College Rankings

Best Healthcare Administration Schools

The top 25 of 213 U.S. colleges offering an undergraduate Healthcare Administration degree, ranked by early-career earnings and return on investment — using each school's real, aid-adjusted net price rather than sticker tuition.

Is Healthcare Administration worth it?

For a direct, high-probability route into the middle class, absolutely—but you need to understand how this specific credential functions in the real world. The value here is overwhelmingly found at low-cost regional public universities and specialized adult-learning colleges that feed directly into local hospital networks, rather than expensive private liberal arts schools. A bachelor's in this field is an incredibly efficient way to land a job managing a nursing home, an urgent care clinic, or a specialized hospital department.

However, ambitious students should heed a major caveat: you won't see elite universities like Michigan, Johns Hopkins, or North Carolina on this list. That is because the true marquee programs in healthcare management are at the graduate level. Top-tier universities typically reserve this specialized training for Master of Health Administration (MHA) or Master of Public Health (MPH) students, while their undergrads prepare via broader majors like Finance, Economics, or Public Health. If your ultimate goal is the C-suite of a massive national health system, you have a higher ceiling getting a blue-chip undergraduate business degree and pivoting to a top-tier MHA later. But if you want a high-value, direct-entry bachelor's that guarantees a solid management floor right out of the gate, this ranking highlights the most efficient paths to get there.

