Health Information Technology Schools

Search For Schools

For those with ambitions of working in a hospital or physician’s office, but who only want to invest two years in a degree program, health information technology is a path to consider. An education at the associate degree level can provide graduates with the fundamentals in technology and healthcare that are required to jumpstart a career as a health information technician or as a healthcare data analyst, medical coding specialist or even a compliance officer.

Health information technologists do not provide care directly to patients, but instead work with those who do, like registered nurses, doctors and other trained healthcare professionals. Use of electronic medical records (EMRs) is often an important part of the job and, since the federal government is offering incentives to organizations implementing these systems, the demand for health information technologists trained in these systems is expected to grow, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS 2017). Because the career is technology-based, health information technicians often work at a desk, spending substantial time entering or analyzing information on a computer. In some cases, when the healthcare organization where these professionals are employed is open around the clock, they may need to work evening hours or weekends.

Health Information Technology fast facts
Projected Jobs Created27,800
Projected Job Growth23%
Low Salary$25,810
Average Salary (Median)$42,820
High Salary$64,610
Entry-Level EDU Certification
Sourced from BLS, June 2018

Degree & certification Programs

Most health information technology schools offer associate degrees, although some do offer bachelor’s degree programs. Health information technology programs can be found at community colleges, junior colleges, and some universities. The programs vary by institution, but applicants should look for an associate-degree curriculum that is based on the competencies outlined by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) so that they can be prepared to seek Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) certification upon graduation. Following are five schools offering health information technology degrees:

  • San Diego Mesa College: Located in San Diego, California, San Diego Mesa College offers an associate degree program in health information technology. The 30-credit program (plus at least 30 credits of general education work for 60 total credits) includes a directed clinical practicum (DCP) requirement for graduation.

  • Ivy Tech Community College: The health information technology associate of applied science (AAS) degree available through Ivy Tech Community College is offered at two different Indiana campuses: Indianapolis and Fort Wayne. The program is approximately 30 percent general education and 70 percent career specific. In all, the degree is 60 credit hours and can be completed in five semesters, but could take longer for those who lack the necessary college prep courses. The first semester includes many general education classes but also introduces students to anatomy, physiology, and medical terminology. From there, students’ skills build, enabling them to learn about healthcare organizations and delivery systems, informatics fundamentals, and reimbursement systems. Finally, in their fourth and fifth semesters, they participate in one-credit externships.

  • Davenport University: The associate of applied science (AAS) degree in health information technology is available at any of Davenport University’s campuses throughout Michigan, but must be completed at its Livonia campus. The program is 69 credits in all and includes 29 credits in general education, known as the Foundations of Excellence portion, 12 credits in medical basics, known as the Foundations of Health Professions, and 28 credits in the specific major. Students complete four practicums, including two in coding that should prepare them to sit for the Certified Coding Associate (CCA) certification exam available through AHIMA. Students should be prepared to take the RHIT examination upon completion and, if they wish, to continue their education by completing the bachelor’s of science degree in health information management (HIM) available through the school.

  • Idaho State University: In Pocatello, Idaho, students can complete a two-year associate of applied science degree in health information technology at Idaho State University. The program accepts students in the fall of each year, but just 20 students are admitted each time. The 69-credit program can be completed over four semesters and includes many of the general education classes during the first year and many of the career-specific courses during the second. In all, students complete 12 different health information technology courses, including ones in coding, statistics, and reimbursement, many in their final year. In the spring semester of their first year, they also complete a two-credit practicum, and in the spring semester of their final year, complete another practicum that is four credits. All coursework from the first three semesters must be finished before enrolling in fourth-semester classes and must be completed with a C grade or better.

  • Seminole State College of Florida: Students enrolled in the 70-credit program at the Sanford, Florida-based Seminole State College can complete an associate of science in health information technology degree. The program consists of 15 credits in general education, such as English and industrial psychology, as well as 55 additional courses that are required for the degree. These include computer classes in office applications and database management, as well as health information management courses in areas like the legal aspects of health information and basic procedure coding. Two three-credit practicum experiences are also required, enabling students to demonstrate and practice their skills in a healthcare setting or to healthcare professionals.

It may be best when considering health information technology schools to look for those that prepare students to sit for the RHIT examination. Because employers may prefer to hire graduates who have this certification, applicants may want to gauge how well schools are preparing students for the examination by asking them for information about their graduates’ annual and five-year average passing rates on it.

