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Medical records clerk education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a medical records clerk. Medical records clerks usually study health care administration, business, or medical assisting services. 29% of medical records clerks hold a associate degree, and 25% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 59,745 real medical records clerk resumes to see exactly what medical records clerk education sections show.
The most common colleges for medical records clerks are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online medical records clerk courses to help get the education required to be a medical records clerk.
There are certain medical records clerk certifications that you should consider. These medical records clerk certifications include Medical Assistant and Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA).
What education do you need to become a medical records clerk?
What degree do you need to be a medical records clerk?
- Associate, 29%
- Bachelor's, 25%
- High School Diploma, 23%
- Diploma, 11%
- Other Degrees, 12%
What should I major in to become a medical records clerk?
Most common colleges for medical records clerks
| Medical records clerk common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 24.69% |
| DeVry University | 10.17% |
| Remington College | 5.76% |
| Monroe College | 4.82% |
| Concorde Career College | 4.62% |
Best majors for medical records clerks
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care Administration | 23.6% |
| 2 | Business | 17.9% |
| 3 | Medical Assisting Services | 8.0% |
| 4 | Nursing | 6.6% |
| 5 | General Studies | 5.9% |
Best colleges for medical records clerks
The best colleges for medical records clerks are Northwestern University, New York University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A medical records clerk with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for medical records clerks. 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 medical records clerks.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
3. Maria College of Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$15,140
Enrollment
876
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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
8. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
20 best online courses for medical records clerks
Advertising disclosure
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This specialization is intended for anybody that is interested in developing skills in medical language or preparing for further studies in the medical field. Learners will be able to identify common prefixes, suffixes, roots and abbreviations so they can recognize most medical terms used by medical professionals. Learners will also have an understanding of the structure of an electronic health record and extract vital information from it. Moreover, learners will gain basic knowledge of the...
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3. ICD 10 & 11 Medical Coding and Billing
Preparation for Medical Coding Certification Exam...
4. Speak Medical Spanish to Your Patients and Clients
Spanish essentials for healthcare; program teaches correct pronunciation, pain management and medication, among others...
5. 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...
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7. Medical Terminology
Introduction to the meaning of various roots, terms and combining forms that are components of medical words...
8. Internal audit on Medical Device QMS - ISO 13485:2016
Successfully conduct an internal audit based on requirements of ISO 13485:2016 for Medical Device Development and QMS...
9. A Specialty Approach to Learning Medical Billing and Coding
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10. Introduction to Medical Imaging
Your guide to the history, science, math, and economics of medical imaging systems (e.g., X-ray, CT, MRI, Ultrasound)...
11. Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist
Health Information Technology HIT...
12. Medical Coding: ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Training
Learn medical coding and prepare yourself for today's healthcare workplace...
13. Medical Terminology 101
For those in healthcare, billing, and more. Boost earning ability and marketable skills by learning to speak medicine...
14. Understanding HIPAA for the Medical Office
A healthcare professional's guide to understanding the requirements HIPAA...
15. AMCI Introduction to Medical Coding (I2MC) Course
Introduction to Medical Coding (I2MC) Course...
16. Medical Devices Quality Management System - ISO 13485:2016
Awareness and Application for the requirements of ISO 13485:2016 for Medical Device Development and QMS...
17. Medical Device Regulation 2017/745 EU regulatory affairs.
Understand regulations for medical devices in simple terms to gain market approval of a medical device in the EU...
18. Medical Device Regulation (MDR): Intro for Device Designers
An introduction to the EU's Medical Device Regulation (MDR) for those involved in developing medical devices...
19. ISO 13485 Demystified - Medical Devices' QMS 360° Insights
Deep dive into the world of ISO 13485 international standard for medical devices' QMS, basic concepts & requirements...
20. EU Medical Device Regulatory Affairs explained Simply
How to get approval to sell Medical Devices within the European Union. Understand regulatory affairs & ISO 13485 2016...
Top 10 most affordable universities for medical records clerks
The most affordable schools for medical records clerks are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for medical records clerks 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 medical records clerks.
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. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
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 medical records clerks
The hardest universities for medical records clerks to get into are Northwestern University, New York University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for medical records clerks 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 medical records clerks 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for medical records clerks
The easiest schools for medical records clerks to get into are AdventHealth University, d'youville college, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a medical records clerk 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 medical records clerks.
1. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
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. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
6. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
7. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
8. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
10. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
Average medical records clerk salary by education level
| Medical records clerk education level | Medical records clerk salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $37,438 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $31,333 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $34,492 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $33,293 |
Medical records clerk 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