Filter by state

#	School	State	Score	Median earnings	Net price / yr	10-yr net ROI
1	University of St Francis	IL	85	$83,104	$13,006	+$779K
2	University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire	WI	80	$71,692	$16,550†	+$651K
3	CUNY New York City College of Technology	NY	80	$63,667	$5,127†	+$616K
4	University of Minnesota-Crookston	MN	80	$61,965	$12,212†	+$571K
5	Charter Oak State College	CT	78	$69,160	$15,815†	+$628K
6	University of New Hampshire College of Professional Studies Online	NH	78	$50,110	$10,864†	+$458K
7	Saint Mary's University of Minnesota	MN	77	$51,660	$11,704	+$470K
8	University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg	PA	76	$55,762	$17,945†	+$486K
9	University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown	PA	76	$55,762	$18,202†	+$485K
10	Ohio State University-Main Campus	OH	76	$54,301	$17,339†	+$474K
11	Concordia University-Chicago	IL	75	$65,314	$18,436	+$579K
12	Concordia University-Saint Paul	MN	74	$60,342	$18,462	+$530K
13	Colorado State University Global	CO	74	$56,094	$16,510†	+$495K
14	Rhode Island College	RI	74	$49,825	$9,478†	+$460K
15	University of Washington-Seattle Campus	WA	73	$49,866	$14,091†	+$442K
16	National Louis University	IL	73	$46,203	$12,641	+$411K
17	Brigham Young University-Idaho	ID	73	$43,058	$8,221	+$398K
18	Bellevue College	WA	72	$71,572	$11,430†	+$670K
19	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Shenango	PA	72	$49,749	$18,095†	+$425K
20	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Lehigh Valley	PA	72	$49,749	$18,220†	+$425K
21	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver	PA	72	$49,749	$17,418†	+$428K
22	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton	PA	72	$49,749	$17,597†	+$427K
23	The University of Texas at Dallas	TX	72	$47,803	$18,267†	+$405K
24	California State University-Northridge	CA	72	$44,779	$7,021†	+$420K
25	Rutgers University-Newark	NJ	71	$49,928	$19,703†	+$420K
26	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto	PA	71	$49,749	$19,454†	+$420K
27	Pennsylvania State University-World Campus	PA	71	$49,749	$19,550†	+$419K
28	Mid-America Christian University	OK	71	$47,781	$16,692	+$411K
29	University of Illinois Chicago	IL	71	$44,526	$10,974†	+$401K
30	California State University-Long Beach	CA	71	$43,594	$10,440†	+$394K
31	CUNY Lehman College	NY	71	$42,389	$3,148†	+$411K
32	Western Governors University	UT	70	$66,651	$12,548	+$616K
33	Radford University	VA	70	$55,861	$14,578†	+$500K
34	James Madison University	VA	70	$53,913	$23,322†	+$446K
35	University of New Hampshire-Main Campus	NH	70	$50,110	$23,805†	+$406K
36	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Schuylkill	PA	70	$49,749	$19,659†	+$419K
37	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee	WI	70	$46,739	$15,014†	+$407K
38	University of Minnesota-Duluth	MN	70	$46,263	$18,743†	+$388K
39	Ohio University-Eastern Campus	OH	70	$42,663	$3,925†	+$411K
40	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus	OH	69	$57,183	$25,648†	+$469K
41	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus	PA	69	$55,762	$30,434†	+$436K
42	Eastern Washington University	WA	69	$48,114	$13,886†	+$426K
43	Purdue University Global	IN	69	$47,603	$7,770†	+$445K
44	California State University-Dominguez Hills	CA	69	$44,584	$8,615†	+$411K
45	Governors State University	IL	69	$44,498	$12,329†	+$396K
46	Ferris State University	MI	69	$44,371	$8,624†	+$409K
47	Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus	OH	69	$42,663	$5,755†	+$404K
48	Ohio University-Southern Campus	OH	69	$42,663	$5,993†	+$403K
49	Ohio University-Lancaster Campus	OH	69	$42,663	$5,650†	+$404K
50	Ohio University-Zanesville Campus	OH	69	$42,663	$5,746†	+$404K
51	National University	CA	68	$64,382	$22,878	+$552K
52	Warner Pacific University	OR	68	$56,031	$25,629	+$458K
53	Coppin State University	MD	68	$54,613	$9,977†	+$506K
54	Columbia College	MO	68	$54,190	$22,715	+$451K
55	Mercy College of Ohio	OH	68	$53,429	$17,989	+$462K
56	Rutgers University-New Brunswick	NJ	68	$49,928	$24,406†	+$402K
57	Peirce College	PA	68	$49,849	$12,148	+$450K
58	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg	PA	68	$49,749	$23,330†	+$404K
59	Saint Louis University	MO	68	$48,436	$24,398	+$387K
60	University of Houston-Clear Lake	TX	68	$47,402	$15,563†	+$412K
61	Metropolitan State University of Denver	CO	68	$46,461	$15,327†	+$403K
62	Weber State University	UT	68	$40,529	$10,258†	+$364K
63	Elizabethtown College	PA	67	$85,329	$26,598	+$747K
64	Barry University	FL	67	$61,949	$22,613	+$529K
65	Illinois State University	IL	67	$48,886	$19,398†	+$411K
