Want to work in healthcare management? While this is one of the most promising career paths available, completing the required education can be costly. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that both public and private nonprofit colleges have high tuition fees. On average, public institutions charge around $9,400 per year, while private nonprofits charge about four times that amount. This guide will show you the most affordable online healthcare management programs in the country, and we’ll also help you confirm whether this particular major, as well as online degree programs in general, are right for you.
Why Trust Us
The Intelligent.com Higher Education Team is dedicated to providing students with independent, equitable school and program rankings and well-researched resources. Our expert-driven articles cover topics related to online colleges and programs, paying for school, and career outlooks. We use data from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard, the National Center for Education Statistics, and other reputable educational and professional organizations. Our academic advisory team reviews content and verifies accuracy throughout the year for the most current information. Partnerships do not influence rankings or editorial decisions.
- Analyzed over 2,000 national, accredited, and nonprofit colleges and universities
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- Over 100 data points are reviewed for accuracy and quality throughout the year, including sources
How we rank schools
Our list features the best online Healthcare Management 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 institutions.
We evaluated each school’s program on tuition costs, admission, retention and graduation rates, faculty, reputation, and the student resources provided for online students. We collected data from trusted sources like the National Center for Education Statistics, individual school and program websites, school admissions counselors, and other data sources. Then, we calculated the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100 based on the following criterion:
Academic Quality:
- Admission rate versus enrollment rate
- Retention rate of students who return after year one
- Accreditation status (regional and programmatic)
- Nonprofit status, both private and public institutions
Graduation Rate
- Overall graduation rate
- Total number of currently enrolled students, including diversity metrics
- Student-to-faculty ratio
Cost and ROI
- In-state and out-of-state per-credit tuition rates and fees
- Required credits to graduate
- Earning potential after graduation
- Availability of federal student loans, scholarships, and other financial aid options
Student Resources
- Available student services for online-only and hybrid programs
- On-campus amenities like tutoring centers and the number of libraries
Read more about our ranking methodology.
The 49 Cheapest Online Healthcare Management Degree Programs
FiltersInstitution 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
South Texas College
Intelligent Score: 99.37In-state: NA
Out-of-state: NA
In-state: NA
Out-of-state: NA
SAT: N/A
ACT: N/A
In-District: $77 Out-of-District: $87
Non-Resident: $250
Online
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
120
Peirce College
Intelligent Score: 99.05In-state: $25,034
Out-of-state: $25,034
In-state: NA
Out-of-state: NA
SAT: Not Required
ACT: Not Required
$600
Online
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
121
Florida International University
Intelligent Score: 96.96In-state: $4,721
Out-of-state: $16,529
In-state: $8,912
Out-of-state: $8,912
SAT: 1110-1260
ACT: 23-29
In-State: $228
Out-of-State: $345
Online
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
120
IU Northwest
Intelligent Score: 96.11In-state: $9,815
Out-of-state: $36,194
In-state: $9,786
Out-of-state: $9,786
SAT: 1120-1350
ACT: 24-31
Resident: $235 - $306
Non-Resident: $340 - $1,131
Online
Higher Learning Commission
120
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Intelligent Score: 96.02In-state: $5,407
Out-of-state: $19,135
In-state: $5,511
Out-of-state: $5,511
SAT: 1000-1210
ACT: 20-26
$380
Online
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
120
Western Governors University
Intelligent Score: 95.82In-state: $6,380
Out-of-state: $6,380
In-state: $7,500
Out-of-state: $7,500
SAT: N/A
ACT: N/A
$493
Online
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
34
Montana State University Billings
Intelligent Score: 93.56In-state: $18,206
Out-of-state: $32,847
In-state: $24,250
Out-of-state: $24,250
SAT: 940-1160
ACT: 17-23
$192
Online
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
120
State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota
Intelligent Score: 93.29In-state: $35,068
Out-of-state: $35,202
In-state: NA
Out-of-state: NA
SAT: N/A
ACT: 17-19
In-State: $102- $112
Out-of-State: $386 - $442
Online
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
120
Jackson State University
Intelligent Score: 92.26In-state: $8,270
Out-of-state: $8,270
In-state: $8,270
Out-of-state: $8,270
SAT: 890-1050
ACT: 17-20
$366
Online
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
120
SUNY Canton
Intelligent Score: 90.82In-state: $7,070
Out-of-state: $16,980
In-state: $11,310
Out-of-state: $11,310
SAT: 860-1060
ACT: N/A
$353
Online
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
120
University of Maryland Global Campus
Intelligent Score: 90.24In-state: $8,824
Out-of-state: $34,936
In-state: $13,158
Out-of-state: $13,158
SAT: 1270-1480
ACT: 30-34
Undergraduate In-State: $312
Out-of-State: $499 Graduate In-State: $514
Out-of-State: $659
Online
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Undergraduate: 120 Graduate: 42
Baker College
Intelligent Score: 90.2In-state: $9,960
Out-of-state: $9,960
In-state: $12,510
Out-of-state: $12,510
SAT: N/A
ACT: N/A
$435
Online
Higher Learning Commission
34
Norfolk State University
Intelligent Score: 89.15In-state: $5,752
Out-of-state: $16,920
In-state: $8,820
Out-of-state: $8,820
SAT: 840-1020
ACT: 15-20
In-State: $437
Out-of-State: $945
Online
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
120
East Carolina University
Intelligent Score: 89.08In-state: $4,452
Out-of-state: $20,729
In-state: $4,749
Out-of-state: $4,749
SAT: 1020-1170
ACT: 19-24
Resident: $185
Non-Resident: $863
Online