List of Health Information Technology Schools

Filter by state :
School City State Website Total grads (2013)
Technical Career Institutes New York New York http://www.tcicollege.edu 162
Central Oregon Community College Bend Oregon http://www.cocc.edu 134
City College of San Francisco San Francisco California http://www.ccsf.edu 107
Schoolcraft College Livonia Michigan http://www.schoolcraft.edu 105
Central Community College Grand Island Nebraska http://www.cccneb.edu/Home/ 96
Valencia College Orlando Florida http://valenciacollege.edu 94
McCann School of Business & Technology Pottsville Pennsylvania http://www.mccann.edu 91
CCI Training Center-Arlington Arlington Texas http://www.cci-training.com 91
Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara California http://www.sbcc.edu 74
Ferris State University Big Rapids Michigan http://www.ferris.edu/ 64
Joliet Junior College Joliet Illinois http://www.jjc.edu/Pages/default.aspx 54
Walters State Community College Morristown Tennessee http://www.ws.edu/home/ 53
Horry-Georgetown Technical College Conway South Carolina http://www.hgtc.edu 53
Tacoma Community College Tacoma Washington http://www.tacomacc.edu 52
Career College of Northern Nevada Sparks Nevada http://www.ccnn.edu/ 51
Baker College of Allen Park Allen Park Michigan http://www.baker.edu 50
Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City Kansas City Missouri http://www.mcckc.edu/programs/healthinfomanagementcoding/ 48
Seminole State College of Florida Sanford Florida https://www.seminolestate.edu/ 47
Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis Indiana http://www.ivytech.edu 46
Baker College of Clinton Township Clinton Township Michigan http://www.baker.edu 43
Miller-Motte Technical College-North Charleston Charleston South Carolina http://www.miller-motte.edu/ 42
Western Technical College El Paso Texas http://www.westerntech.edu 41
Stark State College North Canton Ohio http://www.starkstate.edu 39
Miller-Motte College-Fayetteville Fayetteville North Carolina http://www.miller-motte.edu 39
DeVry University-Texas Irving Texas http://www.devry.edu 38
Northwest Florida State College Niceville Florida http://www.nwfsc.edu/ 37
J Sargeant Reynolds Community College Richmond Virginia http://www.reynolds.edu 37
Delgado Community College New Orleans Louisiana http://WWW.DCC.EDU 37
Atlanta Technical College Atlanta Georgia http://www.atlantatech.edu/ 37
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Green Bay Wisconsin https://www.nwtc.edu/ 36
St Cloud Technical and Community College Saint Cloud Minnesota http://www.sctcc.edu 35
Fortis Institute-Nashville Nashville Tennessee https://www.fortis.edu/ 35
SUNY College of Technology at Alfred Alfred New York http://www.alfredstate.edu 34
Miller-Motte Technical College-Columbus Columbus Georgia http://www.miller-motte.edu 34
CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College New York New York http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/ 34
Bryan College-Gold River Gold River California http://bryancollege.edu/ 34
Daytona State College Daytona Beach Florida http://www.daytonastate.edu/ 33
Santa Fe College Gainesville Florida http://www.sfcollege.edu 33
San Jacinto Community College Pasadena Texas http://www.sjcd.edu 33
Pima Community College Tucson Arizona https://www.pima.edu/ 33
Pensacola State College Pensacola Florida http://www.pensacolastate.edu 33
Northern Virginia Community College Annandale Virginia http://www.nvcc.edu 32
Montgomery College Rockville Maryland http://cms.montgomerycollege.edu/edu/ 31
Miller-Motte Technical College-Chattanooga Chattanooga Tennessee http://www.miller-motte.edu 31
Miller-Motte College-Greenville Greenville North Carolina http://www.miller-motte.edu 31
CBT College-Cutler Bay Cutler Bay Florida http://www.cbt.edu/ 31
Nassau Community College Garden City New York http://www.ncc.edu/ 30
Miller-Motte Technical College-Conway Conway South Carolina http://www.miller-motte.edu 30
Rose State College Midwest City Oklahoma https://www.rose.edu/ 28
Raritan Valley Community College Branchburg New Jersey http://www.raritanval.edu 28
Onondaga Community College Syracuse New York http://www.sunyocc.edu 28
McDowell Technical Community College Marion North Carolina http://www.mcdowelltech.edu 28
Cypress College Cypress California http://www.cypresscollege.edu 28
Cuyahoga Community College District Cleveland Ohio http://www.tri-c.edu 28
Cape Coral Institute of Technology Cape Coral Florida http://www.capecoraltech.edu/ 28
Owens Community College Perrysburg Ohio https://www.owens.edu 27
Berks Technical Institute Wyomissing Pennsylvania http://www.berks.edu 27
Tucson College Tucson Arizona http://www.tucsoncollege.edu 26
Miller-Motte Technical College-Gulfport Gulfport Mississippi http://www.miller-motte.edu 26
Jamestown Community College Jamestown New York http://www.sunyjcc.edu 26
East Los Angeles College Monterey Park California http://www.elac.edu/index.htm 26
Anoka Technical College Anoka Minnesota http://www.anokatech.edu 26
Texas State Technical College-West Texas Sweetwater Texas http://www.westtexas.tstc.edu 25
Tarrant County College District Fort Worth Texas http://www.tccd.edu 25
Phoenix College Phoenix Arizona http://www.phoenixcollege.edu 25
Oakton Community College Des Plaines Illinois http://www.oakton.edu 25
Midlands Technical College West Columbia South Carolina http://www.midlandstech.edu 25
Fortis College-Ravenna Ravenna Ohio https://www.fortis.edu/ 25
Edmonds Community College Lynnwood Washington http://www.edcc.edu 25
Saint Paul College Saint Paul Minnesota http://www.saintpaul.edu/Pages/default.aspx 24
National College-Nashville Nashville Tennessee http://www.national-college.edu 24
Houston Community College Houston Texas http://www.hccs.edu 24
Chemeketa Community College Salem Oregon http://www.chemeketa.edu 24
University of New Mexico-Gallup Campus Gallup New Mexico http://www.gallup.unm.edu 24
West Georgia Technical College Waco Georgia http://www.westgatech.edu 23
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Memphis Memphis Tennessee http://www.tcatmemphis.edu 23
Southern Crescent Technical College Griffin Georgia https://www.sctech.edu/ 23
San Diego Mesa College San Diego California http://www.sdmesa.edu/ 23
Quest College San Antonio Texas http://questcollege.edu/ 23
ITT Technical Institute-San Bernardino San Bernardino California http://www.itt-tech.edu 23
Indian River State College Fort Pierce Florida http://www.irsc.edu 23
Hocking College Nelsonville Ohio https://www.hocking.edu 23
Greenville Technical College Greenville South Carolina http://www.gvltec.edu/index.aspx 23
Polk State College Winter Haven Florida http://www.polk.edu 22
Pasco-Hernando Community College New Port Richey Florida http://phsc.edu/programs 22
Lamson Institute San Antonio Texas http://lamsoninstitute.com/ 22
Fortis College-Houston Houston Texas https://www.fortis.edu/ 22
