Best Online Master’s in Health Science 2025

Badge for BEST ONLINE MASTER'S IN HEALTH SCIENCE
By Dr. James Barham
Published:
Updated:

Find top-ranked online master’s in health science degree programs in the US for students and professionals wanting to continue into advanced doctoral studies in fields, such as athletic training, health informatics, education, regulatory science, and clinical research.

Key Takeaways

  • Leading health science programs offer robust career services, including mentorship, job placement assistance, and networking with healthcare professionals and organizations, helping students advance their careers in clinical, public health, or administrative roles in the healthcare industry.
  • The programs in this ranking provide asynchronous and synchronous course options to accommodate working professionals, while also incorporating hands-on learning through case studies, capstone projects, or internships that allow students to apply their knowledge in real-world healthcare settings.
  • Top programs in health science offer a wide-ranging curriculum that covers public health, healthcare management, and health informatics, preparing students to tackle current issues like telehealth, epidemiology, and healthcare policy.

Top 10 Online Master's in Health Science Degrees in 2025

  1. University of Michigan
  2. University of Alabama
  3. University of Houston
  4. Florida International University
    +1
  5. University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
    +1
  6. Nova Southeastern University
    +1
  7. Western Kentucky University
    +2
  8. Radford University
    –4
  9. University of Nebraska at Kearney
    +1
  10. Florida Gulf Coast University
    +1

2025 Ranking Update

Our Influence Ranking Engine™ leverages machine learning to track the real-world influence of colleges and universities over time. Below you’ll see which schools gained or last ground for the 2025 school year.

In 2025, the top three schools maintained their respective positions, when Radford University lost four ranking positions. Florida International University, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and Nova Southeastern University all gained one ranking position.

Featured Programs

Best Online Master’s in Health Science Degree Programs

  1. #1

    University of Michigan

    Ann Arbor , MI
    #2 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #2 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2025 #2 50 Best Public Grad Schools 2025 #2 Best Value Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $18K

    Acceptance

    18%

    Graduation

    93%

    Student body

    52K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1440/32

    Career Outlook for Health Science degree at University of Michigan

    Cost of Degree: $27,524
    Expenses: $17,554
    Starting Salary: $82,017
    Salary after 4 years: $98,302
    Cost Recoup Time: 6 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Online Degrees

    MS in Population and Health Sciences
    • Required Credits: 42
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Compare school
  2. #2

    University of Alabama

    Tuscaloosa , AL
    #13 15 Best Online Colleges for Veterans to Start Their Careers #1 Most Affordable Colleges in Alabama 2025 #1 Best Grad Schools in Alabama 2025 #1 Alabama's Best Colleges and Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2025
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $12K

    Acceptance

    80%

    Graduation

    73%

    Student body

    42K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1270/27

    Career Outlook for Health Science degree at University of Alabama

    Cost of Degree: $11,740
    Expenses: $21,482
    Starting Salary: $53,571
    Salary after 4 years: $64,207
    Cost Recoup Time: 6 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Online Degrees

    MS in Population Health Sciences
    • Required Credits: 30
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Compare school
  4. #4

    Florida International University

    Miami , FL
    #6 Top 15 Best Online Colleges for Transfer Students in 2025 #4 Most Affordable Colleges in Florida 2025 #4 Best Public Colleges in Florida 2025 #5 Best Colleges in Florida 2024
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $7K

    Acceptance

    64%

    Graduation

    69%

    Student body

    72K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1155/23

    Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Florida International University

    Cost of Degree: $11,334
    Expenses: $19,406
    Starting Salary: $53,986
    Salary after 4 years: $64,705
    Cost Recoup Time: 6 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Online Degrees

    MPH in Public Health

    Concentrations

    • Environmental Health Sciences
    • Required Credits: 45
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Compare school
  6. #5

    University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

    Edinburg , TX
    #1 Best Online MBA in Healthcare Management Ranked for Students in 2025 #2 Top 10 Best Online Bachelor's of Nursing (BSN) Programs 2025 #5 Best Online Master's in Healthcare Administration 2025 #6 Best Online Master's in Kinesiology Degree Programs
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $10K

    Acceptance

    88%

    Graduation

    53%

    Student body

    44K

    Median SAT/ACT

    960/19

    Career Outlook for Health Science degree at University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

    Cost of Degree: $8,443
    Expenses: $14,618
    Starting Salary: $45,888
    Salary after 4 years: $54,999
    Cost Recoup Time: 5 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Online Degrees

    MS in Health Sciences

    Concentrations

    • Nutrition
    • Clinical Laboratory Sciences
    • Health Care Informatics
    • Health Care Administration
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: 2-3 years
    • Format: Online
    Compare school
  7. #6

    Nova Southeastern University

    Fort Lauderdale , FL
    #3 Best Private Colleges in Florida 2024 #9 Best Research Universities in Florida 2025 #10 Best Grad Schools in Florida 2024 #1 Best Online Master’s in Forensics Degree Programs 2025
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $36K

    Acceptance

    76%

    Graduation

    62%

    Student body

    24K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1175/23

    Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Nova Southeastern University

    Cost of Degree: $24,140
    Expenses: $22,596
    Starting Salary: $48,898
    Salary after 4 years: $97,568
    Cost Recoup Time: 6 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Online Degrees

    MHS in Health Sciences

    Concentrations

    • Health Law
    • Health Care Administration
    • Health Care Risk Management
    • Sports Medicine
    • Higher Education
    • Required Credits: 43
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    MS in General Psychology

    Concentrations

    • Applied Health Science Track
    • Required Credits: 30
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Compare school
  8. #7

