97 $53,940
# 5 #5 Capella University 95 $52,610
# 6 #6 University of Minnesota - Online 95 $52,474
# 7 #7 Waldorf University 95 $52,459
# 8 #8 Oregon Institute of Technology 94 $51,687
# 9 #9 National Louis University 90 $49,720
# 10 #10 Colorado State University Global 86 $48,123
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Overview of Online Bachelor's in Healthcare Management Degrees

The goal of healthcare management bachelor's degrees is to produce administrative leaders who can manage medical facilities. As a student of this major, your instructors will try to instill knowledge of the U.S. healthcare system, effective business practices, and data analysis, along with critical-thinking and communication skills.

Bachelor's degrees in healthcare management usually require 120 credit hours of coursework, with about half of that dedicated to electives and core courses in the major. This is supposed to take four years, though you could potentially graduate early or take longer to finish the degree. Your program might feature an optional or required internship toward the end of the curriculum, which would allow you to gain real-world experience in a healthcare office.

Online Format

Most program administrators design online degrees to feature asynchronous courses with no set meeting times. This is because the convenience of asynchronous learning has increased the popularity of online degrees.



If you pursue a healthcare management degree online, you will sign in to a learning management system to watch recorded lectures, read assignments, submit work, and ask and answer questions in discussion forums with your classmates and professor.

If you pursue a healthcare management degree online, you will sign in to a learning management system to watch recorded lectures, read assignments, submit work, and ask and answer questions in discussion forums with your classmates and professor. Note that you'll complete any internship requirements live at an employer's facility, even if all of your coursework is online.

Admission Requirements

Applying to college can feel daunting, so it helps to make sure you're prepared with what you'll need. Here's a list of things that most colleges ask for when you apply:

  • High school or GED transcripts showing a minimum GPA of 2.5; some schools have lower GPA requirements or an open admission policy
  • Official college transcripts (for degree-completion programs)
  • Official ACT or SAT scores; more schools are waiving this requirement
  • One or two letters of recommendation from teaches, mentors, or coaches
  • A personal essay on a given topic
  • A nonrefundable application fee

Online Bachelor's in Healthcare Management Concentrations

Healthcare is a vast and complex field, and not every aspect is likely to appeal to you. You might prefer to tailor your studies with a concentration in an area of interest, which could potentially improve your marketability in that narrower area.

In truth, healthcare management is itself often a concentration of another major, such as business or health sciences. For example, you might pursue a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in healthcare management. But some Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management programs offer concentrations of their own, and we've listed a few of these below.

Finance is crucial to keeping the lights on at any medical facility. Your healthcare finance professors will lecture on microeconomics, budgets, medical billing, and the U.S. medical insurance system.

Human resources (HR) specialists recruit, train, compensate, and monitor the progress of healthcare employees. As a student in this concentration, you may learn about hiring and retention practices, performance management, employee benefits plans, and HR technology.

Healthcare technology is changing fast and expanding into every corner of the health industry. Courses in this concentration generally cover information technology, medical record-keeping applications, clinical and diagnostic machines, and cloud computing.

Courses in an Online Bachelor's in Healthcare Management

Each healthcare management program is different, but most of them have comparable learning outcomes that target the same competencies. For this reason, their curricula often contain many similar courses. We've listed a few of these common classes here to give a flavor for what you'll encounter as a bachelor's student.

Healthcare Law

Students learn to navigate the complicated legal landscape in healthcare. Topics usually include HIPAA and its updates, the federal regulatory framework, state healthcare laws, and partnership with legal counsel.

Management and Strategy

This course's syllabus pulls readings and lessons from organizational leadership and applies them to health settings. Faculty often cover leadership theories, the psychology of motivation, organizational behavior, and strategic planning and budgeting.

Marketing in Healthcare

Health managers need to ensure that potential patients are aware of their facilities, so they need to understand marketing as well as any business leader. As such, this class contains lessons on market research, the marketing mix, brand management, digital venues, and maintaining customer relationships.

