Top Schools for Healthcare Administration

Several colleges and universities in the United States offer programs in healthcare administration. We've listed some of our top picks below in alphabetical order.

All programs listed are accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME).

1. George Washington University

The George Washington University is a private research university in Washington D.C., just a few blocks from the White House. It offers two master's programs in healthcare administration.

The first program is the Master of Health Administration (MHA) offered through the university's Milken Institute School of Public Health. It includes courses such as:

• Community Health Management and Advocacy
• Ethics in Health Services Management
• Human Resources Management and Organizational Behavior
• Quantitative Methods and Epidemiology in Health Services

The program is available on campus and online, although it does include an in-person residency or internship. Four on-campus immersion experiences are also required for the online program.

Additionally, George Washington University offers a master's degree and graduate certificate in correctional health administration through its School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

The master's degree requires 36 credits and the graduate certificate requires 15. Both include core courses like:

• Correctional Healthcare Fiscal Management
• Correctional Healthcare for Special Populations
• Correctional Healthcare Oversight
• Fundamentals of Correctional Healthcare

2. Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. It's known for its medical programs, but offers excellent programs in other health fields as well.

Students can earn a Master of Health Management through the Department of Health Policy within the university's Bloomberg School of Public Health.

This is a two-year program for those dedicated to improving health and health-service delivery across all sectors. It includes courses such as:

• Applied Methods for Optimizing Performance in Healthcare Organizations
• Introduction to Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety: A Management Perspective
• Legal and Ethical Issues in Health Services Management
• Principles and Applications of Advanced Payment Models in Population Health Management

During the second year of the program, students participate in an 11-month, full-time paid residency through the program's residency placement process.

3. University of Alabama at Birmingham

The University of Alabama at Birmingham is a public research university in Birmingham, Alabama. It's a member of the University of Alabama System.

The Department of Health Services Administration within the university's School of Health Professions offers a Master of Science in health administration that can be done on campus or online.

The program includes courses such as:

• Essentials of Health and Human Disease
• Human Resources Management in Health Services Administration
• Information Systems and Management Science
• Operations Management & Process Improvement

The residential program requires two semesters of administrative residency. The online executive program does not, but it does require five prior years of experience in healthcare.

The university also offers a Bachelor of Science in healthcare management, which prepares students for mid-level management or to proceed to the master's program in health administration.

4. University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota is a public research university that spans the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. It offers a Master of Healthcare Administration through its School of Public Health.

The program offers two tracks: the residential track and the executive track. The residential track offers in-person classes and requires 60 credits. Courses include:

• Healthcare Human Resource Management
• Healthcare Leadership and Effecting Change
• Legal and Ethical Considerations in Health Services Organizations
• Principles of Problem Solving in Health Services Organizations

The executive track offers asynchronous online classes for employed executives, physicians, and healthcare professionals with at least three years of experience. It requires 42 credits in courses like:

• Legal Considerations in Health Services
• Operations Research and Quality in Healthcare
• Principles of Management in Health Services Organizations
• Quality Improvement and Patient Safety

Through the College of Continuing and Professional Studies, undergraduate students can earn a bachelor's or certificate in health services management as a precursor to the MHA program.

5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill is a public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It's the flagship university of the University of North Carolina System.

Through UNC's Gillings School of Global Public Health, students can earn a Master of Healthcare Administration. Like the two prior universities on this list, the program has a residential and executive track.

Both tracks include courses such as:

• Healthcare in the United States: Structure and Policy
• Healthcare Reimbursement
• Healthcare Strategy and Marketing
• Statistical Methods for Health Policy and Management

The residential program requires 60 credits, which include professional training and practicum. The executive program is for those employed full time in healthcare and requires 49 credits.