    Western Kentucky University

    Bowling Green , KY
    #3 Most Affordable Colleges in Kentucky 2025 #3 Best Research Universities in Kentucky 2025 #3 Best Public Colleges in Kentucky 2025 #3 Best Colleges in Kentucky 2024
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $11K

    Acceptance

    97%

    Graduation

    51%

    Student body

    20K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1075/21

    Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Western Kentucky University

    Cost of Degree: $12,140
    Expenses: $15,452
    Starting Salary: $40,074
    Salary after 4 years: $48,031
    Cost Recoup Time: 7 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Online Degrees

    MS in Environmental and Occupational Health Science
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Compare school
  12. #10

    Florida Gulf Coast University

    Fort Myers , FL
    #5 Best Online MBA in Data Analytics Ranked for Students in 2024 #8 Best Online Doctorate of Physical Therapy Programs (PhDs) #14 Best Online Colleges in Florida 2025 #15 Best Online Master's Programs in Florida 2025
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $6K

    Acceptance

    74%

    Graduation

    59%

    Student body

    18K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1120/22

    Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Florida Gulf Coast University

    Cost of Degree: $8,961
    Expenses: $17,614
    Starting Salary: $47,549
    Salary after 4 years: $56,990
    Cost Recoup Time: 6 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Online Degrees

    MS in Health Science
    • Required Credits: 45
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Compare school
  13. #11

    A.T. Still University

    Kirksville , MO
    #9 Best Online Doctorate of Physical Therapy Programs (PhDs) #9 Best Online Master's in Kinesiology Degree Programs #13 Best Online Doctorate in Organizational Leadership Degree Programs #15 Fastest Accelerated Online Public Health Doctorates (PhDs) 2025

    Student body

    4K

    Career Outlook for Health Science degree at A.T. Still University

    Cost of Degree: $39,675
    Starting Salary: $187,765
    Salary after 4 years: $374,655

    Online Degrees

    MS in Health Sciences

    Concentrations

    • Leadership and Organizational Behavior
    • Fundamentals of Education
    • Global Health
    • Required Credits: 33
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Compare school
  14. #12

    Bellarmine University

    Louisville , KY
    #3 Best Christian Colleges in Kentucky 2024 #4 Best Grad Schools in Kentucky 2025 #5 Best Private Colleges in Kentucky 2025 #5 Best Research Universities in Kentucky 2025
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $46K

    Acceptance

    88%

    Graduation

    60%

    Student body

    4K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1195/24

    Career Outlook for Health Science degree at Bellarmine University

    Cost of Degree: $13,785
    Starting Salary: $44,501
    Salary after 4 years: $88,794

    Online Degrees

    MS in Health Science

    Concentrations

    • Healthcare Leadership
    • Health Promotion and Social Change
    • Required Credits: 30
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Compare school
  16. #14

    Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania

    Lock Haven , PA

    Online Degrees

    Master of Health Science

    Concentrations

    • Healthcare Management Concentration
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Compare school

Career Outlook for Students with Health Science Degree

Go to Degree Finder tool

Health And Wellness

Degree Level: Master's

  • Location: The U.S. (Private Schools)
  • Avg. Cost of Degree*: $11,320
  • Avg. Expenses*: $16,978
  • Avg. Starting Salary*: $58,606
  • Avg. Salary after 4 Years*: $70,243
  • Avg. Cost Recoup Time**: 5 years
  • Job Growth: 10.04%
  • Number of Jobs: 125,500
  • * denotes ‘annually’
  • ** denotes ‘at 15% of annual salary’

Career Salaries

CareerJob GrowthAvg. Salary
Health Education Specialists6.92%$62,860
Community Health Workers13.09%$48,200

Top Industries

IndustryAvg. Salary
Health Education Specialists$62,860
Community Health Workers$48,200
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.

Frequently Asked Questions About Health Science Degrees

Why get a master’s in health science?

A master’s in health science provides students with the opportunity to focus on a specific area of study while advancing leadership skills and qualifications.. In addition to core courses, most programs allow students to choose from an array of specializations including epidemiology, community health, clinical research administration, and athletic training.

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

Programs typically consist of about 30 credits, and can be completed in roughly two years. Students and professionals can also choose either online or on-campus degrees based on individual needs.

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

After program completion, graduates can continue into advanced doctoral studies or apply their chosen concentration in corresponding fields, such as athletic training, health informatics, education, regulatory science, and clinical research.

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Learn more about what you can do with a master’s in medical science.

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Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require some adjustment. While you’ll generally learn the same content and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, the medium will likely require you to manage much of this experience independently. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, your ability to harness the technology at your fingertips, and your ability to focus on the lectures, lessons, and assignments at hand. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take it upon yourself to build 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 is actually getting there. Taking the commute out of the equation means getting to class should be a lot more manageable. But that’s where it ends. In general, your online courses will incorporate the very same materials, concepts, and testing methods as would a traditional classroom.

And 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 or working with remote learning technology for the first time, online college may even be a little more challenging for you. For a few insights on how to manage this new 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 institutions and less-than-reputable for-profit schools. Accreditation gives you the power to differentiate between the two. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency which indicates that a college or university is meeting standards of quality, credibility, and currency. 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 which is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. When seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that students 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.

As long as your online college degree is regionally accredited, 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. In many cases, you will be required to navigate a bureaucracy in which some of your credits will be transferred and others will be jettisoned. However, provided that you have attended an online school with the proper regional accreditation, you should have plenty of options for transfer.

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 resume 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.

While some employers may express concern about making the adjustment from online education to in-person workplace collaboration, many other employers will 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 require some adjustment.

While there is much that can be supplanted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing which can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual classroom setting. As you make the adjustment to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face is overcoming this difference in order to the get the most out of your classes. Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

The advantages of online classes are many. First and foremost, 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 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.

Resources for Prospective Grad Students

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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