66	Stephens College	MO	67	$48,584	$23,459	+$392K
67	Towson University	MD	67	$46,325	$17,413†	+$394K
68	Central Michigan University	MI	67	$44,167	$17,597†	+$371K
69	University of North Florida	FL	67	$41,097	$10,154†	+$370K
70	Fisher College	MA	66	$61,133	$26,649	+$505K
71	Loyola University Chicago	IL	66	$57,876	$36,079	+$434K
72	Bellevue University	NE	66	$52,634	$17,550	+$456K
73	New England College	NH	66	$50,213	$26,972	+$394K
74	University of Michigan-Flint	MI	66	$41,428	$7,007†	+$386K
75	University of Nevada-Las Vegas	NV	66	$40,686	$10,359†	+$365K
76	Winona State University	MN	65	$61,935	$17,503†	+$549K
77	Immaculata University	PA	65	$58,926	$24,258	+$492K
78	University of Baltimore	MD	65	$53,551	$13,868†	+$480K
79	University of Maryland Global Campus	MD	65	$50,928	$22,063†	+$421K
80	University of Wisconsin-Parkside	WI	65	$50,190	$11,772†	+$455K
81	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	NC	65	$49,967	$11,655†	+$453K
82	Indian River State College	FL	65	$41,430	$3,815†	+$399K
83	University of Central Florida	FL	65	$40,347	$10,411†	+$362K
84	SUNY Polytechnic Institute	NY	65	$39,298	$14,164†	+$336K
85	Washburn University	KS	64	$52,016	$15,280†	+$459K
86	Auburn University	AL	64	$45,291	$24,323†	+$356K
87	Western Kentucky University	KY	64	$44,516	$10,990†	+$401K
88	Indiana University-Indianapolis	IN	64	$39,033	$11,668†	+$344K
89	Florida International University	FL	64	$39,016	$9,288†	+$353K
90	Ottawa University-Ottawa	KS	63	$75,385	$27,963	+$642K
91	Eastern Michigan University	MI	63	$43,507	$15,407†	+$373K
92	Northeastern University Oakland	CA	63	$41,557	$25,181	+$315K
93	Florida Atlantic University	FL	63	$39,480	$8,752†	+$360K
94	King University	TN	62	$50,606	$22,347	+$417K
95	Carroll University	WI	62	$50,603	$15,193	+$445K
96	Lindenwood University	MO	62	$50,509	$19,638	+$427K
97	Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus	PA	62	$49,749	$32,875†	+$366K
98	Texas State University	TX	62	$40,951	$16,805†	+$342K
99	East Carolina University	NC	62	$38,900	$15,739†	+$326K
100	California State University-San Bernardino	CA	62	$37,007	$4,564†	+$352K
101	Ottawa University-Surprise	AZ	61	$75,385	$33,393	+$620K
102	Franklin Pierce University	NH	61	$66,556	$27,154	+$557K
103	The College of Saint Scholastica	MN	61	$57,676	$27,846	+$465K
104	Davenport University	MI	61	$52,603	$17,707	+$455K
105	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	MN	61	$52,113	$16,778†	+$454K
106	Stonehill College	MA	61	$50,858	$33,016	+$377K
107	Providence College	RI	61	$49,879	$48,523	+$305K
108	University of Wisconsin-Green Bay	WI	61	$41,306	$13,369†	+$360K
109	Georgia Highlands College	GA	61	$40,393	$6,928†	+$376K
110	Indiana University-Northwest	IN	61	$38,620	$5,130†	+$366K
111	Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global	IN	60	$50,341	$16,898	+$436K
112	Upper Iowa University	IA	60	$49,916	$20,942	+$415K
113	St. Joseph's University-New York	NY	60	$48,232	$19,035	+$406K
114	Louisiana Tech University	LA	60	$44,468	$11,864†	+$397K
115	University of Mount Olive	NC	60	$43,807	$18,853	+$363K
116	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale	IL	60	$42,186	$13,297†	+$369K
117	Northeastern University	MA	60	$41,557	$30,915	+$292K
118	Baptist Health Sciences University	TN	60	$39,451	$11,212	+$350K
119	University of Michigan-Dearborn	MI	60	$36,407	$9,492†	+$326K
120	Georgetown University	DC	59	$74,354	$40,815	+$580K
121	Long Island University	NY	59	$55,041	$33,062	+$418K
122	Misericordia University	PA	59	$53,479	$37,485	+$385K
123	Franklin University	OH	59	$49,853	$25,243	+$398K
124	Concordia University-Wisconsin	WI	59	$49,799	$36,201	+$353K
125	Fresno Pacific University	CA	59	$44,869	$13,630	+$394K
126	Bowling Green State University-Main Campus	OH	59	$44,655	$24,022†	+$350K
127	Santa Fe College	FL	59	$42,545	$11,098†	+$381K
128	Clayton State University	GA	59	$35,248	$8,365†	+$319K
129	Grand Canyon University	AZ	58	$46,773	$22,472	+$378K
130	SUNY College of Technology at Canton	NY	58	$43,082	$15,268†	+$370K
131	University of Alabama at Birmingham	AL	58	$40,285	$18,749†	+$328K
132	Appalachian State University	NC	58	$37,911	$16,836†	+$312K
133	Champlain College	VT	57	$61,265	$35,860	+$469K
134	Pennsylvania College of Technology	PA	57	$53,515	$25,110†	+$435K
135	Park University	MO	57	$51,009	$21,032	+$426K
136	Trevecca Nazarene University	TN	57	$46,784	$16,813	+$401K
137	Baker College	MI	57	$40,114	$13,157	+$349K
138	University of Scranton	PA	57	$39,762	$32,568	+$267K
139	West Virginia University Institute of Technology	WV	57	$39,229	$9,337†	+$355K
140	South Texas College	TX	57	$33,063	$1,751†	+$324K
