by our College Data Analytics TeamStudying Health Care Management involves the study of Health/health Care Administration/management. A Program That Prepares Individuals To Develop, Plan, And Manage Health Care Operations And Services Within Health Care Facilities And Across Health Care Systems. Includes Instruction In Planning, Business Management, Financial Management, Public Relations, Human Resources Management, Health Care Systems Operation And Management, Health Care Resource Allocation And Policy Making, Health Law And Regulations, And Applications To Specific Types Of Health Care Services. Read on to learn the key facts every health care management major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering health care management programs.
Across the country, health care management draws strong interest, with 28,347 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Health Care Management Schools ranking analyzes these 696 schools to determine the best overall colleges for health care management students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of health care management programs later in this article.
Coursework for Health Care Management emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations health care management graduates commonly enter.
Skills built by a health care management program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
According to O*NET, a health care management major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several health care management degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 66 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 2,039 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 11,624 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 14,236 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 381 |
People currently working in careers related to health care management tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 46.4% |
| Master’s degree | 21.4% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 10.7% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 7.1% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 3.6% |
| Some college courses | 3.6% |
| First professional degree | 3.6% |
| Post-doctoral training | 3.6% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in health care management careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Studying health care management prepares you for many career paths. Below are some of the most common occupations related to health care management.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to health care management.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 419,330 | 8.8% |
College Scorecard reports median earnings of health care management graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $36,041 |
| 4 years | $36,054 |
| 5 years | $40,847 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for health care management graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers health care management grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $129,557 |
With 696 different health care management programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased health care management school rankings to help you.
If you are interested in health care management, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
