With a master’s in health informatics online, you can increase your paycheck by thousands of dollars in just a few years! A graduate program can make all the difference if you are a medical records specialist, systems administrator, or support analyst. For example, the lowest 10% of health information specialists with entry-level education make around $50,000 annually. But a graduate degree can spring you into a consulting career, integrations engineering, etc., making almost double that salary. Moreover, a master’s in health informatics online can benefit those just entering the informatics field, as well as seasoned professionals.
However, there’s a big difference between the most economical and the most expensive degrees. When it comes to education, the cost is the most significant factor to consider. So what are the best online colleges for health informatics/analytics? Which schools have CAHIIM accreditation, affordable tuition, and the most relevant student experiences online?
GetEducated has surveyed 79 master’s in health informatics online from 73 regionally accredited schools to create our “Best Buy” ranking. This list showcases programs that cost lower than the national average but don’t sacrifice quality for cost. Read on to discover the 46 best health informatics programs online today!
ARTICLE NAVIGATION: Rankings Table | Career Guide
Average Cost (In-state): ~$29,900
Least Expensive: Southwestern Oklahoma State University ~$10,755
Most Expensive: Tufts University ~$110,228
Our data-driven research of public and non-profit colleges creates a genuinely reliable system of scientific rankings. There are no misleading formulas here. We meticulously calculate total full-time tuition—including any fees—for the most accurate total cost. Our rankings cannot be bought, and they factually showcase the cheapest online health informatics degrees. The master’s in health informatics online programs listed above the gray dividing line are official 2022 “Best Buys” and cost less than the national average.
Most Affordable Master’s in Health Informatics Online
| Rank | School / Degree | State | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Southwestern Oklahoma State University | (OK) | $10,755.00 $20,763.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
2 | East Carolina University | (NC) | $11,275.29 $39,764.79 | In-State Out-of-State |
3 | Arkansas Tech University | (AR) | $13,639.50 $24,165.75 | In-State Out-of-State |
4 | University of Illinois at Springfield | (IL) | $15,411.50 | All Students |
5 | Dakota State University | (SD) | $15,524.85 | All Students |
6 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | (IL) | $15,948.00 | All Students |
7 | Logan University | (MO) | $16,200.00 | All Students |
8 | Louisiana Tech University | (LA) | $16,289.00 $29,237.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
9 | Indiana University Online | (IN) | $17,063.56 $23,993.56 | In-State Out-of-State |
10 | SUNY Polytechnic Institute | (NY) | $17,604.18 $20,706.18 | In-State Out-of-State |
11 | Northern Kentucky University | (KY) | $17,688.00 | All Students |
12 | University of Maryland Global Campus | (MD) | $18,504.00 $23,724.00 $17,280.00 | In-State Out-of-State Military |
13 | Limestone University | (SC) | $19,655.00 $16,655.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
14 | Boston University | (MA) | $19,880.00 | All Students |
15 | Mercer University | (GA) | $20,460.00 | All Students |
16 | Idaho State University | (ID) | $20,592.00 | All Students |
17 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell | (MA) | $20,820.00 | All Students |
18 |  Drake University | (IA) | $21,000.00 | All Students |
19 | Franklin University | (OH) | $21,525.00 $17,237.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
20 | Iowa State University | (IA) | $22,228.00 $48,868.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
21 |  Southern New Hampshire University | (NH) | $22,722.00 $17,070.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
22 | Jacksonville University | (FL) | $23,100.00 | All Students |
23 | University of Tennessee Health Science Center | (TN) | $23,768.00 $34,664.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
24 | National University (School Merged) Master of Science in Health Informatics 14 | (CA) | $23,868.00 | All Students |
25 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | (SC) | $23,993.00 | All Students |
26 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | (IL) | $24,394.50 | All Students |
27 | University of Louisville | (KY) | $24,816.00 | All Students |
28 | University of Cincinnati | (OH) | $24,882.00 $25,377.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
