by our College Data Analytics TeamA major in Medical Informatics involves the study of Medical Informatics. A Program That Focuses On The Application Of Computer Science And Software Engineering To Medical Research And Clinical Information Technology Support, And The Development Of Advanced Imaging, Database, And Decision Systems. Includes Instruction In Computer Science, Health Information Systems Architecture, Medical Knowledge Structures, Medical Language And Image Processing, Quantitative Medical Decision Modeling, Imaging Techniques, Electronic Medical Records, Medical Research Systems, Clinical Decision Support, And Informatics Aspects Of Specific Research And Practice Problems. Examples: [Biomedical Informatics], [Health Informatics], [Dental Informatics], [Nursing Informatics]. Read on to learn the essential details every medical informatics student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering medical informatics programs.
Across the country, medical informatics draws strong interest, with 3,054 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Medical Informatics Schools ranking analyzes these 142 schools to determine the best overall colleges for medical informatics students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of medical informatics programs later in this article.
Programs in Medical Informatics build a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations medical informatics graduates commonly enter.
Skills built by a medical informatics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Per O*NET surveys, a medical informatics major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several medical 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 34 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 168 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 2,786 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 66 |
People currently working in careers related to medical informatics tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 42.7% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 17.4% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 15.4% |
| Some college courses | 6.4% |
| Master’s degree | 5.5% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 5.3% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 2.8% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 2.1% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 1.2% |
| 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 informatics careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Studying medical informatics prepares you for many career paths. Below are some of the most common occupations related to medical informatics.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to medical 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% |
Federal data tracks median earnings of medical informatics graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise 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 informatics graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers medical 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 142 different medical informatics programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased medical informatics school rankings to help you.
Students interested in medical informatics, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Medical Illustration/Medical Illustrator | 94 |
| Medical Illustration and Informatics, Other | 6 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
