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Claim processor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a claim processor. Claim processors usually study business, health care administration, or accounting. 43% of claim processors hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 33,987 real claim processor resumes to see exactly what claim processor education sections show.

The most common colleges for claim processors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online claim processor courses to help get the education required to be a claim processor.

There are certain claim processor certifications that you should consider. These claim processor certifications include Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS) and Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM).

What education do you need to become a claim processor?

What degree do you need to be a claim processor?

The most common degree for claim processors is bachelor's degree, with 43% of claim processors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 23% and associate degree degree at 16%.
  • Bachelor's, 43%
  • Associate, 23%
  • High School Diploma, 16%
  • Diploma, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 12%

What should I major in to become a claim processor?

You should major in business to become a claim processor. 32% of claim processors major in business. Other common majors for a claim processor include health care administration and accounting.

Most common colleges for claim processors

Claim processors often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, DeVry University, and Strayer University. Here are the most common colleges for claim processors in the US based on their resumes.
Claim processor common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix33.86%
DeVry University5.39%
Strayer University4.85%
Ohio State University3.96%
Temple University3.89%

Best majors for claim processors

RankMajorPercentages
1Business31.6%
2Health Care Administration10.3%
3Accounting6.6%
4Psychology5.9%
5Criminal Justice5.2%

Best colleges for claim processors

The best colleges for claim processors are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A claim processor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for claim processors. 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 claim processors.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

9. Maria College of Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$15,140

Enrollment

876

10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

20 best online courses for claim processors

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4. Construction Claims Management - (9 PDUs)

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Learn all about Contracts, Delays & Claims along with practical Delay Analysis using Primavera P6 software...

6. Data Science for Healthcare Claims Data

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Learn and practice how to transform raw healthcare claims data into valuable knowledge and actionable insights!...

7. Construction: Pricing Extension of Time Claims: Vol 1 of 2

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This course provides professional training on the preparation of Quantum calculations for Extension of Time claims...

8. Construction Claims - Master Foundation Course

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Preparation for Medical Coding Certification Exam...

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Finibi Mortgage CEO, Joe Correa, teaches you how to take your mortgage loan processor career to the next level...

15. Medical Coding: ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Training

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Learn medical coding and prepare yourself for today's healthcare workplace...

16. Construction Delay Analysis Techniques (Incl. TIA) - MSP

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MS Project Based Construction Delay Analysis Training By N.M.Raj, An Internationally Renowned Claims Consultant...

17. Time Impact Analysis (SCL/ AACE): Primavera (Construction)

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18. Medical coding for U.S. healthcare industry

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Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...

20. Customer Service Foundation

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An introductory course about understanding the foundations of Customer Service...

Top 10 most affordable universities for claim processors

The most affordable schools for claim processors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for claim processors 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 claim processors.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

8. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

9. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

10. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for claim processors

The hardest universities for claim processors to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for claim processors 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 claim processors 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for claim processors

The easiest schools for claim processors to get into are D'Youville College, gwynedd mercy university, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a claim processor 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 claim processors.

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

8. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

9. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

10. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

Average claim processor salary by education level

According to our data, claim processors with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $52,663 annually. Claim processors with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $50,559.
Claim processor education levelClaim processor salary
Master's Degree$52,663
High School Diploma or Less$39,522
Bachelor's Degree$50,559
Some College/ Associate Degree$38,962

Claim processor education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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