College of Southern Maryland La Plata Maryland http://www.csmd.edu/ 22
Trident Technical College Charleston South Carolina http://www.tridenttech.edu 21
Pellissippi State Community College Knoxville Tennessee http://www.pstcc.edu/ 21
Moraine Valley Community College Palos Hills Illinois https://www.morainevalley.edu/ 21
Indiana University-Northwest Gary Indiana http://www.iun.edu 21
Florence-Darlington Technical College Florence South Carolina http://WWW.FDTC.EDU 21
D G Erwin Technical Center Tampa Florida http://erwin.edu 21
Baker College of Flint Flint Michigan http://www.baker.edu 21
Virginia Highlands Community College Abingdon Virginia http://www.vhcc.edu 20
Suffolk County Community College Selden New York http://www3.sunysuffolk.edu 20
Nashville State Community College Nashville Tennessee http://www.nscc.edu 20
Miller-Motte College-Cary Cary North Carolina http://www.miller-motte.edu 20
Flagler Technical Institute Palm Coast Florida http://FTI.FlaglerSchools.com 20
College of Southern Nevada Las Vegas Nevada http://www.csn.edu 20
Arkansas State University-Beebe Beebe Arkansas http://www.asub.edu 20
Tidewater Community College Norfolk Virginia http://www.tcc.edu 19
Saint Louis Community College Saint Louis Missouri http://www.stlcc.edu 19
Plaza College Jackson Heights New York http://WWW.PLAZACOLLEGE.EDU 19
Monroe Community College Rochester New York http://www.monroecc.edu/ 19
DeVry University-Pennsylvania Fort Washington Pennsylvania http://www.devry.edu 19
College of Central Florida Ocala Florida http://www.cf.edu 19
Clark College Vancouver Washington http://www.clark.edu 19
Chattanooga State Community College Chattanooga Tennessee https://www.chattanoogastate.edu/ 19
University of Arkansas at Monticello Monticello Arkansas http://www.uamont.edu 18
SBI Campus-An Affiliate of Sanford-Brown Melville New York http://www.sbmelville.edu 18
Saddleback College Mission Viejo California http://www.saddleback.edu 18
New River Community College Dublin Virginia http://www.nr.edu 18
Miller-Motte Technical College-Augusta Augusta Georgia http://www.miller-motte.edu 18
Lehigh Carbon Community College Schnecksville Pennsylvania http://www.lccc.edu 18
Lake-Sumter State College Leesburg Florida http://www.lssc.edu/Pages/default.aspx 18
DeVry University-New Jersey North Brunswick New Jersey http://www.devry.edu 18
Chippewa Valley Technical College Eau Claire Wisconsin http://www.cvtc.edu/home.aspx 18
Bishop State Community College Mobile Alabama http://www.bishop.edu 18
Southwestern Illinois College Belleville Illinois http://www.swic.edu 17
Prince George's Community College Largo Maryland http://www.pgcc.edu 17
Orange Coast College Costa Mesa California http://www.orangecoastcollege.edu/pages/home.aspx 17
Kennebec Valley Community College Fairfield Maine http://www.kvcc.me.edu 17
Hinds Community College Raymond Mississippi http://www.hindscc.edu 17
Delaware County Community College Media Pennsylvania http://www.dccc.edu 17
Burlington County College Pemberton New Jersey http://www.rcbc.edu/dental 17
Broward College Fort Lauderdale Florida http://www.broward.edu/Pages/home.aspx 17
Brookdale Community College Lincroft New Jersey http://www.brookdalecc.edu 17
Athens Technical College Athens Georgia http://www.athenstech.edu/ 17
Allegany College of Maryland Cumberland Maryland http://www.allegany.edu 17
Waukesha County Technical College Pewaukee Wisconsin http://www.wctc.edu 17
Trinity College of Puerto Rico Ponce Puerto Rico http://www.trinitypr.edu 17
Texas State Technical College-Harlingen Harlingen Texas http://www.tstc.edu/ 17
St Charles Community College Cottleville Missouri https://www.stchas.edu/ 17
Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Valdosta Georgia http://www.wiregrass.edu/ 16
Waubonsee Community College Sugar Grove Illinois http://www.waubonsee.edu/ 16
Taylor Business Institute Chicago Illinois http://www.tbiil.edu 16
Southern University at Shreveport Shreveport Louisiana http://www.susla.edu 16
Palm Beach State College Lake Worth Florida http://www.palmbeachstate.edu/ 16
Manatee Technical Institute Bradenton Florida http://manateetech.edu/ 16
Lone Star College System The Woodlands Texas http://www.lonestar.edu 16
International Technical College San Juan Puerto Rico http://intecpr.com 16
Dyersburg State Community College Dyersburg Tennessee http://www.dscc.edu 16
College of DuPage Glen Ellyn Illinois http://www.cod.edu 16
Carroll Community College Westminster Maryland http://www.carrollcc.edu 16
Atlantic Technical Center Coconut Creek Florida http://www.atlantictechcenter.com 16
Virginia Western Community College Roanoke Virginia http://virginiawestern.edu/ 15
Ridge Career Center Winter Haven Florida http://www.ridge.edu/ 15
ITT Technical Institute-Sylmar Sylmar California http://www.itt-tech.edu 15
ITT Technical Institute-Albuquerque Albuquerque New Mexico http://www.itt-tech.edu 15
ECPI University Virginia Beach Virginia http://www.ecpi.edu 15
Davidson County Community College Thomasville North Carolina https://www.davidsonccc.edu/ 15
Community College of Vermont Winooski Vermont http://ccv.edu/ 15
College of the Ouachitas Malvern Arkansas http://www.coto.edu 15
Beal College Bangor Maine http://www.bealcollege.edu/ 15
Baker College of Jackson Jackson Michigan http://www.baker.edu 15
Zane State College Zanesville Ohio http://www.zanestate.edu/ 14
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Crump Crump Tennessee http://www.tcatcrump.edu 14
South Texas College McAllen Texas http://www.southtexascollege.edu 14
Missouri Western State University Saint Joseph Missouri https://www.missouriwestern.edu/ 14
Miller-Motte Technical College-Macon Macon Georgia http://www.miller-motte.edu 14
Miller-Motte College-Jacksonville Jacksonville North Carolina http://www.miller-motte.edu 14
McLennan Community College Waco Texas http://www.mclennan.edu 14
Massachusetts Bay Community College Wellesley Hills Massachusetts http://www.massbay.edu 14
Macomb Community College Warren Michigan http://www.macomb.edu 14
Lane Community College Eugene Oregon https://www.lanecc.edu/ 14
Itawamba Community College Fulton Mississippi http://www.iccms.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=55 14
Hillsborough Community College Tampa Florida http://www.hccfl.edu 14
Fortis Institute-Erie Erie Pennsylvania https://www.fortis.edu/ 14
Florida Career College-Miami Miami Florida http://www.anthem.edu/ 14
Eastern Florida State College Cocoa Florida http://www.easternflorida.edu 14
Dakota County Technical College Rosemount Minnesota http://www.dctc.edu/ 14
Tulsa Community College Tulsa Oklahoma http://www.tulsacc.edu 13
SUNY Broome Community College Binghamton New York http://WWW.SUNYBROOME.EDU 13
Saint Peter's University Jersey City New Jersey http://www.saintpeters.edu 13
Miami-Jacobs Career College-Columbus Columbus Ohio http://www.miamijacobs.edu 13
Mercy College of Ohio Toledo Ohio http://www.mercycollege.edu 13