Quality Control and Risk Management

The quality of patient care has real consequences for people's lives, and any lapses put their facilities at risk of censure from regulators. This class covers how to ensure a consistently high level of care, from developing safety routines to performing regular quality audits.

Accreditation for Online Bachelor's in Healthcare Management

Accreditation is a seal of approval from an independent review organization. Institutions can earn accreditation, but so can individual degree programs. Institutionally accredited schools are eligible to offer federal financial aid, which is an important consideration for most college students.

Programmatic accreditation may further attest to the quality of a degree's curriculum and instruction. The following accreditors review healthcare management programs.

The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accredits programs in what it calls "health services/hospital administration."

The Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools features a directory of institutions that it accredits.

The International Accreditation Council for Business Education offers a searchable form for program accreditation status.


The Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) only reviews master's programs. CAHME accreditation may be relevant if you decide to seek a master's degree in healthcare management, but it shouldn't affect your decision about an undergraduate degree.

Healthcare Management Careers

You may set down several career paths with a healthcare management education. Your classes contain lessons about the U.S. healthcare system, but they typically also reinforce transferable skills that can serve well in a variety of management roles, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication.

Annual Median Salary:  $99,290
Job Growth Rate: 9% growth in 2020-2030

These managers maintain the smooth operation of their employers' facilities. They require a detail-oriented mindset, budgeting and HR knowledge, and strong organizational skills, all of which a healthcare management degree usually teaches.

Annual Median Salary:  $126,230
Job Growth Rate: 9% growth in 2020-2030

This field has the most tenuous connection to healthcare management, because HR managers often have undergraduate or advanced degrees specifically in HR. But you might be able to earn an HR concentration during your healthcare management bachelor's degree, which may help you capture the interest of hiring managers outside the healthcare field.

Annual Median Salary:  $101,340
Job Growth Rate: 32% growth in 2020-2030

Healthcare management faculty generally assume that these are the roles their students are interested in, for good reason: They tend to pay well and the field is expanding at several times the average rate for U.S. jobs. In addition to new jobs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects 51,800 open positions each year through 2030 due to regular turnover.

Annual Median Salary:  $74,000
Job Growth Rate: 15% growth in 2020-2030

These professionals run initiatives for organizations that try to help people solve problems: social service government agencies, nonprofits, or even healthcare employers. As such, there's some crossover with healthcare management work. The analytics company Lightcast even notes the similarity in skills that employers request in job ads for healthcare administrators and social services managers: communication, teamwork, budgeting, and staff management.

Licensure and Certification

A professional license is a legal requirement to perform a job in a particular state. The good news is that no states require healthcare managers to be licensed in order to work.

However, you can earn several professional certifications. These are extra credentials attesting to your expertise in a particular area of the profession. Certifications may help you market yourself more effectively to hiring managers or negotiate better pay from your current employer, but there's no objective data on which healthcare management certifications lead to the best outcomes.

To get any of the following certifications, you need to pay a fee and pass a comprehensive exam. This list isn't exhaustive; you may find employers who prefer different certifications.

The Certified Health Care Manager credential is for both administrative managers and healthcare practitioners who supervise employees.

The Certified Medical Manager requires at least two years of work experience and 12 hours of post-secondary education credits.

You can become a Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management if you have at least five years of experience after earning your bachelor's degree. Although the American Hospital Association provides this certification, you can achieve it if you work in risk management in any healthcare setting.

Becoming a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives requires a master's degree at minimum, but it's something to consider while you earn experience and pursue other certifications.

How To Choose an Online Bachelor's in Healthcare Management

When making important decisions, it helps to first gather the facts that matter to you. You can ask yourself the following questions during the initial phase of research into bachelor's degrees.

Is this degree accredited?

To avoid low-quality diploma mills, it's best to only consider institutionally accredited colleges. Most schools list their accreditation status prominently on their websites.

Beyond this, you might check whether specific healthcare management degrees are programmatically accredited. Graduating from a programmatically accredited program typically isn't a requirement to work in healthcare management, but it could be a nice-to-have feature that helps you decide between programs.

Do I want to study online or in person?

