by our College Data Analytics TeamIf you would like to combine your passion for art with the world of medicine, consider majoring in Medical Illustration and Informatics.
Students typically decide to focus on Medical Illustration or Medical Informatics and take separate classes based on their desired concentration. A Medical Illustration concentration includes classes in graphic design, studio arts, biology, design, anatomy, computer-aided design, and physiology to develop visual tools that aid in medical education.
A concentration in Medical Informatics involves classes in statistics, information technology, legal, ethical, and social issues, and biostatics to learn how to collect and store medical information, so it is readily available to medical professionals. Both of these majors result in careers providing essential information to doctors allowing them to successfully treat their patients.
A degree in Medical Illustration & Informatics covers Medical Illustration And Informatics. Continue reading for the essential details every medical illustration & informatics major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering medical illustration & informatics programs.
Across the country, medical illustration & informatics is a popular field of study, with 3,154 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Medical Illustration & Informatics Schools ranking analyzes these 151 schools to determine the best overall colleges for medical illustration & informatics students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of medical illustration & informatics programs later in this article.
Studies in Medical Illustration & Informatics emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations medical illustration & informatics graduates commonly enter.
Students who are interested in pursuing a career in Medical Illustration and Informatics should be critical and analytical thinkers with a background in computers. You will use different software systems to build medical models or collect and analyze information. Students should also be detail oriented and work to ensure illustrations and information is accurate.
A Medical Illustrations and Informatics degree often leads to a to a fulltime career in the medical field. Illustrators work in offices designing a variety of educational tools, while informatics professionals spend their time on the computer working with software and inputting and analyzing data.
Skills emphasized by a medical illustration & informatics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Based on O*NET data, a medical illustration & informatics major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several medical illustration & informatics 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 | 5 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 34 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 214 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 2,835 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 66 |
People currently working in careers related to medical illustration & informatics tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 42.3% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 16.5% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 14.6% |
| Some college courses | 8.1% |
| Master’s degree | 5.2% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 5.0% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 4.1% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 2.0% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 1.1% |
| Doctoral degree | 0.9% |
| Post-doctoral training | 0.1% |
| First professional degree | 0.1% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in medical illustration & informatics careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Medical Illustration and Informatics graduates find jobs working for medical companies, hospitals, and medical centers. Medical Illustration graduates have gone on to work for companies that manufacture learning materials to colleges or training aids. Medical Informatics majors are employed by a variety of IT departments in the medical field. This field is growing at an average rate, providing many jobs for recent graduates.
Studying medical illustration & informatics can lead to many career paths. These are some of the most common occupations related to medical illustration & informatics.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to medical illustration & informatics.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars | 2,200,733 | -4.3% |
| Postsecondary Teachers, All Other | 964,215 | -0.1% |
| Computer Systems Engineers/Architects | 576,059 | -1.9% |
| Information Security Engineers | 575,902 | -3.8% |
| Blockchain Engineers | 556,747 | 5.1% |
| Information Technology Project Managers | 543,383 | -3.4% |
| Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians | 530,023 | -1.9% |
| Web Administrators | 510,685 | 0.7% |
College Scorecard reports median earnings of medical illustration & informatics graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $83,588 |
| 4 years | $85,034 |
| 5 years | $93,260 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for medical illustration & informatics graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers medical illustration & informatics grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Computer Occupations, All Other | $159,837 |
| Document Management Specialists | $147,490 |
| Information Security Engineers | $142,543 |
| Computer Systems Engineers/Architects | $140,795 |
| Information Technology Project Managers | $124,655 |
| Blockchain Engineers | $123,667 |
| Digital Forensics Analysts | $119,226 |
| Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars | $103,058 |
With 151 different medical illustration & informatics programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased medical illustration & informatics school rankings to help you.
Students interested in medical illustration & informatics, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Medical Informatics | 3,054 |
| Medical Illustration/Medical Illustrator | 94 |
| Medical Illustration and Informatics, Other | 6 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