Laurel Technical Institute Sharon Pennsylvania http://www.laurel.edu 13
ITT Technical Institute-San Dimas San Dimas California http://www.itt-tech.edu 13
Gordon Cooper Technology Center Shawnee Oklahoma http://www.gctech.org 13
Fortis Institute-Birmingham Birmingham Alabama https://www.fortis.edu/ 13
Fortis College-Winter Park Winter Park Florida https://www.fortis.edu/ 13
Florida Gateway College Lake City Florida https://www.fgc.edu/ 13
College of Lake County Grayslake Illinois http://WWW.CLCILLINOIS.EDU 13
Brunswick Community College Bolivia North Carolina http://www.brunswickcc.edu 13
Winter Park Tech Winter Park Florida http://www.ocpstechcenters.net/winterparktech/Pages/default.aspx 13
Western Technical College La Crosse Wisconsin http://www.westerntc.edu/default.aspx 13
Western Kentucky University Bowling Green Kentucky http://www.wku.edu 13
Skagit Valley College Mount Vernon Washington http://www.skagit.edu/default.asp 12
Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas Helena Arkansas http://www.pccua.edu 12
North Dakota State College of Science Wahpeton North Dakota https://www.ndscs.edu/ 12
ITT Technical Institute-Orange Orange California http://www.itt-tech.edu 12
Intellitec College-Grand Junction Grand Junction Colorado http://www.intelliteccollege.com/ 12
Idaho State University Pocatello Idaho http://www.isu.edu/ 12
Gateway Technical College Kenosha Wisconsin https://www.gtc.edu/ 12
Frontier Community College Fairfield Illinois http://www.iecc.edu/fcc/ 12
Fountainhead College of Technology Knoxville Tennessee http://fountainheadcollege.edu/ 12
Fort Myers Institute of Technology Fort Myers Florida http://www.fortmyerstech.edu 12
Central Virginia Community College Lynchburg Virginia http://www.cvcc.vccs.edu 12
Beckfield College-Tri-County Springdale Ohio http://www.beckfield.edu 12
Triton College River Grove Illinois http://www.triton.edu 11
Southwestern Michigan College Dowagiac Michigan https://www.swmich.edu/ 11
National College-Youngstown Youngstown Ohio https://www.an.edu/locations/youngstown-oh/ 11
National College-Lexington Lexington Kentucky http://www.national-college.edu 11
Miami-Jacobs Career College-Independence Independence Ohio http://www.miamijacobs.edu/ 11
Miami-Jacobs Career College-Dayton Dayton Ohio http://www.miamijacobs.edu 11
M-DCPS The English Center Miami Florida http://www.tecmiami.com 11
Lee College Baytown Texas http://www.lee.edu 11
ITT Technical Institute-Indianapolis Indianapolis Indiana http://www.itt-tech.edu 11
Erie Community College Buffalo New York https://www.ecc.edu/ 11
Craven Community College New Bern North Carolina http://cravencc.edu/ 11
Cosumnes River College Sacramento California http://www.crc.losrios.edu/ 11
Anne Arundel Community College Arnold Maryland http://www.aacc.edu 11
Amarillo College Amarillo Texas https://www.actx.edu/ 10
Aiken Technical College Graniteville South Carolina http://www.atc.edu 10
Wharton County Junior College Wharton Texas http://www.wcjc.edu 10
Vernon College Vernon Texas http://www.vernoncollege.edu 10
South Arkansas Community College El Dorado Arkansas http://www.southark.edu 10
Santa Barbara Business College-Bakersfield Bakersfield California http://www.sbbcollege.edu/ 10
National College-Columbus Columbus Ohio https://www.an.edu/locations/columbus-oh/ 10
Louisiana Tech University Ruston Louisiana http://www.latech.edu 10
Lakeland Community College Kirtland Ohio http://www.lakelandcc.edu 10
Kaplan College-San Diego San Diego California https://www.brightwood.edu/locations/san-diego-ca/ 10
ITT Technical Institute-Miami Miami Florida http://www.itt-tech.edu 10
Holyoke Community College Holyoke Massachusetts http://www.hcc.edu 10
Georgia Northwestern Technical College Rome Georgia http://www.gntc.edu 10
College of the Mainland Texas City Texas http://www.com.edu 10
Washington-Holmes Technical Center Chipley Florida http://washingtonholmestechcenter.schoolinsites.com/ 9
Vantage Career Center Van Wert Ohio http://www.vantagecareercenter.com/ 9
Turtle Mountain Community College Belcourt North Dakota http://www.tm.edu 9
Tulsa Technology Center-Peoria Campus Tulsa Oklahoma http://www.tulsatech.edu 9
Terra State Community College Fremont Ohio http://www.terra.edu/index.html 9
South Hills School of Business & Technology State College Pennsylvania http://www.southhills.edu 9
Saint Johns River State College Palatka Florida http://www.sjrstate.edu 9
Pierpont Community and Technical College Fairmont West Virginia http://www.pierpont.edu/ 9
National College-Dayton Kettering Ohio http://www.national-college.edu 9
Lawrence Technological University Southfield Michigan http://www.ltu.edu 9
Front Range Community College Westminster Colorado http://www.frontrange.edu 9
Blue Ridge Community College Weyers Cave Virginia http://www.brcc.edu 9
Bidwell Training Center Inc Pittsburgh Pennsylvania http://www.bidwell-training.org 9
Wytheville Community College Wytheville Virginia http://www.wcc.vccs.edu 8
West Virginia Northern Community College Wheeling West Virginia http://www.wvncc.edu/ 8
Warren County Career Center Lebanon Ohio http://www.mywccc.org 8
National College-Willoughby Hills Willoughby Hills Ohio http://www.national-college.edu 8
Great Lakes Institute of Technology Erie Pennsylvania http://www.glit.edu 8
Grays Harbor College Aberdeen Washington http://www.ghc.edu 8
Fresno City College Fresno California http://www.fresnocitycollege.edu 8
East Central College Union Missouri http://www.eastcentral.edu 8
Danville Community College Danville Virginia http://www.dcc.vccs.edu 8
Catawba Valley Community College Hickory North Carolina http://www.cvcc.edu/index.php 8
American Career College-Anaheim Anaheim California http://americancareercollege.edu/ 8
Southwestern Community College Creston Iowa http://www.swcciowa.edu 7
Piedmont Virginia Community College Charlottesville Virginia http://www.pvcc.edu 7
Kaplan University-Hagerstown Campus Hagerstown Maryland http://www.kaplanuniversity.edu/hagerstown-maryland.aspx 7
Highland Community College Freeport Illinois http://www.highland.edu 7
Franklin Technology-MSSU Joplin Missouri http:// 7
Community College of Allegheny County Pittsburgh Pennsylvania https://www.ccac.edu 7
Clovis Community College Clovis New Mexico http://www.clovis.edu 7
Career Quest Learning Centers-Jackson Jackson Michigan http://www.careerquest.edu 7
Albany Technical College Albany Georgia http://www.albanytech.edu 7
Trocaire College Buffalo New York http://www.trocaire.edu/ 6
Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville Tennessee http://www.trevecca.edu 6
Tallahassee Community College Tallahassee Florida https://www.tcc.fl.edu/Pages/default.aspx 6
Ridgewater College Willmar Minnesota http://www.ridgewater.edu/Pages/default.aspx 6
Paris Junior College Paris Texas http://www.parisjc.edu/ 6
Miller-Motte Technical College-Lynchburg Lynchburg Virginia http://www.miller-motte.edu/ 6
Management Resources Institute Miami Florida http:// 6
