Best Online Bachelor’s of Health Science Degree Programs Ranked for 2024

Badge for BEST ONLINE BACHELOR'S IN HEALTH SCIENCE

Published: Jul 2, 2021
Updated: Nov 22, 2023

Find top-ranked online bachelor’s in health science degree programs for students wanting to pursue careers as healthcare executives, health educators, and exercise physiologists.

Top 10 Online Bachelor's in Health Science Degrees

University of Cincinnati
University of Missouri
Arizona State University
University of Vermont
University of Memphis
Excelsior University
Nova Southeastern University
Old Dominion University
Ferris State University
Washburn University

University of Missouri
Arizona State University
University of Cincinnati
University of Vermont
University of Memphis
University of Texas at Arlington
Old Dominion University
Washburn University
Northern Arizona University
Nova Southeastern University

Southwest Baptist University 100%
Western Kentucky University 97%
West Virginia State University 96%
University of North Alabama 96%
Old Dominion University 95%
University of Memphis 95%
University of the Incarnate Word 94%
West Texas A&M University 92%
Arizona State University 90%
Ferris State University 88%

Purdue Global 26 to 1
University of Texas at Arlington 24 to 1
Excelsior University 23 to 1
Northern Arizona University 20 to 1
Arizona State University 19 to 1
University of Cincinnati 18 to 1
University of Missouri 18 to 1
Western Kentucky University 18 to 1
University of North Alabama 18 to 1
Nova Southeastern University 17 to 1

Quinnipiac University $51,790
Nova Southeastern University $36,300
Briar Cliff University $34,498
University of the Incarnate Word $34,400
Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences $30,821
Southwest Baptist University $27,038
Utica University $24,308
University of Vermont $16,280
Ferris State University $13,076
Wilmington University $12,030

Utica University $26,158
Nova Southeastern University $22,062
Quinnipiac University $19,710
University of the Incarnate Word $18,900
Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences $16,470
University of Cincinnati $13,224
University of Vermont $12,204
Western Kentucky University $12,140
Arizona State University $12,014
Northern Arizona University $11,103

Purdue Global
West Texas A&M University
Briar Cliff University
Utica University
University of Nebraska at Kearney
Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences
Western Kentucky University
Northern Arizona University
University of North Alabama
West Virginia State University

Excelsior University
Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences
Briar Cliff University
Southwest Baptist University
Utica University
West Texas A&M University
Wilmington University
Purdue Global
University of North Alabama
University of the Incarnate Word

Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences 46%
University of Vermont 60%
Nova Southeastern University 76%
University of Missouri 79%
Northern Arizona University 80%
Utica University 81%
University of Texas at Arlington 81%
Quinnipiac University 84%
University of Nebraska at Kearney 86%
University of Cincinnati 86%

Quinnipiac University 11 to 1
Utica University 11 to 1
Southwest Baptist University 11 to 1
Wilmington University 12 to 1
Briar Cliff University 12 to 1
Washburn University 13 to 1
University of the Incarnate Word 13 to 1
University of Nebraska at Kearney 13 to 1
Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences 13 to 1
Ferris State University 15 to 1

University of Nebraska at Kearney $6,270
West Texas A&M University $6,372
Old Dominion University $7,239
University of Memphis $8,352
West Virginia State University $8,856
Washburn University $9,016
University of Texas at Arlington $9,206
Purdue Global $10,080
University of North Alabama $10,200
University of Missouri $10,452

West Texas A&M University $5,088
Southwest Baptist University $5,136
University of Nebraska at Kearney $6,216
University of North Alabama $6,600
Briar Cliff University $8,474
Ferris State University $8,532
University of Texas at Arlington $9,015
West Virginia State University $9,168
Wilmington University $9,216
University of Memphis $9,378

Table of Contents

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Health Science Degrees

Why get a bachelor’s in health science?

Take the next step in your healthcare profession by earning a bachelor’s in health science.

What will a bachelor’s in health science prepare me for?

This versatile degree prepares you for career paths in the healthcare field or lays the foundation for advanced degrees in subjects like medicine, dentistry, and physical therapy.

What topics do courses cover while getting a bachelor’s in health science?

Courses will cover the broad topic of health, including health promotion, disease prevention, ethical decision-making, individual patient care, and public health.

How long does it take to get a bachelor’s in health science?

Most programs, whether online or on campus, are about 120 credits, which typically takes about four to five years to complete. Pathway programs (or degree completion programs) also exist for those who transfer in from an associate degree program.

What can you do with a bachelor’s in health science?

After graduation, students can pursue careers as healthcare executives, health educators, and exercise physiologists.

