What Are the Best Schools for a Health Information Technology Degree?
Find out what makes a good health information technology school and learn about three of the top schools in the nation. Get information about programs and accreditation, along with learning opportunities like internships and faculty-supervised research. Review a list of ten additional schools offering degrees in health information technology.
What Are Some Characteristics of the Best Health Information Technology Schools?
<p>You may want to find a program affiliated with a medical school. The best programs tend to have established clinical relationships and give you internship opportunities. Research centers and other workshops offer hands-on health information experience. You should look for an accredited school that prepares you for the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) or healthcare-related certification. The best programs are approved by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). You should expect your coursework to include topics such as: organization and management of health information data, quality assurance, accuracy, accessibility, and security.
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<h2 id="section---ThreeGoodSchoolsForHealthInformationTechnology">Three Good Schools for Health Information Technology</h2>
<h3 id="section---OhioStateUniversityInColumbus">Ohio State University in Columbus</h3>
<p>Ohio State University (OSU) ranked 7th in the <i>U.S. News & World Report</i> 2019 rankings of graduate programs in healthcare management. The bachelor's program in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences is accredited by CAHIIM.
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<p>More than 10,000 allied health professionals have graduated from OSU's School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. You should be prepared to apply early and possibly face competition for a spot in the program. The program can prepare you to become AHIMA or Ohio Health Information Management Association certified. The Health Sciences Library is dedicated to providing you with additional education and research services, including consultation and medical illustration. OSU offers the following degrees:
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<ul><li>Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management and Systems
</li><li>Master of Science in Health Informatics
</li></ul><h3 id="section---UniversityOfPittsburghInPennsylvania">University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania</h3>
<p>The master's program in health administration at the University of Pittsburgh was tied for 17th in the <i>U.S. News & World Report</i> 2019 evaluation of healthcare management graduate schools.
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<p>The Department of Health Information Management has agreements with nearly 200 off-campus locations that offer internships and clinical experience, including the Ohio Valley General Hospital and the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. You could have the opportunity to work with faculty members in a number of health information research endeavors. The B.S. program and the M.S. program are both approved by CAHIIM. The master's program in health and rehabilitation sciences offers a concentration in health information systems and the Ph.D. program has a core option in health information. You could earn these degrees at the University of Pittsburgh:
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<ul><li>Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management
</li><li>Master of Science in Health Information Systems
</li></ul><h3 id="section---UniversityOfWashingtonInSeattle">University of Washington in Seattle</h3>
<p><i>U.S. News & World Report</i> ranked the University of Washington (UW) at number 15 on its list of best healthcare management graduate schools in 2019. Faculty interests and areas of expertise include management of care systems, clinical informatics and analyzing problems that patients face in accessing and managing health information.
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<p>The bachelor's degree program at UW is accredited by CAHIIM and can prepare you for the Registered Health Information Administrator certification examination. UW features a number of research centers that could supplement your classroom learning, such as the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, the Group Health Research Institute and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. UW offers the following degree programs:
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<ul><li>Certificate in Health Informatics and Health Information Management
</li><li>Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics and Health Information Management
</li><li>Master of Science in Health Informatics and Health Information Management
</li></ul><h2 id="section---MoreSchoolsForAHealthInformationTechnologyDegree">More Schools for a Health Information Technology Degree</h2>
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<table border="1"><tr><th>College/University </th><th>Institution Type</th><th>Location</th><th>Estimated Undergrad In-State Tuition*</th></tr>
<tr><td>Cornell University</td><td>4-year, Private </td><td>Ithaca, NY</td><td>$55,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>University of Illinois-Chicago</td><td> 4-year, Public </td><td>Chicago, IL</td><td>$14,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>Northwestern University</td><td>4-year, Private</td><td> Evanston, IL</td><td>$54,500</td></tr>
<tr><td>Indiana University-Bloomington (Kelley) </td><td>4-year, Public </td><td>Bloomington, IN</td><td>$11,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>Louisiana Tech University </td><td>4-year, Public </td><td>Ruston, LA</td><td>$10,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>Johns Hopkins University</td><td>4-year, Private </td><td>Baltimore, MD</td><td>$54,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>Western Governors University</td><td> 4-year, Private </td><td>Salt Lake City, Utah</td><td>$7,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>Arizona State University</td><td>4-year, Public </td><td>Phoenix, AZ</td><td>$11,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>Drexel University (Kline) </td><td> 4-year, Private </td><td>Philadelphia, PA</td><td>$53,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>University of Connecticut</td><td>4-year, Public</td><td> Storrs, CT</td><td>$16,000</td></tr>
</table><p><i>*Source: NCES, U.S. Department of Education</i></p>