If you definitely want an online program, you may be able to eliminate several schools right away because they don't offer the degree you want at a distance. This is a good time to think through what you want: a fully online program with asynchronous learning for maximum convenience? A hybrid model with some on-campus classes to give a flavor of the traditional college experience?

What will the degree cost?

This is an important question for nearly every applicant. To stay organized, you can make a spreadsheet comparing the cost of tuition and the various fees at each school you review.

How do alumni fare in the job market?

Our Salary Scores give you insight into the career outcomes of real program graduates. This can help with comparing the median starting salaries of healthcare management alumni from various colleges.

What else is important?

Your top factor in school selection may be someone else's seventh consideration, and vice versa. Think about what matters to you, then find out how each school is likely to meet your needs. For example, you might check a college's site to see whether it has an office of diversity and inclusion, or you can contact an admissions officer for details about virtual tutoring and writing help.

Overview of Online Bachelor's in Healthcare Management Degrees

The goal of healthcare management bachelor's degrees is to produce administrative leaders who can manage medical facilities. As a student of this major, your instructors will try to instill knowledge of the U.S. healthcare system, effective business practices, and data analysis, along with critical-thinking and communication skills.

Bachelor's degrees in healthcare management usually require 120 credit hours of coursework, with about half of that dedicated to electives and core courses in the major. This is supposed to take four years, though you could potentially graduate early or take longer to finish the degree. Your program might feature an optional or required internship toward the end of the curriculum, which would allow you to gain real-world experience in a healthcare office.

Online Format

Most program administrators design online degrees to feature asynchronous courses with no set meeting times. This is because the convenience of asynchronous learning has increased the popularity of online degrees.



If you pursue a healthcare management degree online, you will sign in to a learning management system to watch recorded lectures, read assignments, submit work, and ask and answer questions in discussion forums with your classmates and professor.

If you pursue a healthcare management degree online, you will sign in to a learning management system to watch recorded lectures, read assignments, submit work, and ask and answer questions in discussion forums with your classmates and professor. Note that you'll complete any internship requirements live at an employer's facility, even if all of your coursework is online.

Admission Requirements

Applying to college can feel daunting, so it helps to make sure you're prepared with what you'll need. Here's a list of things that most colleges ask for when you apply:

  • High school or GED transcripts showing a minimum GPA of 2.5; some schools have lower GPA requirements or an open admission policy
  • Official college transcripts (for degree-completion programs)
  • Official ACT or SAT scores; more schools are waiving this requirement
  • One or two letters of recommendation from teaches, mentors, or coaches
  • A personal essay on a given topic
  • A nonrefundable application fee

Online Bachelor's in Healthcare Management Concentrations

Healthcare is a vast and complex field, and not every aspect is likely to appeal to you. You might prefer to tailor your studies with a concentration in an area of interest, which could potentially improve your marketability in that narrower area.

In truth, healthcare management is itself often a concentration of another major, such as business or health sciences. For example, you might pursue a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in healthcare management. But some Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management programs offer concentrations of their own, and we've listed a few of these below.

Finance is crucial to keeping the lights on at any medical facility. Your healthcare finance professors will lecture on microeconomics, budgets, medical billing, and the U.S. medical insurance system.

Human resources (HR) specialists recruit, train, compensate, and monitor the progress of healthcare employees. As a student in this concentration, you may learn about hiring and retention practices, performance management, employee benefits plans, and HR technology.

Healthcare technology is changing fast and expanding into every corner of the health industry. Courses in this concentration generally cover information technology, medical record-keeping applications, clinical and diagnostic machines, and cloud computing.

Courses in an Online Bachelor's in Healthcare Management

Each healthcare management program is different, but most of them have comparable learning outcomes that target the same competencies. For this reason, their curricula often contain many similar courses. We've listed a few of these common classes here to give a flavor for what you'll encounter as a bachelor's student.

Healthcare Law

Students learn to navigate the complicated legal landscape in healthcare. Topics usually include HIPAA and its updates, the federal regulatory framework, state healthcare laws, and partnership with legal counsel.