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
120
University of Central Florida
Intelligent Score: 89.03In-state: $4,478
Out-of-state: $19,810
In-state: $6,916
Out-of-state: $6,916
SAT: 1160-1340
ACT: 25-30
In-State: $179
Out-of-State: $715
Online
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
120
Alfred State College of Technology
Intelligent Score: 87.75In-state: $7,070
Out-of-state: $16,980
In-state: $11,310
Out-of-state: $11,310
SAT: 860-1060
ACT: N/A
In-State: $295
Out-of-State: $353
Online
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
120
Weber State University
Intelligent Score: 87.55In-state: $5,090
Out-of-state: $15,272
In-state: $7,935
Out-of-state: $7,935
SAT: N/A
ACT: N/A
Resident: $492
Non-Resident: $1,455
Online, On-Campus
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
120
Mercy College of Health Sciences
Intelligent Score: 87.21In-state: $32,416
Out-of-state: $32,416
In-state: $43,874
Out-of-state: $43,874
SAT: 1010-1180
ACT: 19-24
$214
Online
Higher Learning Commission
120
The Pros and Cons of Majoring in Healthcare Management
If your main priority for choosing a college major is economic security, you can’t do much better than healthcare management. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical and health services managers make an average salary of $101,340 per year, more than double the overall average for all occupations. Also, the projected job growth for healthcare managers over the next decade is 28%, much faster than average (in raw numbers, there is expected to be a net increase of 136,200 jobs for healthcare managers).
In addition to the high salaries and endless job opportunities, it’s worth noting that this occupation can be rewarding on a deeper level. As a healthcare manager, you’ll help provide one of society’s most essential services. Your work will make healthcare facilities more efficient and effective, allowing those in need to receive high-quality treatment for injuries and diseases quickly.
This job isn’t for everyone, though. Management occupations can be stressful and often don’t offer a great work-life balance. Even if you are committed to a management career, a degree in healthcare management is somewhat limiting. A less narrow major, such as business administration, would open up a broader selection of career paths. And if you’re interested in healthcare, a more hands-on role like nursing or sonography might be a better match for your interests and skill set.
Pros
-
High average salary -
Strong projected job growth
-
Fulfilling career that makes a positive impact on the community
Cons
-
Compared to most other jobs, the work can be stressful and time-consuming -
A degree in business administration would be more versatile
Should You Earn Your Degree Online?
There may have been a time when most employers were suspicious of online degrees, but this is no longer true.
These days, around 60% of college students take at least some online classes, with roughly 30% taking online classes exclusively. This form of education has simply become too mainstream to dismiss. Indeed, a Northwestern University study found that 55% of HR leaders believe that degrees earned online are generally equivalent to degrees earned in person, and another 6% believe that online degree programs are actually better than in-person alternatives. Also, 71% of HR leaders have personally hired someone with an online degree.
Most employers don’t care whether or not you earned your degree online. Just as with in-person degree programs, accreditation is the key to earning an online degree that employers will respect.
At the very least, you should only consider schools approved by a regional accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Specifically, you should be looking for one of the following accreditations when evaluating your school choices (each of these organizations is responsible for accrediting colleges in a different part of the country, so you’ll only see one of these names and not the others for any given school):
- Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
- New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
- Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
- WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
These organizations use methods such as peer review and site visits to ensure colleges provide an adequate education for their students. If you attend a school that isn’t accredited, there’s a good chance you won’t receive the type of coursework and instruction that you will need to truly prepare for your future career. For this reason, many employers won’t view your college education as legitimate, and you’ll have a much harder time getting hired.
If you’re earning your master’s, the program you attend will ideally be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) as well. While regional accrediting organizations evaluate entire institutions, programmatic accrediting organizations like CAHME focus on the degree programs offered for specific majors.
By attending one of the CAHME-accredited programs, you can be confident that you will receive the best education available for healthcare management. There are also other benefits, including exclusive scholarship opportunities, post-grad fellowships, and industry partnerships.
So, if you want to earn your healthcare management degree online, that shouldn’t be a problem as long as your program is appropriately accredited. Online colleges and universities are an excellent option for students who prefer to learn at their own pace, and you’ll save a lot of time by eliminating the need to commute to campus. The only reason to choose an in-person program instead is if you prefer the social aspect of the traditional college experience.
Our Research
This list features some of the country’s cheapest online healthcare management degree programs. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution, either public or private, with a high standard of academic quality for post-secondary institutions.
We evaluated each school’s program on tuition costs, admission, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation. 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 the cheapest online healthcare management degree programs to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications, such as U.S. News & World Report, to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.