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25 Best Master's in Healthcare Administration 2020

By the GradReports team | Updated 4/1/2020

We ranked the top 25 colleges that offer a Master's Degree in Healthcare Administration based on the median salary of this program’s graduates one year after college. With a median starting salary of $123,700, Vanderbilt University outranks the other schools on the list. The school with the lowest median debt for this degree is University of St Francis, with a debt of $29,513. The range of median salaries for the top 25 schools is $67,600-$123,700.

Tuition, median salaries, and median debt were reported by the U.S. Department of Education in November 2019. View our methodology for more details about these rankings or read more about the top-ranked schools.

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Salary and debt data reported by the U.S. Department of Education
Salary and debt data reported by the U.S. Department of Education
Rank School Location Annual Tuition Median Debt Median Salary
#1 #1 Nashville (TN) Nashville (TN) $53,722 $81,739 $123,700
#2 #2 Henniker (NH) Henniker (NH) $14,228 Not Reported $103,000
#3 #3 Chicago (IL) Chicago (IL) $28,422 $58,795 $90,100
#4 #4 Portland (OR) Portland (OR) $28,863 $49,195 $89,400
#5 #5 San Antonio (TX) San Antonio (TX) $23,597 $77,054 $86,100
#6 #6 Birmingham (AL) Birmingham (AL) $19,962 $41,000 $85,200
#7 #7 Athens (OH) Athens (OH) $17,712 $37,723 $84,100
#8 #8 New York (NY) New York (NY) $54,627 $66,000 $81,900
#9 #9 Chicago (IL) Chicago (IL) $38,030 $59,208 $80,200
#10 #10 Atlanta (GA) Atlanta (GA) $23,982 $47,919 $79,900
#11 #11 Los Angeles (CA) Los Angeles (CA) $64,666 $83,782 $78,700
#12 #12 Ann Arbor (MI) Ann Arbor (MI) $52,456 $64,756 $77,500
#13 #13 Richmond (VA) Richmond (VA) $29,782 $65,939 $76,300
#14 #14 Washington D.C. Washington D.C. $33,984 $57,466 $76,200
#15 #15 Seattle (WA) Seattle (WA) $31,530 $54,386 $76,000
#16 #16 Joliet (IL) Joliet (IL) $14,325 $29,513 $75,000
#17 #17 Philadelphia (PA) Philadelphia (PA) $27,596 Not Reported $73,500
#18 #18 New York (NY) New York (NY) $39,592 $78,150 $72,800
#19 #19 Baltimore (MD) Baltimore (MD) $62,962 $53,000 $72,400
#20 #20 Pittsburgh (PA) Pittsburgh (PA) $48,557 $67,714 $72,200
#21 #21 State College (PA) State College (PA) $42,151 $51,250 $70,000
#22 #22 Misenheimer (NC) Misenheimer (NC) $12,240 $31,005 $69,600
#23 #23 Las Vegas (NV) Las Vegas (NV) $23,302 Not Reported $69,000
#24 #24 Rochester (NY) Rochester (NY) $14,923 $41,000 $67,600
#25 #25 North Chicago (IL) North Chicago (IL) $34,167 $128,454 $67,600

2020 Best Colleges Highlights

#1
Nashville (TN)
Median Salary $123,700
Median Debt $81,739
Annual Tuition $53,722

Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management offers a 30 credit Master of Management in Health Care (MMHC) program, to be completed over one year, on campus. Throughout the year, students attend core business courses one night per week, participate in healthcare specific courses one weekend per month, and complete a Capstone Strategy Project. The schedule is designed to facilitate the operations of sponsoring organizations and students already working in the field.

Vanderbilt’s MMHC program aims to increase students’ value in the field, providing them with coursework that will empower students with experience as practicing physicians, nurse clinical leaders, and non-clinical administration to become business leaders who can master healthcare management. The core curriculum includes topics like managerial economics, operations, and strategic management, and healthcare industry-specific content covers topics like strategic marketing of healthcare services, economics of healthcare, and strategies for high-performance health care organizations.

Vanderbilt University is a globally renowned private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, the university is top-ranked in both academics and financial aid. The Owen Graduate School of Management’s mission is to provide world-class business education on a personal scale.

Visit Vanderbilt University’s website.

