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Clinical care manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a clinical care manager. Clinical care managers usually study nursing, social work, or psychology. 42% of clinical care managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 31% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,595 real clinical care manager resumes to see exactly what clinical care manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for clinical care managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online clinical care manager courses to help get the education required to be a clinical care manager.

What education do you need to become a clinical care manager?

What degree do you need to be a clinical care manager?

The most common degree for clinical care managers is bachelor's degree, with 42% of clinical care managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 31% and master's degree degree at 20%.
  • Bachelor's, 42%
  • Master's, 31%
  • Associate, 20%
  • Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a clinical care manager?

You should major in nursing to become a clinical care manager. 42% of clinical care managers major in nursing. Other common majors for a clinical care manager include social work and psychology.

Most common colleges for clinical care managers

Clinical care managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, New York University, and Wayne State University. Here are the most common colleges for clinical care managers in the US based on their resumes.
Clinical care manager common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix14.29%
New York University11.43%
Wayne State University6.29%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey5.14%
University of North Texas4.57%

Best majors for clinical care managers

RankMajorPercentages
1Nursing42.4%
2Social Work15.0%
3Psychology11.4%
4Business4.2%
5School Counseling4.1%

Best colleges for clinical care managers

The best colleges for clinical care managers are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Johns Hopkins University.

A clinical care manager with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for clinical care managers. 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 clinical care managers.

1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

8. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

9. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

10. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

20 best online courses for clinical care managers

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1. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care

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This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...

2. Health for All Through Primary Health Care

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This course explores why primary health care is central for achieving Health for All. It provides examples of how primary health care has been instrumental in approaching this goal in selected populations and how the principles of primary health care can guide future policies and actions. Two of the most inspiring, least understood, and most often derided terms in global health discourse are “Health for All” and “Primary Health Care.” In this course, we will explore these terms in the context...

3. Providing Trauma-Informed Care

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Exploring psychological trauma and how to provide care and compassion to trauma survivors...

4. Basic of Clinical Data Management

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Clinical Data Management...

5. Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers

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This course is designed with a singular goal: to improve the care you provide to your patients with substance use disorders. By delving into a model case performed by actors, seven Yale instructors from various fields provide techniques to screen your patients for substance use disorder risk, diagnose patients to gauge the severity of their use, directly manage treatment plans, refer out to treatment services, and navigate the various conditions that may limit your patient’s access to treatment...

6. Value-Based Care: Managing Processes to Improve Outcomes

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COURSE 3 of 7. This course is designed to introduce you to critical office-based processes that a value-based practice must manage in the drive towards improved patient outcomes. In Module 2, we’ll focus on office-based and clinical patient-based supporting functions. At every level in healthcare, guidelines, processes, and functions exist to improve outcomes, and following a consistent process will return the best effect. Refine your understanding of value and learn strategies to provide real...

7. Coping Skills and Self-Care for Mental Health

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Essential skills to manage intense emotions and develop a self-care practice to promote mental health...

8. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale

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Acute stroke is a time-dependent medical emergency. In acute ischemic stroke, the first objective is to restore brain flow using sistemic thrombolytic treatment and, in patients with large vessel occlusion, by endovascular treatment. In hemorrhagic stroke there are also specific treatments that can improve the clinical outcome. The sooner the initiation of all these therapies the higher the clinical benefit. Thus, the organization of Stroke Code systems coordinated between emergency medical...

9. Health Care Delivery in Healthcare Organizations

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Have you ever needed health care and thought that there must be better ways to get or deliver health care? For example, have you found yourself thinking that there should be a way to get a diagnostic test or treatment at home? Or do you work in a healthcare organization and find yourself thinking that there must be better ways to deliver health care? If you have, this course is for you. Course content includes an overview of health care delivery including healthcare consumerism, the patient's...

10. The Business of Health Care

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This Specialization was designed to help you keep pace with the rapidly changing world of health and health care. Through partnership with Wharton and Penn Medicine, you’ll learn from experts in business acumen, health care management, and health care policy to develop the skills you’ll need to successfully navigate the quickly evolving landscape of this fast-growing field.* By the end of this specialization, you will have a strong foundational understanding of the American health care system,...

