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Master’s in Healthcare Administration: The Top 15 Schools in 2023

February 28, 2023 | bestvalue

Masters in Healthcare Administration

A master’s degree in healthcare administration prepares students to manage hospitals and other healthcare facilities. 

Career opportunities for graduates also include working for consulting firms, nonprofits, insurance companies and government agencies relating to healthcare.  If this sounds like the career for you, here’s a list of some of the best places to earn a Master’s in Healthcare Administration.

Best Master’s in Healthcare Administration Programs

Rank School Location
1Webster University (40 points)Webster Groves, Missouri
2Rush University (36 points)Chicago, Illinois
3Medical University of South Carolina (32 points)Charleston, South Carolina
4Seton Hall University (29 points)South Orange, New Jersey
5Clarkson University (28 points)Potsdam, New York

What is a Masters in Healthcare Administration?

Master’s degrees in healthcare administration include the skills and knowledge students need to run a healthcare organization, from health informatics to business management to healthcare law.  Depending on the school, students can earn an MS or MBA in health administration, or a specialized type of degree, the MHA.  These degrees can be offered through a business school or a school of health sciences or health professionsHealthcare administration programs are accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME).

Executive vs. Residential MHAs

Some students earn an MHA at the start of their career, while others go back to school later to enhance their knowledge.  Because of this, some schools offer executive and residential MHAs.  An executive MHA is for professionals working full-time.  They are often taught mostly online, with students taking a few classes each semester and only coming to campus for a few days.  Residential programs are for students starting their careers.  The residential experience can be full-time or part-time, but usually has a stronger focus on in-person, experiential learning.

What Schools Have the Best Health Administration Programs?

We’ve compiled a list of the best healthcare administration degrees. These colleges are ranked based on their graduate tuition (lowest is best) and faculty-student ratio (lowest is best).  We included a mix of both large, well-known universities and less-famous institutions.

The Top 15 Schools for Healthcare Administration Graduate Degrees

1

Webster University (40 points)

  • Webster Groves, Missouri
  • Graduation Rate: 75%
Outdoor view of college campus

Webster University outside St. Louis, Missouri, offers a Master’s in Healthcare Administration through the George Herbert Walker School of Business.  The program prides itself on its small class sizes and 90% job placement rate.  Webster also offers a dual MHA/MBA and an MBA with an MHA emphasis

School Overview

Tuition: $750 per credit
Credits required: 42
Faculty-student ratio: 1:12
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2

Rush University (36 points)

  • Chicago, Illinois

The MS in Health Systems Management at Rush University is ranked No. 5 nationally by U.S. News and World Report.  Students learn from professionals at Rush University Medical Center, one of the top medical centers in Chicago.  But not only that, Rush has one of the best faculty-student ratios in the world.

School Overview

Tuition: $1201 per credit
Credits required: 58
Faculty-student ratio: 1:2.6
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3

Medical University of South Carolina (32 points)

  • Charleston, South Carolina

The Medical University of South Carolina offers a Master’s in Healthcare Administration with residential and executive options.  The residential option includes a 10-credit hour internship between the first and second years of the program.  MUSC offers students personalized education with its low faculty-student ratio.

School Overview

Tuition: $1650 per credit
Credits required: 64 (residential), 54 (executive)
Faculty-student ratio: 1:1.7
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4

Seton Hall University (29 points)

  • South Orange, New Jersey
  • Graduation Rate: 97%

Seton Hall University’s Master of Healthcare Administration program is the only one of its kind (online/hybrid and on-campus) in New Jersey accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME).

School Overview

Tuition: $1,310 per credit
Credits required: 42
Faculty-student ratio: 1:14
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5

Clarkson University (28 points)

  • Potsdam, New York
  • Graduation Rate: 71%

Clarkson University offers an MBA in Healthcare Management which can be completed in under two years full-time or two to four years part-time. Clarkson has been ranked as one of the 25 colleges with the highest-paid graduates

School Overview

Tuition: $1174 per credit
Credits required: 48
Faculty-student ratio: 1:14
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6

University of Michigan – Ann Arbor (26 points)

  • Ann Arbor, Michigan
  • Graduation Rate: 91%

The University of Michigan offers a two-year Master of Health Services Administration program which includes a 10-12 week internship (for which most students are paid) in which students gain experience in healthcare institutions based on their career goals.  This MHSA is ranked third in the country by U.S. News and World Report, tied with the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.

School Overview

Tuition: $1042 per credit
Credits required: 60
Faculty-student ratio: 1:15
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7

The George Washington University (23 points)

  • Washington, D.C.
  • Graduation Rate: 100%

The George Washington University offers a Master of Healthcare Administration which culminates in a three-credit residency or six-credit fellowship.  Student fellows are placed in top healthcare institutions across the U.S. and have close access to the healthcare community in the nation’s capital.

