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Health informatics specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a health informatics specialist. Health informatics specialists usually study health care administration, business, or pharmacy. 52% of health informatics specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 155 real health informatics specialist resumes to see exactly what health informatics specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for health informatics specialists are the University of South Florida and the University of South Florida.
There are also many online health informatics specialist courses to help get the education required to be a health informatics specialist.
There are certain health informatics specialist certifications that you should consider. These health informatics specialist certifications include Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) and Certified Professional in Health Informatics (CPHI).
What education do you need to become a health informatics specialist?
What degree do you need to be a health informatics specialist?
- Bachelor's, 52%
- Master's, 23%
- Associate, 13%
- Doctorate, 8%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a health informatics specialist?
Most common colleges for health informatics specialists
| Health informatics specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of South Florida | 10.26% |
| University of Washington | 7.69% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.69% |
| Villanova University | 5.13% |
| University of Massachusetts Boston | 5.13% |
Best majors for health informatics specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care Administration | 12.6% |
| 2 | Business | 11.7% |
| 3 | Pharmacy | 11.7% |
| 4 | Nursing | 8.1% |
| 5 | Computer Science | 8.1% |
Best colleges for health informatics specialists
The best colleges for health informatics specialists are Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A health informatics 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 health informatics 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 health informatics specialists.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
7. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
9. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
10. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
20 best online courses for health informatics specialists
Advertising disclosure
1. HI-FIVE: Health Informatics For Innovation, Value & Enrichment (Clinical Perspective)
HI-FIVE (Health Informatics For Innovation, Value & Enrichment) Training is a 12-hour online course designed by Columbia University in 2016, with sponsorship from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). The training is role-based and uses case scenarios. Also, it has additional, optional modules on other topics of interest or relevance. Although we suggest to complete the course within a month's timeframe, the course is self-paced and so you can start and...
2. Leading Change in Health Informatics
Do you dream of being a CMIO or a Senior Director of Clinical Informatics? If you are aiming to rise up in the ranks in your health system or looking to pivot your career in the direction of big data and health IT, this course is made for you. You'll hear from experts at Johns Hopkins about their experiences harnessing the power of big data in healthcare, improving EHR adoption, and separating out the hope vs hype when it comes to digital medicine. Whether you're a nurse, pharmacist, physician,...
3. Health Data 101
An Introduction to Health Data for data analysts...
4. Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist
Health Information Technology HIT...
5. HI-FIVE: Health Informatics For Innovation, Value & Enrichment (Social/Peer Perspective)
HI-FIVE (Health Informatics For Innovation, Value & Enrichment) Training is an approximately 10-hour online course designed by Columbia University in 2016, with sponsorship from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). The training is role-based and uses case scenarios. No additional hardware or software are required for this course. Our nation’s healthcare system is changing at a rapid pace. Transformative health care delivery programs depend heavily on...
6. Health Informatics for Healthcare Professionals
This course is best suited for individuals currently in the healthcare sector, as a provider, payer, or administrator. Individuals pursuing a career change to the healthcare sector may also be interested in this course. In this course, you will have an opportunity to explore concepts and topics related to the design and management of health information systems. After an introduction to the history and current status of information systems in healthcare, you will then explore the areas of...
7. Data Science for Healthcare Claims Data
Learn and practice how to transform raw healthcare claims data into valuable knowledge and actionable insights!...
8. Providing Trauma-Informed Care
Exploring psychological trauma and how to provide care and compassion to trauma survivors...
9. Culminating Project in Health Informatics
This capstone course in the Health Informatics Specialization will allow learners to create a comprehensive plan for an informatics intervention of their choosing, and that will demonstrate to current or future employers the new skills obtained through the completion of this series of five courses in Health Informatics...
10. Health Care Delivery in Healthcare Organizations
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...
11. Health Coaching Certification Holistic Wellness Health Coach
Health Coaching Practitioner Course Graduates Prepared Health Coaching Specialists in Holistic Wellness Health Coaching...
12. Medical Coding: ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Training
Learn medical coding and prepare yourself for today's healthcare workplace...
13. Health Care IT: Challenges and Opportunities
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...
14. Operations and Patient Safety for Healthcare IT Staff
Now that you've been introduced to the world of Health IT and the important role played by electronic health records (EHRs), we'll focus on other technologies that play a role in maintaining ongoing operations in healthcare. Telemedicine, patient portals, barcode scanners, printers, and medical devices are just some of the technologies that impact providers and patients. As an IT support specialist, you’ll be asked to troubleshoot issues with a wide variety of tools. You'll see a scenario with...
15. The Simplest Guide to Clinical Trials Data Analysis with SAS
Step into the world of Pharmaceutical industry Clinical Trials Clinical Research Biostatistics Clinical SAS SAS...
16. Health for All Through Primary Health Care
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...
17. Nursing Informatics Leadership Theory and Practice
“By the end of this Course, you will be able to…” • Evaluate effective leadership styles for leadership in nursing informatics in clinical or academic contexts to improve leadership success. • Discover core values that support effective nursing informatics leadership in academic and clinical contexts to inform development of a personal leadership mission statement. • Discover competing values and polarities related to knowledge leadership and management to promote successful leadership...
18. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care
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...
19. Healthcare Data Literacy
This course will help lay the foundation of your healthcare data journey and provide you with knowledge and skills necessary to work in the healthcare industry as a data scientist. Healthcare is unique because it is associated with continually evolving and complex processes associated with health management and medical care. We'll learn about the many facets to consider in healthcare and determine the value and growing need for data analysts in healthcare. We'll learn about the Triple Aim and...
20. The Critical Role of IT Support Staff in Healthcare
This is a very exciting time to be exploring a career in Health IT Support! In this introductory course, you’ll learn about various roles in IT support that are common in healthcare. IT support staff play critical roles in many different healthcare venues. In addition to helping clinics, hospitals, and emergency rooms, you may end up providing support in a skilled nursing facility, ambulatory surgical center, virtual care setting, or even a patient’s home! On any given day, you may interact...
Top 10 most affordable universities for health informatics specialists
The most affordable schools for health informatics specialists are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - los angeles.
If the best universities for health informatics 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 health informatics specialists.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
7. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
10. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for health informatics specialists
The hardest universities for health informatics specialists to get into are Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for health informatics 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 health informatics 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. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for health informatics specialists
The easiest schools for health informatics specialists to get into are D'Youville College, barry university, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a health informatics 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 health informatics specialists.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
5. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
6. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
7. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
8. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
10. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
Average health informatics specialist salary by education level
| Health informatics specialist education level | Health informatics specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $103,397 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $93,513 |
| Doctorate Degree | $101,743 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $81,996 |
Health informatics specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025