11. Pain Management: Easing Pain in Palliative Care

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In this course, you will be able to develop a systems view for assessing and managing pain in the palliative care setting. By the end of the course, you will be able to: 1) Describe the pain problem in the palliative care setting; 2) Assess a person’s pain, 3) Explain the benefits of integrative therapies and pharmacologic strategies to manage pain...

12. Palliative Care Always

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Palliative Care Always is a specialization for health care practitioners, patients and caregivers. We’ve designed this specialization to demonstrate how palliative medicine integrates with patient care, and to help you develop primary palliative care skills. Over the next five courses, you will develop skills in symptom management, goals of care and effective communication to improve the quality of life for patients and families suffering with serious illness. Our hope is that you feel...

13. Palliative Care Always Capstone Course

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The Palliative Care Always Capstone course is designed to let you test your knowledge about palliative and help others understand the value of palliative care, while showing your creative side. In this course, you will impact community awareness about palliative care, promote self-care and wellness, show-off your communication skills in a virtual environment, and finish the course off by proving your thoughts on ways to offer psychosocial support to a patient and family...

14. Clinical Kidney, Pancreas and Islet Transplantation

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Kidney transplantation is a major advance of modern medicine which provides high-quality of life for patients with end-stage renal disease. What used to be an experimental, risky, and very limited treatment option more than 50 years ago is now routinely performed in many countries worldwide. The number of renal transplants is expected to rise sharply in the next decade since the proportion of patients with end stage renal disease is increasing. Are you interested in clinical kidney, pancreas...

15. Health Care IT: Challenges and Opportunities

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A strong argument can be made that the health care field is one of the most information-intensive sectors in the U.S. economy and avoidance of the rapid advances in information technology is no longer an option. Consequently, the study of health care information technology and systems has become central to health care delivery effectiveness. This course covers the modern application of information technology that is critical to supporting the vision and operational knowledge of the health care...

16. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children

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Welcome to the final course of lectures in your quest to master EMT basics. In this course, we will cover some of the highest-stress patient populations: pregnant patients and kids, also known as pediatrics. To wrap up your EMT knowledge we will end this course with information about hazmat situations, extricating patients from tight spots and finally how you write a note about your patient care. You will learn to ensure it communicates what your assessment of the patient was, what...

17. Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative

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18. Newborn Baby Care

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A newborn baby is an amazing beautiful life filled with hope. Unfortunately, many babies die or experience preventable harm even in 21st century. It is imperative that babies who are born healthy get off to a healthy start in the first month of life. There are some easy tenets of care to implement that help ensure that babies and families get off to a healthy start no matter where they are in the world. In this specialization learners will acquire the skills necessary for newborn baby care to...

19. Trauma Emergencies and Care

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Welcome to Trauma Emergencies and Care. In this course, you will learn about some of the mechanics and physics of trauma on the human body, and how this can cause injury. You will continue to expand your new vocabulary with medical terminology, and learn how to describe the different injuries you may see. You will also learn about the trauma system itself- and when it is important to transport patients to a trauma center. Then we will dive into specific injuries based on what part of the body...

20. Clinical Data Science

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Top 10 most affordable universities for clinical care managers

The most affordable schools for clinical care managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for clinical care managers 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 clinical care managers.

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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for clinical care managers

The hardest universities for clinical care managers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for clinical care managers 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 clinical care managers 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for clinical care managers

The easiest schools for clinical care managers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, d'youville college, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a clinical care manager 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 clinical care managers.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. Marymount University

Arlington, VA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,065

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

9. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

10. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

Average clinical care manager salary by education level

According to our data, clinical care managers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $121,968 annually. Clinical care managers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $101,028.
Clinical care manager education levelClinical care manager salary
Master's Degree$101,028
Bachelor's Degree$87,316
Doctorate Degree$121,968
Some College/ Associate Degree$77,648

Clinical care manager 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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