Management and Strategy

This course's syllabus pulls readings and lessons from organizational leadership and applies them to health settings. Faculty often cover leadership theories, the psychology of motivation, organizational behavior, and strategic planning and budgeting.

Marketing in Healthcare

Health managers need to ensure that potential patients are aware of their facilities, so they need to understand marketing as well as any business leader. As such, this class contains lessons on market research, the marketing mix, brand management, digital venues, and maintaining customer relationships.

Quality Control and Risk Management

The quality of patient care has real consequences for people's lives, and any lapses put their facilities at risk of censure from regulators. This class covers how to ensure a consistently high level of care, from developing safety routines to performing regular quality audits.

Accreditation for Online Bachelor's in Healthcare Management

Accreditation is a seal of approval from an independent review organization. Institutions can earn accreditation, but so can individual degree programs. Institutionally accredited schools are eligible to offer federal financial aid, which is an important consideration for most college students.

Programmatic accreditation may further attest to the quality of a degree's curriculum and instruction. The following accreditors review healthcare management programs.

The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accredits programs in what it calls "health services/hospital administration."

The Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools features a directory of institutions that it accredits.

The International Accreditation Council for Business Education offers a searchable form for program accreditation status.


The Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) only reviews master's programs. CAHME accreditation may be relevant if you decide to seek a master's degree in healthcare management, but it shouldn't affect your decision about an undergraduate degree.

Healthcare Management Careers

You may set down several career paths with a healthcare management education. Your classes contain lessons about the U.S. healthcare system, but they typically also reinforce transferable skills that can serve well in a variety of management roles, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication.

Annual Median Salary:  $99,290
Job Growth Rate: 9% growth in 2020-2030

These managers maintain the smooth operation of their employers' facilities. They require a detail-oriented mindset, budgeting and HR knowledge, and strong organizational skills, all of which a healthcare management degree usually teaches.

Annual Median Salary:  $126,230
Job Growth Rate: 9% growth in 2020-2030

This field has the most tenuous connection to healthcare management, because HR managers often have undergraduate or advanced degrees specifically in HR. But you might be able to earn an HR concentration during your healthcare management bachelor's degree, which may help you capture the interest of hiring managers outside the healthcare field.

Annual Median Salary:  $101,340
Job Growth Rate: 32% growth in 2020-2030

Healthcare management faculty generally assume that these are the roles their students are interested in, for good reason: They tend to pay well and the field is expanding at several times the average rate for U.S. jobs. In addition to new jobs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects 51,800 open positions each year through 2030 due to regular turnover.

Annual Median Salary:  $74,000
Job Growth Rate: 15% growth in 2020-2030

These professionals run initiatives for organizations that try to help people solve problems: social service government agencies, nonprofits, or even healthcare employers. As such, there's some crossover with healthcare management work. The analytics company Lightcast even notes the similarity in skills that employers request in job ads for healthcare administrators and social services managers: communication, teamwork, budgeting, and staff management.

Licensure and Certification

A professional license is a legal requirement to perform a job in a particular state. The good news is that no states require healthcare managers to be licensed in order to work.

However, you can earn several professional certifications. These are extra credentials attesting to your expertise in a particular area of the profession. Certifications may help you market yourself more effectively to hiring managers or negotiate better pay from your current employer, but there's no objective data on which healthcare management certifications lead to the best outcomes.

To get any of the following certifications, you need to pay a fee and pass a comprehensive exam. This list isn't exhaustive; you may find employers who prefer different certifications.

The Certified Health Care Manager credential is for both administrative managers and healthcare practitioners who supervise employees.

The Certified Medical Manager requires at least two years of work experience and 12 hours of post-secondary education credits.

You can become a Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management if you have at least five years of experience after earning your bachelor's degree. Although the American Hospital Association provides this certification, you can achieve it if you work in risk management in any healthcare setting.

Becoming a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives requires a master's degree at minimum, but it's something to consider while you earn experience and pursue other certifications.

How To Choose an Online Bachelor's in Healthcare Management

When making important decisions, it helps to first gather the facts that matter to you. You can ask yourself the following questions during the initial phase of research into bachelor's degrees.

