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Health commissioner education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a health commissioner. Health commissioners usually study nursing, public health, or business. 52% of health commissioners hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 64 real health commissioner resumes to see exactly what health commissioner education sections show.

The most common colleges for health commissioners are the Southern Connecticut State University and the Southern Connecticut State University.

There are also many online health commissioner courses to help get the education required to be a health commissioner.

What education do you need to become a health commissioner?

What degree do you need to be a health commissioner?

The most common degree for health commissioners is bachelor's degree, with 52% of health commissioners earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 29% and master's degree degree at 13%.
  • Bachelor's, 52%
  • Master's, 29%
  • Doctorate, 13%
  • High School Diploma, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a health commissioner?

You should major in nursing to become a health commissioner. 19% of health commissioners major in nursing. Other common majors for a health commissioner include public health and business.

Most common colleges for health commissioners

Health commissioners often get their degrees at Southern Connecticut State University, University of Maryland - College Park, and Ohio State University. Here are the most common colleges for health commissioners in the US based on their resumes.
Health commissioner common collegePercentages
Southern Connecticut State University7.69%
University of Maryland - College Park7.69%
Ohio State University7.69%
Saint Francis University7.69%
Northern Illinois University7.69%

Best majors for health commissioners

RankMajorPercentages
1Nursing18.6%
2Public Health16.3%
3Business9.3%
4Biology7.0%
5Law7.0%

Best colleges for health commissioners

The best colleges for health commissioners are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

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

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

6. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

7. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

8. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

20 best online courses for health commissioners

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3. Systems Thinking In Public Health

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This course provides an introduction to systems thinking and systems models in public health. Problems in public health and health policy tend to be complex with many actors, institutions and risk factors involved. If an outcome depends on many interacting and adaptive parts and actors the outcome cannot be analyzed or predicted with traditional statistical methods. Systems thinking is a core skill in public health and helps health policymakers build programs and policies that are aware of and...

4. Global Health Policy

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In this course, learners will become familiar with principles and theories of global health problems, and major challenges and controversies in improving global population health as well as practical applications of quantitative methods to analyze and interpret issues and challenges for policy. Topics will include health and foreign policy, health governance, acute disease surveillance, non-communicable diseases, burden of disease, universal health coverage, health systems strengthening, health...

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6. Health Coaching Certification Holistic Wellness Health Coach

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7. Breastfeeding: Public Health Perspectives

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Engaging in this course will provide you with the opportunity to think about breastfeeding and its public health implications. The Socio-Ecological Model will be the framework of the course as we think about how each level of the Model (individual, interpersonal, community, organizational, and public policy) impacts breastfeeding practices in the United States, and globally. Through short video lectures you will be introduced to relevant topics related to the public health perspectives of...

8. Data and Health Indicators in Public Health Practice

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10. Public Health in Humanitarian Crises 2

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This course, Public Health in Humanitarian Crises 2, addresses public health issues of people affected by disasters, both natural or conflict-related. It discusses the many changes that occur in people’s lives when they are uprooted by a disaster, including many important topics related to humanitarian crises, such as when there is an epidemic a public health emergency; what do we mean with the humanitarian development nexus; what are the basics of disaster epidemiology and surveillance;...

11. The People, Power, and Pride of Public Health

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The People, Power, and Pride of Public Health provides an engaging overview of the incredible accomplishments and promise of the public health field. The first module includes interviews with legendary public health figures whose work led to millions of lives saved with vaccines, air bags and car seats, and the federal Women Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program. The second module brings key public health tools to life -- including use of data, communications, and policy - through...

12. Health Systems Development: Introduction to Health Systems

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This specialization is intended for people interested in health systems and how they function. Participants will learn about the global health systems landscape and the challenges and opportunities to achieve better health outcomes. This specialisation is divided into three courses which are offered as massive online open access courses (Courses 1-3), and a fourth course which is offered as part of the Online MPH degree (capstone). The Health Systems Development specialisation is geared toward...

13. Major Depression in the Population: A Public Health Approach

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Public Mental Health is the application of the principles of medicine and social science to prevent the occurrence of mental and behavioral disorders and to promote mental health of the population. This course illustrates the principles of public health applied to depressive disorder, including principles of epidemiology, transcultural psychiatry, health services research, and prevention. It is predicted that by 2020 depressive disorder will be the most important cause of disease burden in the...

14. Comparative Health Systems

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This course uses comparative analysis of health care systems to gain a better understanding of health care systems in several high-income, middle-income and low-income countries. One focus of analysis in this course will therefore be to develop a better knowledge of these health care systems. A second focus will be to use to this analysis to gain a better understanding of the health care system in the United States. This analysis is relevant for those who are directly interested in the United...

15. Social Determinants of Health

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This is an introductory course on social determinants of population health with a focus on the United States. The course will introduce you to, or reinforce your knowledge of, issues related to health that consider behavioral, psychological and structural factors in population health beyond the healthcare system. We will examine social, economic, and political factors that contribute to health inequalities and suggest innovative ways to reduce disparities in health when the goal is to achieve...

16. Leadership for Public Health Crises

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Leadership for Public Health Crises will enable current and prospective managers, directors, unit heads, and elected officials to effectively lead their organizational response to profound health-related emergencies and to build leadership capacity across multiple sectors, agencies, organizations, and divisions. This series of courses prepares graduate students (in, e.g., public administration, public health, social work, business, homeland security, education, and related fields) and...

17. Bats, Ducks, and Pandemics: An Introduction to One Health Policy

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Welcome to "Bats, Ducks, and Pandemics: An Introduction to One Health Policy". One Health is the concept that human, animal, and environmental/ecosystem health are linked. The concept provides a useful framework for examining complex health issues such as food safety and security, emerging and vector-borne diseases, and antimicrobial resistance. It can be used to analyze government policies to determine if they are effective in improving health and well-being. Agriculture is the foundation of...

18. Foundations of Public Health Practice

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This specialisation will enable you to reflect on and cultivate the behaviours you require to become an effective public health professional –whether as an academic, practitioner, clinician, manager or leader.The specialisation is shaped into four courses covering the origins of public health, health improvement, behaviour change, and health protection. The specialisation will draw upon learning from the Statistics for Public Health and Epidemiology for Public Health specialisations, and builds...

19. 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...

20. Population Health: Governance

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How can we organise care in such a way that we optimize experience, quality and costs? What type of governance is needed? And how should healthcare organisations collaborate? These are central questions in this course. In answering them, we depart from a recognition of the impact of three crucial global shifts in health care governance: 1) the change in focus from cure to population health, 2) the increased attention to social determinants of health, and 3) the stronger involvement of...

Top 10 most affordable universities for health commissioners

The most affordable schools for health commissioners are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for health commissioners 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 health commissioners.

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

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 health commissioners

The hardest universities for health commissioners to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for health commissioners 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 health commissioners 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

7. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for health commissioners

The easiest schools for health commissioners to get into are Barry University, felician university, and university of north texas at dallas.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a health commissioner 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 health commissioners.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

3. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

4. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

5. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

6. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

10. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

Average health commissioner salary by education level

Health commissioners with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $132,207 annually. With a Doctorate degree, health commissioners earn a median annual income of $132,185 compared to $120,001 for health commissioners with an Bachelor's degree.
Health commissioner education levelHealth commissioner salary
Master's Degree$132,207
Bachelor's Degree$120,001
Doctorate Degree$132,185
Some College/ Associate Degree$90,088

Health commissioner 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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