Learn more about how to major in medicine.

How do we determine the best online health science bachelor's degree programs?

Methodology

Pursuing your degree online doesn’t mean you need to settle for an inferior school. Today, most universities and colleges offer online degrees, and many respected schools are seeing significant growth in their numbers of online students.

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why influence — i.e., the academic impact of faculty and alumni associated with a school — gets at the heart of what is truly best in education. The combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers is the best indicator of academic excellence. For our online degree rankings, we focus on the academic influence of faculty and alumni in the specific disciplines we’re ranking.

If you are serious about finding the best online colleges, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching, and whether their graduates themselves are advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence. Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Influence, as measured by our InfluenceRanking engine, provides a ranking that is free from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

25 Best Online Bachelor’s in Health Science Degree Programs

Career Outlook for Students with Health Science Degree

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Health And Wellness

Degree Level: Bachelor's

Location: The U.S. (Private Schools)
Avg. Cost of Degree*: $10,858
Avg. Expenses*: $15,735
Avg. Starting Salary*: $33,277
Avg. Salary after 4 Years*: $49,414
Avg. Cost Recoup Time**: 11 years
Job Growth: 10.82%
Number of Jobs: 127,600
* denotes ‘annually’
** denotes ‘at 15% of annual salary’

Career Salaries

Career	Job Growth	Avg. Salary
Health Education Specialists	7.28%	$56,172
Community Health Workers	13.99%	$44,730

Average Career Salaries

Bottom 10%	Median	Top 10%
$35,200	$52,229	$82,440

Promising Job Markets

State	Cost of Living	Avg. Salary
#2 Georgia	13% higher than average	$68,065
#3 Kentucky	14% higher than average	$58,905
#4 Michigan	15% higher than average	$51,570
#5 New Mexico	7% higher than average	$55,540
#6 Pennsylvania	5% higher than average	$56,610
#7 Rhode Island	20% higher than average	$70,775
#8 Virginia	5% higher than average	$55,915
#9 Wisconsin	7% higher than average	$54,515
#10 Maryland	18% higher than average	$68,595
#11 North Dakota	average	$58,125
#12 Oregon	11% higher than average	$63,520
#13 Indiana	11% higher than average	$50,960
#14 Iowa	9% higher than average	$52,080
#15 Alabama	13% higher than average	$49,465
#16 North Carolina	11% higher than average	$50,120
#17 Oklahoma	13% higher than average	$48,755
#18 Minnesota	4% higher than average	$53,180
#19 Kansas	9% higher than average	$50,680
#20 Louisiana	9% higher than average	$49,280
#21 Idaho	7% higher than average	$50,355
#22 Ohio	14% higher than average	$46,710
#23 Arkansas	16% higher than average	$45,680
#24 Tennessee	14% higher than average	$46,395
#25 District of Columbia	49% higher than average	$80,335
#26 New York	5% higher than average	$55,975
#27 Missouri	16% higher than average	$44,640
#28 Delaware	2% higher than average	$53,690
#29 Washington	7% higher than average	$55,060
#30 Nebraska	6% higher than average	$48,275
#31 Utah	4% higher than average	$49,275
#32 Colorado	3% higher than average	$52,180
#33 Texas	10% higher than average	$44,645
#34 Florida	6% higher than average	$46,695
#35 Arizona	5% higher than average	$47,165
#36 Connecticut	18% higher than average	$58,225
#37 Illinois	7% higher than average	$45,620
#38 Wyoming	2% higher than average	$47,230
#39 Nevada	5% higher than average	$49,785
#40 Montana	3% higher than average	$45,870
#41 Alaska	23% higher than average	$57,925
#42 Vermont	13% higher than average	$52,910
#43 West Virginia	11% higher than average	$41,415
#44 South Dakota	7% higher than average	$42,980
#45 New Hampshire	13% higher than average	$51,810
#46 California	26% higher than average	$57,735
#47 New Jersey	13% higher than average	$51,835
#48 South Carolina	8% higher than average	$41,750
#49 Maine	9% higher than average	$48,570
#50 Massachusetts	24% higher than average	$55,145
#51 Mississippi	18% higher than average	$34,915
#52 Hawaii	40% higher than average	$46,240

Top Industries

Industry	Avg. Salary
Health Education Specialists	$56,172
Community Health Workers	$44,730

Data from The Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Department of Education College Scorecard, The Department of Education NCES, and The Council for Community and Economic Research.