Is this degree accredited?

To avoid low-quality diploma mills, it's best to only consider institutionally accredited colleges. Most schools list their accreditation status prominently on their websites.

Beyond this, you might check whether specific healthcare management degrees are programmatically accredited. Graduating from a programmatically accredited program typically isn't a requirement to work in healthcare management, but it could be a nice-to-have feature that helps you decide between programs.

Do I want to study online or in person?

If you definitely want an online program, you may be able to eliminate several schools right away because they don't offer the degree you want at a distance. This is a good time to think through what you want: a fully online program with asynchronous learning for maximum convenience? A hybrid model with some on-campus classes to give a flavor of the traditional college experience?

What will the degree cost?

This is an important question for nearly every applicant. To stay organized, you can make a spreadsheet comparing the cost of tuition and the various fees at each school you review.

How do alumni fare in the job market?

Our Salary Scores give you insight into the career outcomes of real program graduates. This can help with comparing the median starting salaries of healthcare management alumni from various colleges.

What else is important?

Your top factor in school selection may be someone else's seventh consideration, and vice versa. Think about what matters to you, then find out how each school is likely to meet your needs. For example, you might check a college's site to see whether it has an office of diversity and inclusion, or you can contact an admissions officer for details about virtual tutoring and writing help.

FAQs About Online Healthcare Management Degrees

What Is the Difference Between Healthcare Management and Healthcare Administration?


Management deals with higher level strategy, budgeting, and planning. Healthcare managers lead healthcare administrators as they perform daily tasks that keep medical facilities functioning.

What Degree Is Best for Healthcare Administration?


If you want a healthcare administration career, it makes the most sense to earn a healthcare administration degree. You can pursue options from the associate to doctoral levels. At higher levels, you might find some crossover between the healthcare administration and management fields, because graduate degrees often aim to prepare leaders in their fields.

Is Health Management a Good Career?


Healthcare management is a very good career if you judge it on the two big numbers: salary and job outlook. Medical and health services managers earn median annual pay that's more than twice the median rate for all U.S. jobs, and the growth rate in new jobs is four times faster than the average growth rate for all occupations combined. Whether you actually enjoy the work is another matter, so make sure to talk to academic and career counselors before settling on your major.

How Long Does It Take To Become a Manager in Healthcare?


People's experiences differ, but often you need at least six years to become a healthcare manager. Most management jobs require at least a bachelor's degree, which schools design to last four years. After graduating, you may be able to land a management role right away, but most people need at least a few years of experience as an individual contributor before they're promoted to a supervisory role.

Still undecided? Explore similar online bachelor's programs in public health, emergency management, and business management.

FAQs About Online Healthcare Management Degrees

What Is the Difference Between Healthcare Management and Healthcare Administration?


Management deals with higher level strategy, budgeting, and planning. Healthcare managers lead healthcare administrators as they perform daily tasks that keep medical facilities functioning.

What Degree Is Best for Healthcare Administration?


If you want a healthcare administration career, it makes the most sense to earn a healthcare administration degree. You can pursue options from the associate to doctoral levels. At higher levels, you might find some crossover between the healthcare administration and management fields, because graduate degrees often aim to prepare leaders in their fields.

Is Health Management a Good Career?


Healthcare management is a very good career if you judge it on the two big numbers: salary and job outlook. Medical and health services managers earn median annual pay that's more than twice the median rate for all U.S. jobs, and the growth rate in new jobs is four times faster than the average growth rate for all occupations combined. Whether you actually enjoy the work is another matter, so make sure to talk to academic and career counselors before settling on your major.

How Long Does It Take To Become a Manager in Healthcare?


People's experiences differ, but often you need at least six years to become a healthcare manager. Most management jobs require at least a bachelor's degree, which schools design to last four years. After graduating, you may be able to land a management role right away, but most people need at least a few years of experience as an individual contributor before they're promoted to a supervisory role.

Still undecided? Explore similar online bachelor's programs in public health, emergency management, and business management.

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