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Health information technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a health information technician. Health information technicians usually study health care administration, computer information systems, or business. 41% of health information technicians hold a associate degree, and 27% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 4,235 real health information technician resumes to see exactly what health information technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for health information technicians are the DeVry University and the DeVry University.
There are also many online health information technician courses to help get the education required to be a health information technician.
There are certain health information technician certifications that you should consider. These health information technician certifications include Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) and Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT).
What education do you need to become a health information technician?
What degree do you need to be a health information technician?
- Associate, 41%
- Bachelor's, 27%
- High School Diploma, 14%
- Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 11%
What should I major in to become a health information technician?
- Business, 12%
- Other Majors, 40%
Most common colleges for health information technicians
| Health information technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| DeVry University | 24.28% |
| University of Phoenix | 17.39% |
| Davenport University | 5.07% |
| Monroe College | 3.99% |
| Texas State University | 3.99% |
Best majors for health information technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care Administration | 31.0% |
| 2 | Computer Information Systems | 12.2% |
| 3 | Business | 12.0% |
| 4 | Information Technology | 4.8% |
| 5 | Nursing | 4.7% |
Best colleges for health information technicians
The best colleges for health information technicians are University of Southern California, Johns Hopkins University, and New York University.
A health information technician 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 information technicians. 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 information technicians.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
4. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
5. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
6. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
9. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Enrollment
2,120
10. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
20 best online courses for health information technicians
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1. 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...
2. 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...
3. Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist
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An Introduction to Health Data for data analysts...
5. 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...
6. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale
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...
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9. 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...
10. Information Systems Auditing, Controls and Assurance
The course is awarded The Best Free Online Courses of All Time, and Best Online Courses of the Year (2021 Edition) by Class Central (http://www.classcentral.com). --- Information systems (IS) are important assets to business organizations and are ubiquitous in our daily lives. With the latest IS technologies emerging, such as Big Data, FinTech, Virtual Banks, there are more concerns from the public on how organizations maintain systems’ integrity, such as data privacy, information security, the...
11. Health Coaching Certification Holistic Wellness Health Coach
Health Coaching Practitioner Course Graduates Prepared Health Coaching Specialists in Holistic Wellness Health Coaching...
12. ISO/IEC 27001:2022. Information Security Management System
Learn how your company can protect its information with an ISMS that meets the requirements of ISO/IEC 27001...
13. Medical Emergencies: Airway, Breathing, and Circulation
In this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to assess and stabilize certain types of patients for transport. By the end of this course, you will be able to: 1) assess a basic medical patient 2) describe general pharmacologic principles and the skills associated with medication administration, 3) explain airway physiology, the assessment of the airway and available interventions for airway management, 4) identify, assess and formulate a plan to stabilize a patient with a...
14. 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...
15. ISO 45001. Occupational health & safety management system
Upgrate your health and safety career by understanding the requriements for an OH & S management system from ISO 45001...
16. Complete Health and Safety Auditor Course. OHSAS 18001.
How to implement and audit a health & safety management system and obtain certification to OHSAS 18001 Standard...
17. Introduction to Digital health
This course introduces the field of digital health and the key concepts and definitions in this emerging field. The key topics include Learning Health Systems and Electronic Health Records and various types of digital health technologies to include mobile applications, wearable technologies, health information systems, telehealth, telemedicine, machine learning, artificial intelligence and big data. These technologies are assessed in terms of the key opportunities and challenges to their use...
18. Health Coaching Conversations
Are you a healthcare practitioner or student in a healthcare field? Do you want to learn how to have more empowering conversations with your patients and support them to take control of their own health and wellbeing? Are you looking for a course to start learning these skills that also fits with your busy life? If so, this is the course for you! In this course, you will become much more familiar with some key health coaching principles and skills, and will be equipped to start applying these...
19. Understanding HIPAA for the Medical Office
A healthcare professional's guide to understanding the requirements HIPAA...
20. Comparative Health Systems
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...
Top 10 most affordable universities for health information technicians
The most affordable schools for health information technicians are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and florida international university.
If the best universities for health information technicians 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 information technicians.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
4. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for health information technicians
The hardest universities for health information technicians to get into are University of Southern California, Johns Hopkins University, and New York University.
Some great schools for health information technicians 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 information technicians 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 Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
2. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
10. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for health information technicians
The easiest schools for health information technicians to get into are D'Youville College, ottawa university, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a health information technician 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 information technicians.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
6. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
7. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
8. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
9. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
10. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
Average health information technician salary by education level
| Health information technician education level | Health information technician salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $41,354 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $33,060 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $37,304 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $35,682 |
Health information technician 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