141	Saint Joseph's College of Maine	ME	56	$53,881	$27,555	+$429K
142	Missouri Baptist University	MO	56	$53,555	$27,006	+$428K
143	Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion	IN	56	$50,341	$22,866	+$412K
144	University of Kentucky	KY	56	$46,477	$18,851†	+$389K
145	Creighton University	NE	56	$46,084	$31,568	+$335K
146	Shawnee State University	OH	56	$45,324	$14,381†	+$396K
147	Western Illinois University	IL	56	$40,261	$12,937†	+$351K
148	University of Northwestern Ohio	OH	56	$39,929	$21,807	+$312K
149	Belhaven University	MS	56	$39,022	$15,676	+$328K
150	Tennessee State University	TN	56	$38,134	$15,796†	+$318K
151	University of Louisiana at Lafayette	LA	56	$38,098	$13,530†	+$327K
152	Southern New Hampshire University	NH	55	$50,619	$36,708	+$359K
153	Reinhardt University	GA	55	$49,073	$24,425	+$393K
154	Viterbo University	WI	55	$46,945	$21,260	+$384K
155	Waldorf University	IA	55	$46,923	$19,693	+$390K
156	College of Our Lady of the Elms	MA	55	$44,319	$17,545	+$373K
157	Ohio University-Main Campus	OH	55	$42,663	$21,637†	+$340K
158	Valdosta State University	GA	55	$38,601	$10,945†	+$342K
159	Western Michigan University	MI	55	$35,024	$15,273†	+$289K
160	Augusta University	GA	55	$31,239	$13,787†	+$257K
161	Drexel University	PA	54	$54,322	$38,509	+$389K
162	Colorado Christian University	CO	54	$53,726	$29,500	+$419K
163	Albertus Magnus College	CT	54	$52,206	$34,028	+$386K
164	Roberts Wesleyan University	NY	54	$46,792	$23,130	+$375K
165	St. Francis College	NY	54	$43,735	$18,129	+$365K
166	Saint Leo University	FL	54	$42,266	$21,293	+$337K
167	Southwestern Oklahoma State University	OK	54	$41,575	$14,459†	+$358K
168	University of Southern Indiana	IN	54	$39,286	$12,923†	+$341K
169	Herzing University-Minneapolis	MN	54	$39,231	$16,670	+$326K
170	Arizona State University Campus Immersion	AZ	53	$41,117	$14,967†	+$351K
171	University of Toledo	OH	53	$40,956	$17,249†	+$341K
172	Campbell University	NC	53	$39,522	$24,516	+$297K
173	Wichita State University	KS	53	$37,782	$13,194†	+$325K
174	Fairmont State University	WV	53	$35,741	$9,032†	+$321K
175	Salem State University	MA	52	$40,506	$15,996†	+$341K
176	Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Cupey Campus	PR	52	$33,773	$7,646	+$307K
177	Gordon State College	GA	52	$29,357	$8,105†	+$261K
178	Sam Houston State University	TX	51	$40,077	$16,404†	+$335K
179	Grand Valley State University	MI	51	$40,032	$16,317†	+$335K
180	Central Christian College of Kansas	KS	51	$39,637	$11,404	+$351K
181	Herzing University-Birmingham	AL	51	$39,231	$19,651	+$314K
182	Herzing University-Akron	OH	51	$39,231	$18,934	+$317K
183	Herzing University-Orlando	FL	51	$39,231	$19,850	+$313K
184	West Virginia University	WV	51	$39,229	$15,634†	+$330K
185	Arcadia University	PA	51	$38,581	$29,466	+$268K
186	Liberty University	VA	50	$43,578	$29,357	+$318K
187	Herzing University-New Orleans	LA	50	$39,231	$21,269	+$307K
188	Herzing University-Brookfield	WI	50	$39,231	$20,514	+$310K
189	Herzing University-Tampa	FL	50	$39,231	$20,421	+$311K
190	Fayetteville State University	NC	50	$32,069	$7,892†	+$289K
191	Metropolitan College of New York	NY	49	$41,890	$28,882	+$303K
192	Gardner-Webb University	NC	49	$39,472	$17,674	+$324K
193	Herzing University-Atlanta	GA	49	$39,231	$21,679	+$306K
194	Herzing University-Madison	WI	49	$39,231	$22,327	+$303K
195	Southeast Missouri State University	MO	49	$38,382	$15,882†	+$320K
196	College of Coastal Georgia	GA	49	$34,933	$15,261†	+$288K
197	Middle Georgia State University	GA	49	$34,613	$12,361†	+$297K
198	Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University	FL	49	$34,591	$13,739†	+$291K
199	Herzing University-Kenosha	WI	48	$39,231	$23,066	+$300K
200	Coastal Carolina University	SC	48	$36,544	$13,966†	+$310K
201	Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Carolina Campus	PR	48	$31,210	$7,761	+$281K
202	Thomas Jefferson University	PA	47	$39,814	$28,928	+$282K
203	Southwest Baptist University	MO	47	$38,801	$21,677	+$301K
204	University of North Carolina at Charlotte	NC	47	$36,749	$15,435†	+$306K
205	Arkansas Tech University	AR	47	$35,063	$12,970†	+$299K
206	DeSales University	PA	45	$38,160	$31,643	+$255K
207	Texas Southern University	TX	44	$34,332	$16,590†	+$277K
208	Francis Marion University	SC	44	$31,583	$11,386†	+$270K
209	Winston-Salem State University	NC	44	$30,863	$13,479†	+$255K
210	Florida Institute of Technology	FL	40	$38,295	$35,639	+$240K
211	Monmouth University	NJ	40	$22,827	$30,988	+$104K
212	Jackson State University	MS	35	$30,860	$23,836†	+$213K
213	Midway University	KY	34	$30,774	$29,579	+$189K

