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Patient relations coordinator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a patient relations coordinator. Patient relations coordinators usually study business, health care administration, or nursing. 51% of patient relations coordinators hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 919 real patient relations coordinator resumes to see exactly what patient relations coordinator education sections show.

The most common colleges for patient relations coordinators are the The University of Alabama and the The University of Alabama.

There are also many online patient relations coordinator courses to help get the education required to be a patient relations coordinator.

There are certain patient relations coordinator certifications that you should consider. These patient relations coordinator certifications include Dental Assistant (RDA) and Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA).

What education do you need to become a patient relations coordinator?

What degree do you need to be a patient relations coordinator?

The most common degree for patient relations coordinators is bachelor's degree, with 51% of patient relations coordinators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 17% and associate degree degree at 14%.
  • Bachelor's, 51%
  • Associate, 17%
  • High School Diploma, 14%
  • Master's, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 11%

What should I major in to become a patient relations coordinator?

You should major in business to become a patient relations coordinator. 22% of patient relations coordinators major in business. Other common majors for a patient relations coordinator include health care administration and nursing.

Most common colleges for patient relations coordinators

Patient relations coordinators often get their degrees at The University of Alabama, University of Phoenix, and University of Central Florida. Here are the most common colleges for patient relations coordinators in the US based on their resumes.
Patient relations coordinator common collegePercentages
The University of Alabama10.99%
University of Phoenix10.99%
University of Central Florida8.79%
Auburn University Main Campus6.59%
University of Alabama at Birmingham6.59%

Best majors for patient relations coordinators

RankMajorPercentages
1Business21.9%
2Health Care Administration10.4%
3Nursing9.1%
4Psychology9.1%
5Communication6.1%

Best colleges for patient relations coordinators

The best colleges for patient relations coordinators are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A patient relations coordinator 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 relations coordinators. 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 relations coordinators.

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 relations coordinators

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8. Intro to Improving the Patient Experience Through Analytics

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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 improving the patient experience and reducing pain points in healthcare processes through analytic and decision support frameworks. After learning about the problems facing patients in today's...

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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) Identify the signs and symptoms associated with a patient in shock, to describe the major categories of shock, to assess a patient with signs of shock and formulate a plan for treatment to stabilize the patient for transport, (2) Identify a patient in cardiac arrest and to describe the components of high performance CPR...

10. Engaging in Improving Patient Experience Through Analytics

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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. This is the second part in a two-part course exploring concepts and topics related to improving the patient experience and reducing pain points in healthcare processes through analytic and decision support frameworks. In this course, you will survey the kind of data that is used...

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Top 10 most affordable universities for patient relations coordinators

The most affordable schools for patient relations coordinators are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for patient relations coordinators 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 relations coordinators.

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 relations coordinators

The hardest universities for patient relations coordinators to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for patient relations coordinators 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 relations coordinators 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 relations coordinators

The easiest schools for patient relations coordinators 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 relations coordinator 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 relations coordinators.

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 relations coordinator salary by education level

Patient relations coordinators with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $51,963 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, patient relations coordinators earn a median annual income of $50,389 compared to $46,652 for patient relations coordinators with an Associate degree.
Patient relations coordinator education levelPatient relations coordinator salary
Master's Degree$51,963
High School Diploma or Less$45,324
Bachelor's Degree$50,389
Some College/ Associate Degree$46,652

Patient relations coordinator 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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