Why This Matters
-
11% OF HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATION JOBS ONLY REQUIRE AN ASSOCIATE DEGREE
11% of medical and health services jobs require at least an associate degree. Completing an associate program will also get you closer to earning a bachelor’s degree, which is required for 46% of jobs in this field.
-
144,700 NEW JOBS FOR HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATORS
The job outlook for healthcare administrators is bright. Employment is projected to grow 28% between 2022 and 2032, which will result in 144,700 new jobs.
-
EARN $104,830 AS A HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATOR
Medical and health services managers earn an average of $104,830 per year. The lowest 10% earn less than $64,100, and the highest 10% earn more than $209,990. Your salary will depend on where you live, how much experience you have, and the highest degree level earned.
How We Rank Schools
This list features some of the best online associate in healthcare administration degree programs at top colleges nationwide. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution — either public or private — with a high standard of academic quality for post-secondary education. Many of the programs on our list have been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME), which assesses the objectives, quality, and overall effectiveness of healthcare administration-related programs.
We evaluated each school’s program on admission, retention, and graduation rates as well as tuition costs, faculty, reputation, and the resources provided for online students. Then, we calculated the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.
Next, we compared this comprehensive list of online associate in healthcare administration degree programs to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications like U.S. News & World Report, among others, to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.
- 50 hours to write this article
- 74 universities and colleges we assessed
- 131 education programs we compared
The Top 20 Online Associate in Healthcare Administration Programs
Institution Type
Status
- Intelligent Score
- Alphabetically By University Name
- Acceptance Rate
- Enrollment
- In-state Graduate Tuition
- Out-of-state Graduate Tuition
- In-state Undergraduate Tuition
- Out-of-state Undergraduate Tuition
Minnesota West Community and Technical College
Intelligent Score: 98.07In-state: $19,084
Out-of-state: $24,932
In-state: NA
Out-of-state: NA
SAT: Not Required
ACT: Not Required
$207
Online, On-Campus
Higher Learning Commission
60
Herzing University
Intelligent Score: 97.14In-state: $34,284
Out-of-state: $34,284
In-state: $31,984
Out-of-state: $31,984
SAT: 1,275 or better
ACT: 17 or better
$446
Online
Higher Learning Commission
60
Concordia University Wisconsin
Intelligent Score: 95.52In-state: $32,660
Out-of-state: $32,660
In-state: $9,090
Out-of-state: $9,090
SAT: 990-1180
ACT: 19-25
$475
Online
Higher Learning Commission
69
OSU at Oklahoma City
Intelligent Score: 95.22In-state: $5,357
Out-of-state: $20,877
In-state: $5,531
Out-of-state: $5,531
SAT: 1020-1250
ACT: 21-28
Resident: $129
Non-Resident: $371
Online, On-Campus
Higher Learning Commission
63
Elizabethtown College
Intelligent Score: 94.07In-state: $32,960
Out-of-state: $32,960
In-state: $32,960
Out-of-state: $32,960
SAT: 1080-1280
ACT: 20-26
$565
Online
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
64
Florida Tech Online
Intelligent Score: 92.82In-state: $42,346
Out-of-state: $42,346
In-state: $22,338
Out-of-state: $22,338
SAT: 1130-1330
ACT: 23-30
$1,188
Online
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
64
Iowa Central Community College
Intelligent Score: 92.36In-state: $17,731
Out-of-state: $19,933
In-state: NA
Out-of-state: NA
SAT: 530 or above
ACT: 22 or above
Resident: $192
Non-Resident: $284
Online
Higher Learning Commission
60
Keiser University
Intelligent Score: 89.49In-state: $19,808
Out-of-state: $19,808
In-state: $27,162
Out-of-state: $27,162
SAT: N/A
ACT: N/A
$1,420
Online
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
60
Montgomery County Community College
Intelligent Score: 89.43In-state: $27,306
Out-of-state: $32,046
In-state: NA
Out-of-state: NA
SAT: Not Required
ACT: Not Required
Resident: $156
Non-Resident: $312 - $468
Online, On-Campus