29 |  Liberty University | (VA) | $25,075.00 $11,650.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
30 | University of Scranton | (PA) | $25,131.00 | All Students |
31 | Nova Southeastern University | (FL) | $25,687.00 | All Students |
32 | Kent State University | (OH) | $26,532.00 $26,892.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
33 | The College of Saint Scholastica | (MN) | $26,640.00 | All Students |
34 | Regent University | (VA) | $26,900.00 $20,825.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
35 | University of the Sciences (Merged into Saint Joseph's University) Master of Science in Health Informatics 14 | (PA) | $27,000.00 | All Students |
36 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | (WI) | $27,006.09 $52,189.29 | In-State Out-of-State |
37 | Florida International University | (FL) | $27,500.00 $30,000.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
38 | The College of Saint Scholastica | (MN) | $27,956.00 | All Students |
39 | The University of Findlay | (OH) | $28,545.00 | All Students |
40 | Stony Brook University | (NY) | $28,617.84 $33,129.84 | In-State Out-of-State |
41 | University of South Florida | (FL) | $29,024.00 | All Students |
42 | University of Illinois at Chicago | (IL) | $29,184.00 | All Students |
43 | St. Catherine University | (MN) | $29,220.00 | All Students |
44 | University of Central Florida | (FL) | $29,362.22 | All Students |
45 | Eastern Virginia Medical School | (VA) | $29,647.00 | All Students |
46 | University of Illinois at Chicago | (IL) | $29,952.00 | All Students |
| School / Degree | State | Price | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
George Mason University | (VA) | $30,120.00 | All Students | |
Saint Joseph's University | (PA) | $30,459.00 | All Students | |
University of Washington | (WA) | $31,038.00 | All Students | |
 University of Scranton | (PA) | $31,187.00 | All Students | |
MCPHS University | (MA) | $31,420.00 | All Students | |
Temple University | (PA) | $31,571.00 | All Students | |
Chatham University | (PA) | $32,460.00 | All Students | |
Rutgers University | (NJ) | $32,614.00 | All Students | |
Davenport University | (MI) | $32,987.00 | All Students | |
Morehouse School of Medicine | (GA) | $33,550.00 | All Students | |
Loma Linda University | (CA) | $33,648.00 | All Students | |
Regis University | (CO) | $33,878.00 | All Students | |
University of San Diego | (CA) | $34,225.00 | All Students | |
University of Pittsburgh | (PA) | $35,320.00 | All Students | |
Brandeis University | (MA) | $35,350.00 | All Students | |
University of Denver | (CO) | $35,904.00 | All Students | |
Marquette University | (WI) | $36,600.00 | All Students | |
Michigan Technological University | (MI) | $36,600.00 | All Students | |
Medical University of South Carolina | (SC) | $36,880.00 | All Students | |
Rochester Institute of Technology | (NY) | $37,110.00 | All Students | |
Samford University | (AL) | $37,994.00 | All Students | |
Loyola University Chicago | (IL) | $38,310.00 | All Students | |
Adelphi University | (NY) | $38,610.00 | All Students | |
DePaul University | (IL) | $39,000.00 | All Students | |
Northeastern University | (MA) | $43,395.00 | All Students | |
Clarkson University | (NY) | $43,824.00 | All Students | |
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | (MN) | $48,189.72 $73,423.72 | In-State Out-of-State | |
University of Washington | (WA) | $50,620.00 | All Students | |
Northwestern University | (IL) | $54,768.00 | All Students | |
Northwestern University | (IL) | $58,944.00 | All Students | |
Drexel University | (PA) | $60,975.00 $45,765.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military | |
Tufts University | (MA) | $110,228.00 | All Students |
Accreditation & Program Notes
To qualify for a ranking, a program must be regionally accredited. Additional programmatic accreditation is noted in the rank table.
14 Options for this program have changed since publication.
CAHIIM Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education
Rankings Note
These online college rankings are based on a GetEducated Summer 2022 review of regionally accredited master’s in health informatics online programs. Total cost includes full-time tuition and fees and was valid at the time of collection and specific to the online learning degree. School profiles for the online master degree programs in our directory may reflect a slightly different cost based on different editorial update schedules.
The published cost is an estimated sticker price for the entire online degree including fees. Actual costs may vary by student. Factors such as transfer credits, prerequisite courses, professional licensing and financial aid availability will affect final cost.
