Best Online Healthcare Administration Programs in Des Moines, IA (2026)

Des Moines, Iowa has 3 accredited schools offering healthcare administration programs, with tuition ranging from $4,872 to $14,774 per year for indexed programs. Des Moines has a population of about 212,464. Median household income is $63,966 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area, the top-earning healthcare administration-related role is Administrative Services Manager at a median $126,190 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Healthcare Administration Schools to Des Moines

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer healthcare administration programs near Des Moines, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Des Moines city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

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:

  • 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. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Des Moines. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Des Moines Area Community College

Ankeny, IA 9.3 miles from Des Moines BOC Score 50.0
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,018
Avg net price $11,171/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 89

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Indian Hills Community College

Ottumwa, IA 73.0 miles from Des Moines BOC Score 56.1
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,507
Avg net price $10,693/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Hawkeye Community College

Waterloo, IA 88.2 miles from Des Moines BOC Score 54.6
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,849
Avg net price $9,649/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Kirkwood Community College

Cedar Rapids, IA 103.5 miles from Des Moines BOC Score 56.3
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,016
Avg net price $9,705/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

North Iowa Area Community College

Mason City, IA 112.6 miles from Des Moines BOC Score 57.1
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,462
Avg net price $10,010/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,653
Out‑of‑state$9,551
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, IA 127.4 miles from Des Moines BOC Score 42.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,766
Avg net price $20,942/yr
Tuition
In‑state$19,475
Out‑of‑state$19,475
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Iowa Lakes Community College

Estherville, IA 141.0 miles from Des Moines BOC Score 59.8
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,108
Avg net price $13,933/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Northeast Iowa Community College

Calmar, IA 141.4 miles from Des Moines BOC Score 56.6
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,306
Avg net price $11,272/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,780
Out‑of‑state$7,770
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Iowa schools on the Iowa healthcare administration page.


Healthcare Administration Wages Near Des Moines

Des Moines is part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area (BLS area code 19780). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Iowa statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Medical and Health Services Manager$101,550Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$110,742
Health Information Technologist and Medical Registrar$86,790Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$94,646
Administrative Services Manager$126,190Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$137,612
Compliance Officer$84,590Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$92,246
Medical Records Specialist$54,270Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$59,182
Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant$42,160Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$45,976

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Des Moines at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population212,464Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$63,966Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+29.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Healthcare Administration-related employment in Polk County39,472 workers, 2,057 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Des Moines-Area Cities With Healthcare Administration Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited healthcare administration schools are near Des Moines, IA?

Accredited schools offering healthcare administration programs near Des Moines are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying healthcare administration roles near Des Moines?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying healthcare administration-related roles near Des Moines are: Administrative Services Manager ($126,190), Medical and Health Services Manager ($101,550), Health Information Technologist and Medical Registrar ($86,790). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Iowa statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in West Des Moines instead of Des Moines?

West Des Moines, IA is 8.9 miles from Des Moines and has its own set of local healthcare administration programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Des Moines an affordable place to study healthcare administration?

Des Moines’s median household income of $63,966 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Des Moines while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Iowa public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Healthcare Administration Programs

Other Programs Available in Des Moines

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Des Moines:

Data verified: July 23, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.