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Certified coding specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a certified coding specialist. Certified coding specialists usually study health care administration, nursing, or computer information systems. 34% of certified coding specialists hold a associate degree, and 26% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 438 real certified coding specialist resumes to see exactly what certified coding specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for certified coding specialists are the Stephens College and the Stephens College.
There are also many online certified coding specialist courses to help get the education required to be a certified coding specialist.
There are certain certified coding specialist certifications that you should consider. These certified coding specialist certifications include Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) and Certified Professional Coder (CPC).
What education do you need to become a certified coding specialist?
What degree do you need to be a certified coding specialist?
- Associate, 34%
- Bachelor's, 26%
- Diploma, 11%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 23%
What should I major in to become a certified coding specialist?
Most common colleges for certified coding specialists
| Certified coding specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Stephens College | 8.82% |
| University of Phoenix | 8.82% |
| DeVry University | 8.82% |
| Central State University | 8.82% |
| Brown University | 5.88% |
Best majors for certified coding specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care Administration | 34.4% |
| 2 | Nursing | 11.5% |
| 3 | Computer Information Systems | 11.5% |
| 4 | Business | 8.9% |
| 5 | Medical Assisting Services | 4.5% |
Best colleges for certified coding specialists
The best colleges for certified coding specialists are Johns Hopkins University, Northeastern University, and Georgetown University.
A certified coding specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for certified coding specialists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become certified coding specialists.
1. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
2. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
6. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
8. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
9. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$50,226
Enrollment
10,873
10. SUNY College at Brockport
Brockport, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,412
Enrollment
7,015
20 best online courses for certified coding specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for certified coding specialists
The most affordable schools for certified coding specialists are Florida International University, hunter college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for certified coding specialists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for certified coding specialists.
1. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
6. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
7. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. Augusta University
Augusta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$8,604
Cost of attendance
20,618
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for certified coding specialists
The hardest universities for certified coding specialists to get into are Johns Hopkins University, Northeastern University, and Georgetown University.
Some great schools for certified coding specialists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for certified coding specialists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
2. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
3. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
4. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
10. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for certified coding specialists
The easiest schools for certified coding specialists to get into are AdventHealth University, d'youville college, and ottawa university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a certified coding specialist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for certified coding specialists.
1. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
4. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
5. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
7. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
8. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
9. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
10. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
Average certified coding specialist salary by education level
| Certified coding specialist education level | Certified coding specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $63,467 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $49,195 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $56,444 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $53,658 |
Certified coding specialist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025