Editorial Note
Online schools do NOT pay to be included in any GetEducated online degree ranking. These rankings are editorially independent, open to any non-profit, regionally accredited or candidate college that offers a master’s degree that is available at least 80 percent through online learning and that is open to enrollment by the public. If your online college is regionally accredited and not currently reviewed by GetEducated, please contact us for inclusion.
These rankings of the cheapest online schools for health informatics may NOT be re-posted online or reprinted in any format without a license from GetEducated ®. Consumer finance bloggers and writers can contact our editors for a free custom article on the best master’s in health informatics online for use on your website. Our mission: Help consumers GetEducated ® about the best online colleges for cost and credibility.
Career Guide: Master’s in Health Informatics Online
Experts in data and information are needed across every sector, including the medical industry. With a master’s in health informatics online, you’ll have the skills to manage and protect the flow of information from patients to facilities to doctors and staff. You’ll fill a critical role in one of the fastest-growing, most essential industries in the country.
Who Should Consider a Master’s in Health Informatics?
These degrees can be useful for anyone who is interested in data and wants to support the healthcare industry. Whether you have been working in healthcare or technology, these degrees are great for people working in data modeling, information, process optimization, and analytics.
In fact, previous experience in data protection, cyber security, or network engineering would be more useful than experience in nursing or healthcare.
Master’s in Health Informatics Online: What to Expect
Master’s degrees, regardless of the subject, have high standards for qualification. Foremost, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree in an appropriate discipline, such as databases, information technology, or software. You’ll likely need to meet the school’s minimum GPA requirements, which are usually 3.0 or higher.
A master’s degree generally takes two years (after a bachelor’s) but you can complete these degrees faster if you take an accelerated degree plan.
Before enrolling, you’ll want to research the cost of each program. The final cost for a master’s in health informatics online can change depending on many factors, but when researching 80 different programs we found the average cost was about $30,000. The highest-priced degree was over $110,000, but we also found degrees for less than $10,000. There is clearly a wide range of prices, so you need to be diligent and find the one that is best for your needs and budget.
During a master’s in health informatics online, you’ll learn a wide variety of skills that make you an expert in health information. You’ll learn to analyze clinical data, develop plans for the storage and security of information, and implement appropriate health technology. Course may cover everything from broad-level management skills to the direct installation of information software. You’ll also learn about policies and laws that impact the healthcare industry.
Courses will vary by institution, but you may take classes such as “electronic health records,” “health information privacy,” and “health data analytics.” You may also learn to support healthcare decisions using data.
Top Careers in Health Information
After graduation, you’ll be prepared for a variety of careers in the healthcare industry. Above all, you’ll be ready to support medical facilities by providing advanced information management and security. Possible careers include…
Health Information Specialist
- Salary: $45,240
- Education: Postsecondary award (minimum)
- Experience: None
These are the information experts of the medical industry. They organize and manage information to ensure seamless access while maintaining a high level of security. They review patient records, use classification systems, record data, maintain confidentiality, and perform many other tasks that are critical to healthcare.
While the minimum education for this career is a postsecondary award, some positions require more education. With a master’s in health informatics online, you’ll be in line for some of the top positions in this career field. The top 10% earn salaries over $105,000; you’ll be more likely to reach this salary if you have a master’s degree.
Health Services Manager
- Salary: $101,340
- Education: Bachelor’s degree
- Experience: 5 years or more
After working in the healthcare industry, perhaps as a health information specialist or administrative assistant, you may advance to a health services manager position. These are the broad-level leaders in healthcare, taking roles that resemble CEOs, COOs, or company presidents. Essentially, they plan, guide, and coordinate the efforts of these companies.
A health services manager earns one of the highest salaries in the entire job market, and, as another benefit, the career is also expecting rapid growth. The BLS predicts that between 2020 and 2030, jobs for health services managers will grow by 32%!
Additional Requirements for Working in Health Informatics
If you are going to work in health informatics, data, and information security, you likely won’t need certifications or licensing. If you have the skills, you can do the work without a legally-mandated license.
Depending on the position, you may need experience. A health services manager, for example, needs roughly five years of administrative or organizational experience to work in these careers.
However, this is a rapidly-changing discipline. With new technologies and new threats from a variety of sources, you need to stay at the forefront of the sector. Continuing education through publications, seminars, and even formal classes will be critical if you want to excel in these careers.