The best master's degrees in health informatics offer a combination of a high-quality curriculum and the flexibility to pursue an advanced degree while working. Consider these challenging programs to help you prepare for management positions in this exciting career field.
Methodology for Ranking the Top Accredited Master's in Health Informatics Degree Programs
This list was created to help find the affordable top 10 best master's in health informatics degrees from accredited and nationally or regionally ranked colleges and universities. We looked at approximately 114 institutions listed by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) College Navigator. We narrowed our list by applying the following criteria: Concentration or specialization options; national, regional, or program rankings with U.S. News and World Report or other major publications like The Princeton Review; and in-state graduate tuition/fees less than $25,000.
Below are the resulting selections for the top 10 best master's in health informatics degree programs listed in order of affordability.
#10 – Northeastern University
Master's in Health Informatics
Boston, Massachusetts
Graduate Tuition/Fees: $22,051
Offered through Northeastern University's College of Computer and Information Science and Bouve College of Health Sciences, the master's in health informatics degree program is designed to prepare students for leadership and specialist roles in health-related organizations. The program offers courses taught by faculty with senior leadership experience in health informatics and research opportunities that lend well toward the academic pathway to the health informatics doctoral degree. Courses taken throughout the program include business of healthcare informatics, data management in healthcare, global health information management, and strategic topics in programming for health professionals. Northeastern is ranked by U.S. News and World Report as the 39th best national university and 7th most innovative school. Also, several of the school's graduate programs have earned top rankings.
#9 – University of Michigan
Master's in Health Informatics
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Graduate Tuition/Fees: $20,966
The School of Information at University of Michigan offers an accredited master's in health informatics that takes two years of full-time work to complete. This 52-credit program offers full- and part-time enrollment options, although most part-time students finish their degree in three to four years. Some of the courses taken for the program include data manipulation and analysis, personal informatics design, research methods for information professionals, and special topics in information study. University of Michigan is nationally ranked by U.S. News and World Report. In fact, the most recent edition of Best Colleges lists the school as the 27th best national university.
#8 – University of Illinois
Master's in Health Informatics
Chicago, Illinois
Graduate Tuition/Fees: $16,527
University of Illinois offers an accredited and affordable master's in health informatics degree program that is built on the business school model. Both online and on-campus programs are available to suit student needs, although the programs mirror each other. The program also offers a research track and post-master's certificate for interested students. Curriculum is designed to present coursework that emphasizes current clinical trends, government regulations, and healthcare-specific management practices. University of Illinois is a top-ranked public institution. In fact, U.S. News and World Report ranks the school as the 152nd best national university and 78th top public school (tied with University of Massachusetts).
#7 – University of Massachusetts
Master's in Health Informatics and Management
Lowell, Massachusetts
Graduate Tuition/Fees: $13,799
The master's in health informatics and management degree program from University of Massachusetts offers two concentrations for students to tailor their degree around career goals and particular areas of interest. The two available concentrations include health informatics and health management. Online and on-campus options are also available. Courses include healthcare finance, healthcare management, law and ethics in healthcare, operations analysis for quality improvement, and organizational behavior in healthcare. UMass is a nationally ranked institution. In fact, U.S. News and World Report ranks the school as the 152nd best national university and 78th top public school in the country (tied with University of Illinois).
#6 – New England College
Master's in Health Informatics
Henniker, New Hampshire
Graduate Tuition/Fees: $13,735
New England College offers an accredited and affordable master's in health informatics program designed to prepare students with technical knowledge and organizational management expertise to improve health data. The 36-credit hour program includes courses in information security in healthcare, issues in ethics for healthcare, principles of health informatics, project management, and research and evaluation. Students are also required to take either database management or network communications, and complete a capstone project. New England College is ranked by U.S. News and World Report as a best regional university in the North, according to the most recent edition of Best Colleges.
#5 – Northern Kentucky University
Master's in Health Informatics
Highland Heights, Kentucky
Graduate Tuition/Fees: $9,996
Northern Kentucky University offers a master's in health informatics degree program that is designed for individuals who want specialized training in regulatory and ethical issues, process management, and technologies in the healthcare industry. Students take 24 credit hours of required courses and 9 credit hours of electives within three areas of specialization: healthcare cybersecurity, healthcare data analytics, and healthcare process management. Some of the courses include evidence-based healthcare methods, healthcare organizational change, and systems analysis and design. Northern Kentucky is ranked by U.S. News as the 82nd best regional university in the South and 31st top public school in the country.
#4 – University of Kansas Medical Center
Master's in Health Informatics
Kansas City, Kansas
Graduate Tuition/Fees: $9,958
The University of Kansas Medical Center offers a master's in health informatics degree program designed to empower students through the study of health information technology. No GRE is required for admission and full- and part-time enrollment options are available. While this program is considered to be on-campus, students have the option of taking courses online. Also, discipline-specific courses can help students tailor their degree to suit career goals and interests in areas like clinical, health policy and management, and public health. Some of the required courses include abstraction and modeling of healthcare information, introduction to health informatics, knowledge management in healthcare, and transforming of healthcare through the use of information systems and technology. The institution is ranked by U.S. News and World Report as the 118th best national university and 56th top public school.
#3 – University of Iowa
Master of Science in Health Informatics
Iowa City, Iowa
Graduate Tuition/Fees: $9,693
University of Iowa's master's in health informatics program offers a thesis or non-thesis completion option for those who desire an advanced degree that combines data analysis with health information. Required courses include bioinformatics techniques, database management and visualization, design and analysis of biomedical studies, health informatics, and introduction to informatics. Students may also pursue independent study with a University of Iowa faculty member so that their degree may be tailored to suit career goals and personal interests. The university is ranked by U.S. News and World Report as a best national institution in the most recent edition of Best Colleges. Also, several of the school's health-related graduate programs have earned rankings.
#2 – Indiana University
Master's in Health Informatics
Indianapolis, Indiana
Graduate Tuition/Fees: $9,183
Indiana University's 36-credit hour health informatics master's degree program collaborates with several world-renowned partners including The Regenstrief Institute and The Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center. The program offers fall and spring admission and is intended for both full-time and part-time students. Sample courses include analytics of biomedical data, business of health informatics, consumer health informatics, interaction design practice and methods, natural language processing, and social foundations of informatics. Indiana University is ranked by U.S. News and World Report as the 197th best national university and 106th top public school. Also, several of the school's graduate health programs have earned top rankings in the most recent edition of Best Colleges.
#1 – University of Nebraska
Master's in Biomedical Informatics
Omaha, Nebraska
Graduate Tuition/Fees: $5,836
The most affordable master's in health informatics program on our list is found at the University of Nebraska. The degree is offered as a joint program through University of Nebraska Omaha and University of Nebraska Medical Center. The research-oriented program emphasizes biomedical informatics and prepares students with advanced research skills needed to work in academic settings or IT healthcare industries. Two tracks are available: The general bioinformatics track or the health informatics track. Thirty-six program hours are required for completion of the degree along with a thesis detailing original work and research. The university is ranked by major publications like U.S. News and World Report as a top institution. Also, several of the school's graduate health degree programs have earned top rankings.
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