#2
Henniker (NH)
Median Salary $103,000
Median Debt Not Reported
Annual Tuition $14,228

New England College offers an online Master of Science in Management (MSM) with a healthcare administration concentration. Students pursuing this degree complete 16 core credits along with 20 credits in the healthcare administration concentration, for a total of 36 credits. The program also includes a thesis or project requirement and can be completed in less than 2 years depending on schedule choice.

The MSM program’s continually updated curriculum assesses the challenges and opportunities of the contemporary business environment and incorporates the increasing regional opportunity in New Hampshire and Northern New England. The core curriculum includes subjects like organizational leadership and change, strategic planning and policy, and project management. The healthcare administration concentration includes courses like marketing management in healthcare, managerial economics for healthcare, and legal issues in healthcare. Program outcomes consider management and leadership skills, communication, and ethical behavior, and the program’s focus includes examining specialized healthcare industry theories and best practices.

In addition to their MSM program, New England College also offers an online Master of Business Administration degree with a specialty curriculum in Healthcare Management. That program includes 28 credits of core MBA curriculum in addition to 12 credits in the Healthcare Management specialty curriculum.

New England College is located in Henniker, New Hampshire, just 90 minutes outside of Boston. Programs are offered at the Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral levels; all of which are delivered in the liberal arts tradition with an emphasis on experiential learning.

Visit New England College’s website.

Median Salary $90,100
Median Debt $58,795
Annual Tuition $28,422

The University of Illinois School of Public Health offers full-time, part-time, and executive tracks leading to a Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) degree. The full and part-time on-campus tracks are 60 credits, and are designed for early career students looking to become leaders in the healthcare industry. The executive track is designed for mid-to-senior level healthcare professionals, and is 48 credits.

Program curriculum covers core knowledge and concepts within the major healthcare disciplines, and integrates cutting-edge theory and how it’s applied within the healthcare sector. Course content includes subjects like Healthcare Finance; Population Health Management; Physician Relations; Organizational Leadership; and Strategic Marketing and Planning.

A highlight of the MHA program is the 12 month, 25-hour per week preceptorship, matching students with senior healthcare management professionals that can provide support towards academic and career goals. While completing preceptorship, students complete a Capstone Project analyzing and provide a recommendation for a programmatic initiative at their preceptor organization.

The University of Illinois at Chicago is a public research university in the Near West Side neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. It was formed in 1982 when the University of Illinois system consolidated the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle with the University of Illinois at the Medical Center.

Visit the University of Illinois at Chicago website.

Median Salary $89,400
Median Debt $49,195
Annual Tuition $28,863

The Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Master of Science in Healthcare Management program provides students with the knowledge and skills to lead teams, improve processes, and implement strategy within the field of healthcare. The program can be completed in 21 months, and is offered part-time and as a hybrid to accommodate working professionals. In addition to online coursework, on-campus classes are required two Friday evenings and two Saturdays per term.

The MS in Healthcare Management program is 52 credits, and includes courses like Strategic Communications; Operations Management in Healthcare; Financial Management in Healthcare; and Business Planning and Strategy in Healthcare. Examples of elective courses are Quality and Safety in Healthcare; Career Management; Career Conversations; Leading Change in Organizations; and Managing in the Real World. Students will also complete a Capstone Project in teams, collaborating to deliver consulting services to health care organizations in the region.

Oregon Health & Science University is a public university located in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1887 as the University of Oregon Medical Department and has been independent of the University of Oregon since 1974.

Visit the Oregon Health & Science University website.

#5
San Antonio (TX)
Median Salary $86,100
Median Debt $77,054
Annual Tuition $23,597

Trinity University's Master of Science in Healthcare Administration prepares students to become leaders in managing health organizations and systems. The degree requires 56 credits to complete: 50 of the credits are completed in the classroom over 16 months, while the remaining 6 credits are completed during a year-long administrative residency that also comes with a stipend. The residency allows students to gain hands-on experience and make connections in the health care organization space. During the classroom-based time, students also have the opportunity for site visits to local healthcare facilities.

Class sizes in the program are limited to 30 students, and the University emphasizes faculty availability after class to provide students with mentoring and advice.

Trinity University's campus is located in San Antonio, Texas.

Visit Trinity University's website.