Top 10 programs by 10-year net ROI

How to read this: Median earnings = typical pay one year after graduation. Net price = average annual cost after grant aid, incl. living costs — not sticker tuition. 10-yr net ROI = ten years of earnings minus four years of net price. Score = the CollegeRanked Score (0–100) that sets the order — it blends ROI with longer-run earnings, job demand and automation resilience, so a school can outrank one with a slightly higher 10-yr ROI. † = public university — net price shown is the in-state cost; out-of-state students pay more. See the full methodology.

Why these schools rank where they do

The #1 school on our list, the University of St. Francis, dominates because of geography and legacy. Located in Joliet, Illinois, USF has deep, decades-old ties to the massive Chicagoland healthcare market. Their graduates feed seamlessly into administrative roles across sprawling regional systems like Advocate Health and Ascension, leveraging a localized alumni network that practically guarantees placement.

But the most fascinating dynamic in this ranking is at #2: University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. UWEC punches wildly above its weight because its Health Care Administration program requires a year-long, paid administrative residency in a care facility before graduation. By the time UW-Eau Claire students receive their diplomas, they already have a full year of on-the-ground management experience in long-term care or aging services. Employers don't have to train them; they are hire-ready on day one.

You will also notice a surprising dominance of branch campuses and non-traditional colleges—like Bellevue College at #18, or the absolute cluster of Penn State and University of Pittsburgh regional campuses. This is no accident. Pennsylvania and the Pacific Northwest have rapidly aging populations and booming healthcare sectors. Schools like Bellevue (a former community college offering highly specialized applied bachelor's degrees) strip away the bloat of a traditional four-year university, offering cheap, hyper-practical training that local hospital systems like UW Medicine and Providence desperately need.

What is Healthcare Administration?

Healthcare administration is the business engine behind patient care. Instead of diagnosing illnesses, these professionals manage hospital budgets, navigate byzantine insurance regulations, and optimize clinic staffing to keep medical facilities financially solvent and legally compliant.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a master's degree (MHA) to succeed in this field?

To start your career, no. A bachelor's degree is perfectly sufficient to land roles managing outpatient clinics, nursing facilities, or specific hospital departments like health information or human resources. However, if your long-term goal is to become a hospital CEO or a vice president at a major regional health network, an MHA or MBA is eventually the industry standard.

Should I major in Healthcare Administration or just get a general Business degree?

A general business degree offers more flexibility if you decide the medical sector isn't for you. But healthcare is a uniquely regulated industry. A specialized degree teaches you medical billing, HIPAA compliance, and healthcare economics—skills that make you immediately valuable to a clinic director who doesn't have the time to teach a generic finance grad how Medicare reimbursement works.

Why are there so many online and adult-learner schools ranking highly?

Because healthcare administration is heavily populated by registered nurses, medical assistants, or technicians who are looking to transition away from bedside care and move up into management. Schools like Charter Oak State College, Colorado State University Global, and National Louis University are designed specifically for working adults who already possess clinical experience and simply need the business credential to unlock a promotion.