ITT Technical Institute-Tampa Tampa Florida http://www.itt-tech.edu 6
Huertas College Caguas Puerto Rico http://www.huertas.edu 6
Del Mar College Corpus Christi Texas http://www.delmar.edu 6
Baltimore City Community College Baltimore Maryland http://www.bccc.edu/site/default.aspx?PageID=1 6
Tunxis Community College Farmington Connecticut http://www.tunxis.edu 5
Spoon River College Canton Illinois http://www.src.edu/Pages/default.aspx 5
Spartanburg Community College Spartanburg South Carolina https://www.sccsc.edu/home/ 5
Southwest Mississippi Community College Summit Mississippi http://www.smcc.edu 5
Pinnacle Career Institute-Lawrence Lawrence Kansas http://www.pcitraining.edu 5
Neosho County Community College Chanute Kansas http://www.neosho.edu 5
Morton College Cicero Illinois http://www.morton.edu 5
Miami-Jacobs Career College-Springboro Springboro Ohio http://www.miamijacobs.edu 5
Miami-Jacobs Career College-Sharonville Sharonville Ohio http://www.miamijacobs.edu 5
Lorain County Joint Vocational School District Oberlin Ohio http://www.lcjvs.com/adult/ 5
Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis Indianapolis Indiana http://www.iupui.edu 5
Gwynedd Mercy University Gwynedd Valley Pennsylvania http://www.gmc.edu 5
Fox Valley Technical College Appleton Wisconsin http://www.fvtc.edu 5
Columbia Area Career Center Columbia Missouri http://career-center.org/ 5
Black Hawk College Moline Illinois http://www.bhc.edu 5
University of Utah Salt Lake City Utah http://www.utah.edu 5
St Catherine University Saint Paul Minnesota http://www.stkate.edu 4
Sanford-Brown College-Boston Boston Massachusetts http://www.sanfordbrown.edu/boston 4
Salt Lake Community College Salt Lake City Utah http://www.slcc.edu 4
Richmond Community College Hamlet North Carolina http://richmondcc.edu/ 4
North Arkansas College Harrison Arkansas http://www.northark.edu 4
National College-Stow Stow Ohio https://www.an.edu/locations/akron-oh/ 4
Miller-Motte Technical College-Roanoke Roanoke Virginia http://www.miller-motte.edu 4
Miami-Jacobs Career College-Troy Troy Ohio http://www.miamijacobs.edu 4
Lancaster County Career and Technology Center Willow Street Pennsylvania http://lancasterctc.edu/ 4
Kaplan College-Riverside Riverside California https://www.brightwood.edu/locations/riverside-ca/ 4
John A Logan College Carterville Illinois http://www.jalc.edu 4
Fortis Institute-Forty Fort Forty Fort Pennsylvania http://www.fortisinstitute.edu 4
El Paso Community College El Paso Texas http://www.epcc.edu/_layouts/temp/index.html 4
Durham Technical Community College Durham North Carolina http://www.durhamtech.edu 4
Douglas Education Center Monessen Pennsylvania http://www.dec.edu 4
Danville Area Community College Danville Illinois http://www.dacc.edu 4
D A Dorsey Educational Center Miami Florida http://dadorsey.dadeschools.net/ 4
College of Business and Technology-Hialeah Hialeah Florida http://www.cbt.edu 4
Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science Los Angeles California http://www.cdrewu.edu 4
Brown College-Mendota Heights Mendota Heights Minnesota http://www.browncollege.edu 4
Bristol Community College Fall River Massachusetts http://bristolcc.edu/ 4
Bellevue College Bellevue Washington http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/ 4
Austin Community College District Austin Texas http://www.austincc.edu 4
Rend Lake College Ina Illinois https://www.rlc.edu 3
Panola College Carthage Texas http://www.panola.edu 3
Oconee Fall Line Technical College Sandersville Georgia http://www.oftc.edu 3
Montcalm Community College Sidney Michigan http://www.montcalm.edu 3
Laboure College Milton Massachusetts http://www.laboure.edu/about-labour- 3
ITT Technical Institute-Lake Mary Lake Mary Florida http://www.itt-tech.edu 3
ITT Technical Institute-Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Florida http://www.itt-tech.edu 3
Gwinnett Technical College Lawrenceville Georgia http://www.GwinnettTech.edu 3
Greater Altoona Career & Technology Center Altoona Pennsylvania http://www.gactc.edu 3
Eastern Shore Community College Melfa Virginia http://es.vccs.edu/ 3
Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Campus Roswell New Mexico http://www.roswell.enmu.edu 3
The Community College of Baltimore County Baltimore Maryland http://www.ccbcmd.edu 3
St John's University-New York Queens New York http://www.stjohns.edu 3
Southwest Virginia Community College Richlands Virginia http://sw.edu/ 3
Southern Maine Community College South Portland Maine http://www.smccME.edu 2
Shawnee Community College Ullin Illinois http://www.shawneecc.edu 2
Santa Barbara Business College-Santa Maria Santa Maria California http://www.sbbcollege.edu/ 2
O C Collins Career Center Chesapeake Ohio http://www.collins-cc.edu 2
National College-Cincinnati Cincinnati Ohio http://www.national-college.edu 2
Lord Fairfax Community College Middletown Virginia http://www.lfcc.edu 2
Indiana University-Kokomo Kokomo Indiana http://www.iuk.edu 2
Humacao Community College Humacao Puerto Rico http://www.hccpr.edu 2
Howard College Big Spring Texas http://www.howardcollege.edu 2
Enterprise State Community College Enterprise Alabama http://www.escc.edu 2
El Centro College Dallas Texas http://www.elcentrocollege.edu/ 2
Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny Iowa https://www.dmacc.edu/Pages/welcome.aspx 2
Chattanooga College Medical Dental and Technical Careers Chattanooga Tennessee http://www.chattanoogacollege.edu 2
Career Quest Learning Center-Kalamazoo Kalamazoo Michigan http://www.careerquest.edu 2
Boise State University Boise Idaho http://www.boisestate.edu 1
American National University Salem Virginia https://www.an.edu/ 1
Aims Community College Greeley Colorado http://www.aims.edu 1
Academy College Minneapolis Minnesota http://www.academycollege.edu 1
Rappahannock Community College Glenns Virginia http://www.rappahannock.edu/ 1
North Idaho College Coeur d'Alene Idaho http://www.nic.edu/ 1
MyComputerCareer.com-Indianapolis Indianapolis Indiana http://www.MyComputerCareer.com 1
Mountain View College Dallas Texas http://www.dcccd.edu/Pages/default.aspx 1
Mott Community College Flint Michigan http://www.mcc.edu 1
Madison Media Institute - Rockford Career College Rockford Illinois http://www.rockfordcareercollege.edu 1
DeVry University-North Carolina Charlotte North Carolina http://www.devry.edu 1
Community College of Denver Denver Colorado https://www.ccd.edu/ 1
Central New Mexico Community College Albuquerque New Mexico http://www.cnm.edu 1
York County School of Technology-Adult & Continuing Education York Pennsylvania http://www.ytech.edu 1
Western Nevada College Carson City Nevada http://www.wnc.edu 1
Wes Watkins Technology Center Wetumka Oklahoma http://www.wwtech.org 1
Resurrection University Chicago Illinois http://resu.edu/ 1
Red Rocks Community College Lakewood Colorado http://www.rrcc.edu 1
2013 School Data from IPEDS (Sourced in January, 2015)