Online Health Science Programs Looking for You

Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require a time of adjustment. Although you’ll typically learn the same material and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, going online will require greater independence and responsibility than going in person. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, for harnessing the online educational technology that you’ll need to use, and for completing the course requirements, such as listening to lectures, learning lessons, reading texts, and handing in assignments. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take the initiative in building relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

No. The only part of online education that’s easier than campus-based education is ease of access: all you need is a computer and an internet connection for online education. But even this seeming advantage of online education can be misleading: what’s easier, studying online with your computer and internet connection from your home where you need to cook, clean, pay rent, and maintain a job? Or studying on campus in a dorm where all your living needs are handled by the school, and college staff are there to help you every step of the way?

If you take the commute to campus out of the equation, campus-based education is easier. All the support structures available on campus for students, especially with real people to help you in person, are not there online. The demands on you as an online student will largely be the same as for your campus-based counterpart, but without the same helps.

In general, your online courses will present the same material and test you in the same way as traditional in-person courses. In many cases, you’ll even have the same instructors as your on-campus counterparts. In fact, if you are adjusting to the experience of independent learning with remote educational technology for the first time, online college may be considerably more challenging than campus-based college. For a few insights on how to manage this new online experience, check out our 10 Tips for Adjusting to School Online.

Accreditation is especially important when it comes to online college. This is because the online education landscape is a mix of highly-reputable non-profit institutions on the one end and less-than-reputable for-profit institutions on the other end. Accreditation gives you the power to identify the more reputable actors in online education. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency indicating that a college or university is meeting standards of quality and credibility. School-wide accreditation falls into two major categories: regional and national accreditation. Regional accreditors generally hold jurisdiction only over schools in the states comprising their region, whereas national accreditors hold jurisdiction over schools in all states. Regional accreditation is widely regarded as a more rigorous standard of quality and credibility than national accreditation.

Attending a college or university that is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. For students seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that they opt for regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation ensures eligibility for federal loans and grants, ensures your college credits can be transferred between schools, and ensures that your degree credits can be accepted if you wish to earn an advanced degree. For more on this important topic, check out our What is Accreditation and Why Does It Matter? College & University Accreditation Guide.

As long as your online college degree is regionally accredited (see the previous point), you should have little difficulty transferring most of your credits or credentials to another regionally accredited undergraduate school. Every school carries its own standards and procedures for granting a transfer of credits. In many cases, you will encounter some bureaucratic haggling in which some of your credits will be transferred and others may be refused. However, provided that you have attended an online school with recognized regional accreditation, you should be in good shape in transferring your credits earned online.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript, or resumé differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

Some employers may express the concern that because you did your degree online, you may need to transition from an online education experience to in-person workplace experience. But in an age of Covid, that concern seems much diminished. The fact is that much employment these days is remote. And collaboration increasingly happens online over Zoom. Many employers will therefore view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will be less than ideal for you (though depending on your circumstances, it may also be the only viable option).

While there is much in traditional campus-based education that can be substituted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing that can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual in-person classroom setting. As you transition to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face in getting the most out of your online classes is overcoming this difference between “real reality” and “virtual reality.” Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

The advantages of online classes are many. Above all, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete at your own pace and on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.

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Best Online Bachelor’s of Health Science Degree Programs Ranked for 2024

Top 10 Online Bachelor's in Health Science Degrees

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Health Science Degrees

Why get a bachelor’s in health science?

What will a bachelor’s in health science prepare me for?

What topics do courses cover while getting a bachelor’s in health science?

How long does it take to get a bachelor’s in health science?

What can you do with a bachelor’s in health science?

25 Best Online Bachelor’s in Health Science Degree Programs

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at University of Cincinnati

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at University of Missouri

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Arizona State University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at University of Vermont

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at University of Memphis

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Nova Southeastern University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Old Dominion University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Ferris State University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Washburn University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at University of the Incarnate Word

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Quinnipiac University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Southwest Baptist University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Wilmington University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at University of Texas at Arlington

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at West Virginia State University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at University of North Alabama

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Northern Arizona University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Western Kentucky University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at University of Nebraska at Kearney

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Utica University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Briar Cliff University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Health Science degree at West Texas A&M University

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Students with Health Science Degree

Health And Wellness

Degree Level: Bachelor's

Career Salaries

Average Career Salaries

Promising Job Markets

Top Industries

Online Health Science Programs Looking for You

Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

What can I expect from an online college course?+

Is online college easier than campus-based college?+

Why does accreditation matter in online college?+

Will I be able to transfer my online college degree?+

Will employers respect my online degree?+

What are the disadvantages of online classes?+

What are the advantages of online classes?+

Resources for Online College-Bound Students