Best Online Master’s in Healthcare Administration

Best Online Master’s in Healthcare Administration

By James Barham

Published: Jul 2, 2021
Updated: Mar 13, 2023

Find top-ranked online master’s in healthcare administration degree programs for students looking for supervisory and managerial roles in the healthcare field, such as healthcare manager, nurse manager, health information management director, and healthcare administrator.

Top 10 Online Master's in Healthcare Administration Degrees

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

67%

Loyola University Chicago

52%

Samford University

44%

Marshall University

41%

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

37%

Nova Southeastern University

37%

Radford University

35%

Lamar University

35%

Abilene Christian University

34%

Park University

32%

Marshall University

98%

Auburn University at Montgomery

97%

Radford University

95%

University of the Incarnate Word

94%

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

94%

Azusa Pacific University

94%

Nova Southeastern University

93%

Austin Peay State University

93%

Norfolk State University

89%

Utica University

89%

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

21 to 1

Concordia University Irvine

20 to 1

Valdosta State University

20 to 1

Lamar University

19 to 1

Marshall University

18 to 1

Nova Southeastern University

17 to 1

Murray State University

17 to 1

Norfolk State University

16 to 1

Auburn University at Montgomery

16 to 1

Austin Peay State University

16 to 1

Loyola University Chicago

$47,808

Azusa Pacific University

$41,510

Abilene Christian University

$39,350

Concordia University Irvine

$38,740

Samford University

$35,360

Nova Southeastern University

$34,570

University of the Incarnate Word

$33,100

Concordia University Wisconsin

$31,952

Spring Arbor University

$31,080

Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences

$29,922

Utica University

$32,464

Abilene Christian University

$24,174

Nova Southeastern University

$21,153

Samford University

$20,935

Loyola University Chicago

$18,990

University of the Incarnate Word

$18,540

Azusa Pacific University

$16,571

Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences

$16,128

Concordia University Wisconsin

$11,628

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

$10,552

Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences

14%

Avila University

20%

Utica University

21%

Spring Arbor University

21%

Concordia University Irvine

22%

Wilmington University

26%

Auburn University at Montgomery

26%

Concordia University Wisconsin

27%

Austin Peay State University

27%

University of the Incarnate Word

29%

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

20%

Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences

49%

Spring Arbor University

60%

Avila University

68%

Concordia University Wisconsin

69%

Abilene Christian University

70%

Valdosta State University

76%

Loyola University Chicago

77%

Concordia University Irvine

81%

Samford University

84%

Azusa Pacific University

10 to 1

Concordia University Wisconsin

11 to 1

University of the Incarnate Word

12 to 1

Avila University

12 to 1

Wilmington University

12 to 1

Spring Arbor University

12 to 1

Samford University

12 to 1

Utica University

12 to 1

Abilene Christian University

13 to 1

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

13 to 1

Valdosta State University

$4,371

Norfolk State University

$5,752

Idaho State University

$5,928

Lamar University

$6,228

Austin Peay State University

$6,816

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

$7,019

Marshall University

$7,190

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

$7,857

Radford University

$7,922

Auburn University at Montgomery

$7,992

Valdosta State University

$4,572

Park University

$6,435

Lamar University

$6,471

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

$7,002

Marshall University

$7,520

Auburn University at Montgomery

$7,578

Spring Arbor University

$8,093

Austin Peay State University

$8,226

Idaho State University

$8,380

Concordia University Irvine

$8,564

Key Takeaways

Accredited online master’s in healthcare administration programs are often a great choice for those with experience in clinical, business, or technology fields.
With an aging US population, managing complex operations in healthcare is much needed, so an online master’s in healthcare administration degree can lead to a career that is in high demand.
Popular healthcare administration specializations include healthcare finance and information management.

Featured Programs

Becoming A Healthcare Administrator

Students who wish to pursue a career in the healthcare industry are increasingly pursuing an online graduate in healthcare management or healthcare administration degree. The Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that job growth in healthcare occupations will increase by 13 percent from 2021 to 2031.

As a result of this rapid growth, healthcare managers, healthcare executives, and health aervices administration experts with knowledge of health policy and keeping abreast of global health will be in high demand.

For busy working professionals who need a flexible program, more colleges and universities are offering the online master’s in healthcare administration, or MHA program.

There are several pathways to a career in healthcare administrations. Some online master’s degrees in business administration have a healthcare administration concentration, while a graduate degree in public health is another academic pathway.

Healthcare management professionals can gain specialized training through an online master’s in healthcare administration degree. Taking an online healthcare management degree allows students to continue working while earning their degree.

Healthcare Administrator Responsibilities

Overseeing personnel and operations is what healthcare administrators do during the day. Their duties typically include scheduling, budgeting, and ensuring compliance with rules and regulations.

Professionals seeking an online degree in healthcare administration should have a bachelor’s degree in healthcare or a related field. Administrators in healthcare facilities must also have administrative or clinical experience.

Those with experience and education in nursing, health information technology, or financial administration may be promoted to health administrator positions. However, administrators of nursing homes must be licensed.

Aspiring professionals must complete a state-approved training program and acquire a healthcare administrator license and certification.

Frequently Asked Questions About Healthcare Administration Degrees

Why get a master’s in healthcare administration?

A master’s degree in healthcare administration is an ideal degree for those who wish to gain advanced knowledge in the healthcare field and ultimately advance to top leadership roles. This degree can be earned either online or on campus.

What will I learn while getting a master’s in healthcare administration?

Students will gain a thorough understanding of the American healthcare system and dig into topics like healthcare policies and economics, healthcare research methods and utilization, leadership styles, and ethical principles in healthcare.

How long does it take to get a master’s in healthcare administration?

Credit requirements can range from 30 to 60 credits depending on the nature of your program. Students will typically require between two and three years to complete the required courses.

What can you do with a master’s in healthcare administration?

Graduates will qualify for supervisory and managerial roles in the healthcare field, such as healthcare manager, nurse manager, health information management director, and healthcare administrator.

Learn more about what you can do with a master’s in healthcare administration.

Best Online Master's in Healthcare Administration Degree Programs

How do we determine the best online healthcare administration master's degree programs?

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.

Best Online Master’s in Healthcare Administration Degree Programs

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.

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.

Image Attributions

Image Source for University of Texas Rio Grande Valley