Hybrid & online programs

Rasmussen College - Online
Health Information Technician (Associate's)
Medical Billing and Coding (Certificate)
Southern New Hampshire University
BS in Health Information Management
Penn Foster Career School
Online Career Diploma - Medical Coding & Billing
Online Certificate - ICD-10 for ICD-9 Coders
Online Certificate - Health Information Management
*sponsored

Students may be able to find to health information technology schools offering associate or bachelor’s degree partially or entirely online. These options can provide students with even more choices for working at their own pace and being able to complete much of their coursework at home from their computer. Three online programs in health information technology are available through:

  • University of Wisconsin: The University of Wisconsin offers a 60-credit program that leads to a bachelor’s of science degree in health information management and technology (HIMT) that can be completed entirely online. However, this is a completion degree, meaning that students must already have an associate degree (or a bachelor’s degree) and will complete the last two years of a four-year degree online for a bachelor’s degree. Courses follow the traditional academic schedule, and are 15 weeks long in the fall and spring and 10 weeks long in the summer. Students can take as many or as few classes at a time as they wish. The program includes 16 core courses and then four follow-up courses in the specific track chosen, either HIM or HIT.

  • Capella University: A 180-quarter credit degree is available entirely online, leading to a bachelor’s of science in information technology with a specialization in health information technology (HIT). Students take 54-quarter credits in core courses, including introduction to programming and introduction to network technology. This is followed by 42-quarter credits in the area of specialization courses, such as healthcare organization and management, and statistical analysis for healthcare. Also included in the degree are 33-quarter credits in electives and 6-quarter credits in a capstone project. Most students take one to two courses at a time, and may even be able to transfer credits in.

  • DeVry University: DeVry University offers an online associate degree program in health information technology. The 67-credit hour program can be completed in four semesters and includes 12 career-focused classes, including a practicum, a research practicum, and a class to prepare students to seek RHIT certification through AHIMA. 

Interested students will be able to find many other HIT programs offered in hybrid or online learning formats. Some schools may have ground-based components that require students to be at the school to do labs or to be at healthcare sites to complete externships. Applicants should be sure to talk to an enrollment counselor to be clear on these expectations before enrolling.