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
60-61
Manor College
Intelligent Score: 86.53In-state: $32,014
Out-of-state: $32,014
In-state: NA
Out-of-state: NA
SAT: 810-1000
ACT: 15-19
$769
Online, On-Campus
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
61
Community Care College
Intelligent Score: 86.38In-state: $22,867
Out-of-state: $22,867
In-state: NA
Out-of-state: NA
SAT: Not Required
ACT: Not Required
$660
Online
Accrediting Commission of Careers Schools and Colleges
60
Wake Technical Community College
Intelligent Score: 85.56In-state: $22,360
Out-of-state: $28,504
In-state: NA
Out-of-state: NA
SAT: 480 or higher
ACT: 18 or higher
Resident: $76
Non-Resident: $268
Online, On-Campus, Hybrid
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
66
Tyler Junior College
Intelligent Score: 83.49In-state: $20,194
Out-of-state: $20,914
In-state: NA
Out-of-state: NA
SAT: Not Required
ACT: Not Required
$134 - $216
Online, On-Campus
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
60
Colorado Christian University
Intelligent Score: 83.08In-state: $24,160
Out-of-state: $24,160
In-state: $13,474
Out-of-state: $13,474
SAT: N/A
ACT: N/A
$494
Online, On-Campus
Higher Learning Commission
60
Fayetteville Technical Community College
Intelligent Score: 82.9In-state: $16,438
Out-of-state: $22,582
In-state: NA
Out-of-state: NA
SAT: Not Required
ACT: Not Required
Resident: $76
Non-Resident: $268
Online
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
65
New England College
Intelligent Score: 82.34In-state: $25,439
Out-of-state: $25,439
In-state: $15,624
Out-of-state: $15,624
SAT: N/A
ACT: N/A
$375
Online
New England Commission of Higher Education
60
Broward College
Intelligent Score: 82.24In-state: NA
Out-of-state: NA
In-state: NA
Out-of-state: NA
SAT: N/A
ACT: N/A
In-State: $122
Out-of-State: $243
Online
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
60
Bossier Parish Community College
Intelligent Score: 80.73In-state: $20,705
Out-of-state: $20,705
In-state: NA
Out-of-state: NA
SAT: 400–500
ACT: 15–20
$138
Online, On-Campus
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
60
What You Should Know About This Degree
Job market opportunities for healthcare administration occupations are bright. An associate degree will position you to be a leader in the healthcare industry in private practice, nursing homes, and hospital settings.
An Associate of Arts (AA) and an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in healthcare administration are similar and provide the fundamental skills you need for this career. An AA typically includes more liberal arts courses, while the AAS concentrates more on science and math classes. Both degrees typically require 60 to 65 credit hours and take the same amount of time to complete.
Once you complete your associate degree, you will need to research whether you need to pass a certification exam to be eligible for a job. All states require licensure for nursing home administrators. A license is typically not required for other healthcare administration jobs; however, some people choose to become certified. The Professional Association of Health Care Office Management and the American Health Information Management Association offer certifications.
What’s Next?
Here are some questions to consider while researching online associate in healthcare administration degree programs:
- Am I eligible for this program? Many healthcare administration degree programs are available online and in hybrid formats at community colleges and trade schools. Students are generally accepted from a wide variety of academic and professional backgrounds and just need a high school diploma or equivalency to be eligible.
- Are courses offered synchronously or asynchronously? Most online classes are offered in both real-time and independent formats. It’s important to consider the time commitment of attending live-streaming classes versus independently logging in at your convenience and decide what fits your learning style best.
As you research online healthcare administration degree programs, look closely at each school’s admission requirements and deadlines. It’s also important to factor in how you will finance your associate degree education. Contact your financial aid department for information about scholarships, federal loans, and employer-based tuition reimbursement programs.