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Patient access associate education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a patient access associate. Patient access associates usually study business, health care administration, or psychology. 40% of patient access associates hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,681 real patient access associate resumes to see exactly what patient access associate education sections show.
The most common colleges for patient access associates are the Monroe College and the Monroe College.
There are also many online patient access associate courses to help get the education required to be a patient access associate.
There are certain patient access associate certifications that you should consider. These patient access associate certifications include Certified Healthcare Access Associate (CHAA) and Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM).
What education do you need to become a patient access associate?
What degree do you need to be a patient access associate?
- Bachelor's, 40%
- Associate, 27%
- High School Diploma, 16%
- Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 11%
What should I major in to become a patient access associate?
- Business, 20%
- Psychology, 8%
- Nursing, 7%
- Other Majors, 48%
Most common colleges for patient access associates
| Patient access associate common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Monroe College | 17.14% |
| University of Phoenix | 12.14% |
| Western Michigan University | 7.14% |
| University of Cincinnati | 5.71% |
| Texas Tech University | 5.00% |
Best majors for patient access associates
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 20.5% |
| 2 | Health Care Administration | 16.7% |
| 3 | Psychology | 8.0% |
| 4 | Nursing | 7.0% |
| 5 | Liberal Arts | 5.9% |
Best colleges for patient access associates
The best colleges for patient access associates are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
A patient access associate with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for patient access associates. 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 patient access associates.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. Maria College of Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$15,140
Enrollment
876
8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
10. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
20 best online courses for patient access associates
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Top 10 most affordable universities for patient access associates
The most affordable schools for patient access associates are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for patient access associates 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 patient access associates.
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. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for patient access associates
The hardest universities for patient access associates to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for patient access associates 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 patient access associates 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
10. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for patient access associates
The easiest schools for patient access associates to get into are D'Youville College, mount saint mary's university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a patient access associate 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 patient access associates.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
8. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
Average patient access associate salary by education level
| Patient access associate education level | Patient access associate salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $44,047 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $34,907 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $41,802 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $36,665 |
Patient access associate education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025