School City State Website Total grads (2013)
University of Phoenix-Online Campus Phoenix Arizona http://www.phoenix.edu/ 2057
DeVry University-Illinois Chicago Illinois http://www.devry.edu 497
Rasmussen College-Minnesota St. Cloud Minnesota http://www.rasmussen.edu 189
Kaplan University-Davenport Campus Davenport Iowa http://www.kaplanuniversity.edu/home.aspx 151
St Petersburg College Clearwater Florida http://www.spcollege.edu 104
Metropolitan Community College Area Omaha Nebraska http://www.mccneb.edu 101
DeVry University-Georgia Decatur Georgia http://www.devry.edu 100
Miami Dade College Miami Florida http://www.mdc.edu/main/ 93
Davenport University Grand Rapids Michigan https://www.davenport.edu 90
Miller-Motte College-Wilmington Wilmington North Carolina http://www.miller-motte.edu 80
Arapahoe Community College Littleton Colorado https://www.arapahoe.edu/ 68
Rasmussen College-Illinois Rockford Illinois http://www.rasmussen.edu 62
Bryan University Los Angeles California http://bryancollege.edu/ 60
DeVry University-California Pomona California http://www.devry.edu 59
Edgecombe Community College Tarboro North Carolina http://www.edgecombe.edu 53
DeVry University-Ohio Columbus Ohio http://www.devry.edu 52
Hutchinson Community College Hutchinson Kansas http://www.hutchcc.edu 51
Rasmussen College-Florida Ocala Florida http://www.rasmussen.edu 51
Pinnacle Career Institute-South Kansas City Kansas City Missouri http://PCITRAINING.EDU 50
Volunteer State Community College Gallatin Tennessee http://www.volstate.edu 50
Rochester Community and Technical College Rochester Minnesota http://www.rctc.edu/ 48
Charter College-Anchorage Anchorage Alaska http://www.chartercollege.edu 45
Berkeley College-New York New York New York http://berkeleycollege.edu/ 43
George C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville Hanceville Alabama http://www.wallacestate.edu 43
Rasmussen College-Wisconsin Green Bay Wisconsin http://www.rasmussen.edu 42
Hodges University Naples Florida http://www.hodges.edu 41
Sheridan Technical Center Hollywood Florida http://www.SheridanTechnical.com 40
Camden County College Blackwood New Jersey http://www.camdencc.edu 39
Eastern Iowa Community College District Davenport Iowa http://www.eicc.edu 39
Jefferson Community and Technical College Louisville Kentucky http://www.jefferson.kctcs.edu 38
Sinclair Community College Dayton Ohio http://www.sinclair.edu 38
Anthem College-Phoenix Phoenix Arizona http://www.anthem.edu 36
Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville Florida http://www.fscj.edu 35
Minnesota State Community and Technical College Fergus Falls Minnesota http://www.minnesota.edu 35
Collin County Community College District McKinney Texas http://www.collin.edu 34
Shoreline Community College Shoreline Washington http://www.shoreline.edu 34
Northwestern College-Southwestern Campus Bridgeview Illinois http://www.nc.edu/ 33
Ozarks Technical Community College Springfield Missouri http://www.otc.edu 32
Ultimate Medical Academy-Tampa Tampa Florida http://www.ultimatemedical.edu 29
Portland Community College Portland Oregon http://www.pcc.edu 28
Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte North Carolina http://www.cpcc.edu 27
Washburn University Topeka Kansas http://www.washburn.edu 27
Northeast Iowa Community College-Calmar Calmar Iowa https://www.nicc.edu/ 25
Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids Iowa http://www.kirkwood.edu 23
Pitt Community College Winterville North Carolina http://www.pittcc.edu 23
Lamar Institute of Technology Beaumont Texas http://www.lit.edu 22
Southwestern Community College Sylva North Carolina https://www.southwesterncc.edu/ 22
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Little Rock Arkansas http://www.uams.edu 22
Duluth Business University Dultuh Minnesota http://dbumn.edu/ 19
Fisher College Boston Massachusetts http://www.fisher.edu 19
Berkeley College-Woodland Park Woodland Park New Jersey http://berkeleycollege.edu/ 18
Midland College Midland Texas http://www.midland.edu 18
Roane State Community College Harriman Tennessee http://www.roanestate.edu 17
Santa Barbara Business College-Ventura Ventura California http://www.sbbcollege.edu 17
Vincennes University Vincennes Indiana http://vinu.edu/web/guest/home 17
St Philip's College San Antonio Texas http://www.alamo.edu/spc/ 16
Beckfield College-Florence Florence Kentucky http://www.beckfield.edu 15
Darton State College Albany Georgia http://www.darton.edu 15
Lincoln College of New England-Southington Southington Connecticut http://www.lincolncollegene.edu 15
Northwestern College-Chicago Campus Chicago Illinois http://www.nc.edu/ 15
Spokane Community College Spokane Washington http://www.scc.spokane.edu 15
Central Carolina Technical College Sumter South Carolina http://www.cctech.edu 14
Moraine Park Technical College Fond du Lac Wisconsin http://www.morainepark.edu 14
Northwest Iowa Community College Sheldon Iowa http://www.nwicc.edu 14
Rasmussen College-North Dakota Fargo North Dakota http://www.rasmussen.edu 14
Dakota State University Madison South Dakota http://dsu.edu/ 13
Indian Hills Community College Ottumwa Iowa http://www.indianhills.edu 13
Ozarka College Melbourne Arkansas http://www.ozarka.edu 13
State Fair Community College Sedalia Missouri http://www.sfccmo.edu/pages/1.asp 13
Hazard Community and Technical College Hazard Kentucky http://www.hazard.kctcs.edu 12
Weber State University Ogden Utah http://www.weber.edu 12
Meridian Community College Meridian Mississippi http://www.meridiancc.edu 11
Mountwest Community and Technical College Huntington West Virginia http://www.mctc.edu 11
Pinellas Technical Education Center-St Petersburg Saint Petersburg Florida http://myptec.org/ 11
Midstate College Peoria Illinois http://www.midstate.edu 10
National American University-Rapid City Rapid City South Dakota http://www.national.edu/locations/campuses/rapid-city/ 10
North Central Missouri College Trenton Missouri http://www.ncmissouri.edu/ 10
San Juan College Farmington New Mexico http://www.sanjuancollege.edu/pages/1.asp 10
National American University-Sioux Falls Sioux Falls South Dakota http://www.national.edu/locations/campuses/sioux-falls/ 9
American Business and Technology University St Joseph Missouri http://abtu.edu/online/ 7
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College Cincinnati Ohio http://www.cincinnatistate.edu 7
National American University-Bloomington Bloomington Minnesota http://www.national.edu/locations/campuses/bloomington/ 7
Pinnacle Career Institute-North Kansas City Kansas City Missouri http://www.pcitraining.edu 7
Southern Polytechnic State University Marietta Georgia http://www.spsu.edu/ 7
Franklin University Columbus Ohio http://www.franklin.edu 6
United Tribes Technical College Bismarck North Dakota http://unitedtribestech.com 6
Western Nebraska Community College Scottsbluff Nebraska http://www.wncc.edu 6
Crowder College Neosho Missouri http://www.crowder.edu 5
Florida Technical College Orlando Florida http://www.ftccollege.edu 5
National American University-Independence Independence Missouri http://www.national.edu/locations/campuses/independence/ 5
National American University-Overland Park Overland Park Kansas http://www.national.edu/locations/campuses/overland-park/ 5
National American University-Albuquerque Albuquerque New Mexico http://www.national.edu/locations/campuses/albuquerque/ 3
National American University-Albuquerque West Albuquerque New Mexico http://www.national.edu/locations/campuses/ 3
National American University-Austin Austin Texas http://www.national.edu/locations/campuses/austin/ 3
National American University-Brooklyn Center Brooklyn Center Minnesota http://www.national.edu/locations/campuses/brooklyn-center/ 3
National American University-Centennial Centennial Colorado http://www.national.edu/locations/campuses/centennial/ 3
National American University-Wichita Wichita Kansas http://www.national.edu/programs/college-of-health-and-science/healthcare/ 3
Ogeechee Technical College Statesboro Georgia http://www.ogeecheetech.edu 3
Peirce College Philadelphia Pennsylvania https://www.peirce.edu/ 3
Tyler Junior College Tyler Texas http://WWW.TJC.EDU 3
National American University-Colorado Springs Colorado Springs Colorado http://www.national.edu/locations/campuses/colorado-springs/ 2
Seward County Community College and Area Technical School Liberal Kansas http://www.sccc.edu 2
Great Falls College Montana State University Great Falls Montana http://www.gfcmsu.edu 1
National American University-Ellsworth AFB Extension Ellsworth Air Force Base South Dakota http://www.national.edu/locations/campuses/ellsworth-afb/ 1
National American University-Lee's Summit Lee's Summit Missouri http://www.national.edu/locations/campuses/lees-summit/ 1
National American University-Zona Rosa Kansas City Missouri http://www.national.edu/locations/campuses/zona-rosa/ 1
University of Alaska Southeast Juneau Alaska http://www.uas.alaska.edu 1
Williston State College Williston North Dakota http://www.willistonstate.edu 1
2013 School Data from IPEDS (Sourced in January, 2015)