School Overview

Tuition: $1765 per credit
Credits required: 50
Faculty-student ratio: 1:13
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8

Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (23 points)

  • Indianapolis, Indiana
  • Graduation Rate: 46%

The Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI offers the only CAHME-accredited Master of Health Administration in Indiana.  The program offers students the opportunity to learn through internships, one-on-one professional mentorship, and study abroad programs.  100% of 2018 graduates reported full-time employment.  IUPUI also offers an online executive MHA track and joint MHAs with MPH, MBA, and JD degrees.

School Overview

Tuition: graduate tuition not listed
Credits required: 51 (residential), 42 (executive)
Faculty-student ratio: 1:15
Visit School Website
9

University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill (21 points)

  • Chapel Hill, North Carolina
  • Graduation Rate: 91%

The Master of Healthcare Administration program at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill is tied with the University of Michigan as third in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report.  In educating students to become healthcare leaders, UNC places an emphasis on both management techniques and public health issues.

School Overview

Tuition: $1474 per credit
Credits required: 60 (residential), 49 (executive)
Faculty-student ratio: 1:14
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10

Texas Woman’s University (19 points)

  • Denton, Texas
  • Graduation Rate: 64%

Texas Woman’s University offers a Master of Healthcare Administration with options for emphases in Business Analytics and Global Health.  The program offers small class sizes and opportunities to complete comprehensive client-based projects, internships, and study abroad programs.

School Overview

Tuition: $207 per credit
Credits required: 45
Faculty-student ratio: 1:17
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11

University of Oklahoma (17 points)

  • Norman, Oklahoma
  • Graduation Rate: 67%
University of Oklahoma sign on campus

Students at the University of Oklahoma can earn a Master of Health Administration with a two-year full-time track and three-year part-time track designed to provide flexibility to working students.  The program has small class sizes (6-12 students) and is recognized as a premier MHA program in the South-Central region.

School Overview

Tuition: $900 per credit
Credits required: 52
Faculty-student ratio: 1:17
Visit School Website
12

University of Kentucky (16 points)

  • Lexington, Kentucky
  • Graduation Rate: 63%

The University of Kentucky College of Public Health offers a Master of Healthcare Administration program which admits 25 students each year. Students learn from experienced faculty, interact with professional guest lecturers, and receive individualized job placement mentorship.

School Overview

Tuition: $1384 per credit
Credits required: 50
Faculty-student ratio: 1:16
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13

University of Minnesota – Twin Cities (15 points)

  • Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Graduation Rate: 78%

The Master of Healthcare Administration program at the University of Minnesota is ranked second in the country by U.S. News and World Report.  Minnesota has the oldest MHA program in the U.S. and offers residential and online executive options.

School Overview

Tuition: $1134 per credit
Credits required: 60 (residential), 42 (executive)
Faculty-student ratio: 1:17
Visit School Website
14

University of Colorado – Denver (9 points)

  • Denver, Colorado
  • Graduation Rate: 62%

The University of Colorado – Denver is part of a small group of top-ranked health administration schools, the Business School Alliance for Health Management.  CU Denver’s Health Administration MBA program offers a 6:1 faculty-student ratio and can be completed in two years.

School Overview

Tuition: $1378 per credit
Credits required: 45
Faculty-student ratio: 1:17
Visit School Website
15

University of Alabama – Birmingham (8 points)

  • Birmingham, Alabama
  • Graduation Rate: 52%

The University of Alabama – Birmingham has the best master’s degree in health administration in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report.  UAB offers an MS in Healthcare Management with executive and residential formats.  The residential format offers strong real-world experience including a paid administrative residency, and the executive format, open to professionals with five years of experience, allows students to also earn an MS or graduate certificate in Healthcare Quality and Safety.

School Overview

Tuition: $1363 per credit
Credits required: 71 (residential), 57 (executive)
Faculty-student ratio: 1:19
Visit School Website

How Did We Rank this List?

Our ranking was based 66.7% on faculty-student ratio and 33.3% on tuition.

From each institution’s website, we gathered in-person graduate tuition rates for  out-of-state domestic students in the different programs.  Where tuition was only listed on a per-year or per-semester basis, the year was assumed to consist of two semesters, twelve credits each.  Tuition figures do not include fees or other expenses. For IUPUI, graduate tuition could not be found, so the average of the other 14 programs was used for the ranking.

Each school was given a score from 1 for the highest tuition to 15 for the lowest.  Schools were also scored from 1 to 15 for faculty-student ratio based on data from U.S. News and World Report.

Then, faculty-student ratio points were multiplied by two.  These weighted scores were added together to produce the final ranking.

Problems with your Ranking?

If your school isn’t on this list and you think it deserves consideration for an update, please contact us.  Also, if you work for one of the schools on this list and you notice an error, please let us know.  We always seek to provide the most accurate information available and let readers know about the best schools across the country.

Still not Sure which School is Right for You?

Choosing the right college to continue your education is an important decision.  Check out our degree finder and our other lists to help find the best healthcare administration degrees.

Find the program that’s right for you

Whether you’re trying to start your career or make a big change, we can help you find the perfect school to help you reach your goals.

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