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Best Online Healthcare Administration Degree Programs (2026)
Updated June 11, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Key takeaway: Online healthcare administration degrees are offered at the certificate, associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral level by accredited schools nationwide, and the degree is the business path into hospital, clinic, and long-term care leadership. Graduate earnings rise with credential level – from a median $35,976 four years after a certificate to $88,996 after a master’s (College Scorecard)1 – and related occupations pay a median $45,930 to $123,860 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025)2. Compare accredited programs below.
An online healthcare administration degree prepares you to run the non-clinical side of hospitals, medical groups, insurers, long-term care facilities, and public health agencies, with coursework spanning healthcare management, healthcare finance, health law and compliance, health information systems, and health policy. Accredited online programs deliver the same curriculum and degree titles as campus programs. Graduate healthcare management programs may hold CAHME accreditation, while undergraduate programs may be certified by AUPHA (Association of University Programs in Health Administration).
Compare Online Healthcare Administration Degrees
These accredited schools offer online programs, report healthcare administration completions, and are ordered by our independent BOC Score. Request information to compare programs, costs, and formats.
How We Rank Schools
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most
recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS).
To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked
against schools at the same credential level:
BOCSCORE
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
Average net price (lower is better) 20%
Retention rate 15%
Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
BOC
Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.
Browse healthcare administration programs by state
Quick Answers
What is an online healthcare administration degree?
An online healthcare administration degree teaches the management, finance, legal, and information-systems skills used to operate healthcare organizations. It is a business degree applied to the healthcare industry – you study budgeting, staffing, compliance, and operations rather than patient care.
What degree levels are offered in healthcare administration?
Healthcare administration is offered at the certificate, associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. College Scorecard data shows median earnings climbing with each credential: $35,976 four years after a certificate, $40,575 after an associate degree, $58,982 after a bachelor’s, and $88,996 after a master’s1.
Do you need a license to work in healthcare administration?
Most healthcare administration roles do not require a license. The major exception is nursing home administration: every state licenses nursing home administrators, typically requiring a bachelor’s degree, an internship or administrator-in-training program approved by the state’s nursing home administrator licensing board, and a passing score on the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB) exam. See the long-term care administration concentration for details.
MHA or MBA – which is better for healthcare administration?
An MHA (Master of Health Administration) is purpose-built for healthcare leadership and may carry CAHME accreditation; an MBA with a healthcare concentration offers broader business mobility. The right choice depends on whether you want to stay in healthcare (MHA) or keep cross-industry options open (MBA).
Can healthcare administration degrees be completed fully online?
Yes. College Scorecard reports that 61.9% of certificate programs, 53.9% of associate programs, 45.3% of bachelor’s programs, and 33.0% of master’s programs in healthcare administration are available via distance education1.
Compare degree levels: cost, earnings, and debt
Each step up in credential level corresponds to higher median earnings, and at every level median 4-year earnings exceed median federal debt.
Median earnings by degree level for healthcare administration graduates. Source: College Scorecard. Chart: Best Online College.View the data behind this chart
Healthcare Administration earnings by degree level. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard
Degree level
Median earnings
Certificate
$35,976
Associate
$40,575
Bachelor's
$58,982
Master's
$88,996
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The curriculum is a business core rebuilt for healthcare: healthcare organization and management, healthcare finance and reimbursement, health law and compliance (HIPAA, Stark Law, fraud and abuse prevention), health information systems, health policy and economics, and human resources and quality improvement. Most programs let you focus through a concentration – health information management, long-term care administration, healthcare finance, or health policy – aligned to a distinct occupation.
Healthcare administration graduates qualify for six core occupations across hospitals, physician practices, insurers, and government. Many graduates start as medical secretaries or medical records specialists with a certificate or associate degree, move into health information or practice management roles with a bachelor’s, and reach department director or administrator positions with a master’s.
Projected job growth (2024-2034) for healthcare administration careers. Source: BLS Employment Projections. Chart: Best Online College.View the data behind this chart
Health Information Technologist and Medical Registrar
14.7%
Medical Records Specialist
7.1%
Administrative Services Manager
4.6%
Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant
4.2%
Compliance Officer
3.0%
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Career
Median Salary (May 2025)
Job Growth (2024–2034)
Annual Openings
Medical and Health Services Manager
$123,860
23.2%
62,100
Administrative Services Manager
$114,130
4.6%
23,200
Compliance Officer
$80,730
3.0%
33,300
Health Information Technologist or Medical Registrar
$68,020
14.7%
3,200
Medical Records Specialist
$51,140
7.1%
14,200
Medical Secretary or Administrative Assistant
$45,930
4.2%
85,900
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).2
Licensure and certification
Most healthcare administration careers require no license – with one major exception. Nursing home administrators are licensed in all 50 states, typically requiring a bachelor’s degree, an administrator-in-training (AIT) internship approved by the state’s nursing home administrator licensing board, and a passing score on the NAB national exam. Some states also license assisted living administrators through NAB’s RC/AL exam. If long-term care leadership interests you, the long-term care administration concentration covers the licensure pathway in detail.
Outside long-term care, employers rely on degrees, experience, and voluntary credentials – FACHE (Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives) for senior leaders, RHIA (Registered Health Information Administrator, requires a CAHIIM-accredited program) for health information careers, CHC for compliance, and HFMA certifications for healthcare finance. Always verify your state board’s current rules before planning a licensure path.
How to choose an online healthcare administration program
Practicum and placement – check whether the online program arranges internships, administrative residencies, or AIT placements with healthcare organizations near you.
Healthcare administration or general healthcare? Choose healthcare administration for the management discipline with a defined leadership ladder; choose the broader healthcare degree guide or business administration for wider field coverage before specializing.