Core & Elective Courses

In health information technology schools, students learn many specifics to the field before getting into the career-focused essentials. They may start with general education classes to help them improve their math and writing skills, and even explore the social sciences. Following this, they should start exploring the foundational skills for their career through classes in human anatomy, medical terminology, data analysis and spreadsheets, and even statistics. These help students improve their analytical, communication and reasoning skills and become better at problem solving.

Although the names of career-specific courses may vary, classes should be similar in focus particularly since many programs have the objective of helping students prepare for RHIM certification. Students may find some of the following courses, or similar ones, offered as part of a health information technology degree:

  • Healthcare data literacy and statistics

  • Health records

  • International classification of disease coding

  • Legal and regulatory issues in health management

  • Health insurance and reimbursement

  • Release of personal health information

  • Utilization, risk and compliance management

Practicums, externships or lab experiences can also be a part of a health information technology degree and give students experiences practicing their new skills in a healthcare setting or on campus. Again, these requirements vary by institution, so apllicants may want to look at the entire curriculum for a program before enrolling.

Accreditation

Students should look for health information technology schools accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). This agency has a mission of identifying quality programs in health information and health information management. Graduating from a CAHIM-accredited programs means that students should have the skills and knowledge necessary to work in an electronic health records setting.

Completing a CAHIIM-accredited program is also necessary to be able to take the AHIMA certification to become a Registered Health Information Technologist (RHIT). Students not attending an accredited school may be ineligible for entry-level certification testing done through AHIMA. A program directory on the CAHIIM website gives students the option to search for programs by state, program level and delivery method.

To earn accreditation from CAHIIM, programs must submit an application, complete a self-study, and open their program up to a site visit from experts identifed by CAHIIM. Programs are reviewed based on the Health Information Management (HIM) Accreditation Standards.

In addition to programmatic accreditation through CAHIIM, potential applicants should look to a school's institutional accreditation. Following many of the same processes, schools can have their institution as a whole accredited by an organization such as the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) or the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).

Career Outlook

Job growth for health information technologists and technicians is expected to be 13 percent from 2016 to 2026, according to the BLS (2017). This is faster than average than for all occupations for the same time period (just 7 percent) and could lead to 27,800 new positions becoming available. There are many reasons for this high demand, including:

  • An aging Baby Boomer population in need of more tests and care

  • More medical claims and reimbursements as a result

  • Growing use of electronic medical records (EMRs)

As of 2016, there were 206,300 people employed as medical records and health information technicians. If BLS predictions hold true, this number could grow to 234,100 by 2026. Job prospects could be best for those with RHIT or CTR certifications, according to the BLS. And, as use of EMRs is increasingly adopted, so should the need for skilled health information technicians.

Career Facts Health Information Technology
Related CareersMedical and Health Services Manager
Common Job TitlesHealth Information Technologist, Health Information Technician, Electronic Medical Record Specialists
Sourced from BLS, June 2018

Licensing & Certification

There are no legal licensure or certification requirements to work in health information technology. However, certifiation is available for those that choose to pursue official recognition of their skillset. To seek certification as a Registered Health Information Technologist (RHIT) through AHIMA, students need to graduate from a CAHIIM-accredited program or a foreign association that AHIMA holds a reciprocity agreement with. They also need to pay an exam fee, which as of 2018 is $229 for members and $299 for non-members. Students may also be eligible to take the exam in the last semester of their program, but need to meet certain eligibility requirements.

Exams can be scheduled at PearsonVUE Test Centers available across the U.S. The exam is 3.5 hours long, and includes 130 multiple-choice questions and 20 pretest questions. AHIMA reports that certification can increase earning potential and opportunities for advancement as well as strengthen the competence of staff. After obtaining certification, renewals are needed every two years and are obtained by meeting continuing education requirements. Graduating from a CAHIIM-accredited program is not necessary to seek Certified Coding Associate (CCA) certification through AHIMA, although it is recommended.

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