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Patient relations director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a patient relations director. Patient relations directors usually study nursing, business, or psychology. 55% of patient relations directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,333 real patient relations director resumes to see exactly what patient relations director education sections show.
The most common colleges for patient relations directors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online patient relations director courses to help get the education required to be a patient relations director.
There are certain patient relations director certifications that you should consider. These patient relations director certifications include Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM) and Certified Healthcare Access Manager (CHAM).
What education do you need to become a patient relations director?
What degree do you need to be a patient relations director?
- Bachelor's, 55%
- Master's, 18%
- Associate, 18%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a patient relations director?
- Nursing, 42%
- Business, 21%
- Psychology, 5%
- Management, 5%
- Other Majors, 27%
Most common colleges for patient relations directors
| Patient relations director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 21.53% |
| New York University | 9.03% |
| University of Massachusetts Boston | 6.25% |
| University of Pittsburgh | 5.56% |
| Texas State University | 4.86% |
Best majors for patient relations directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nursing | 41.6% |
| 2 | Business | 21.3% |
| 3 | Psychology | 5.0% |
| 4 | Management | 4.8% |
| 5 | Health Care Administration | 4.5% |
Best colleges for patient relations directors
The best colleges for patient relations directors are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Duke University.
A patient relations director 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 directors. 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 directors.
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. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
7. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
9. University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,700
Enrollment
29,722
10. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
20 best online courses for patient relations directors
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Welcome to the final course of lectures in your quest to master EMT basics. In this course, we will cover some of the highest-stress patient populations: pregnant patients and kids, also known as pediatrics. To wrap up your EMT knowledge we will end this course with information about hazmat situations, extricating patients from tight spots and finally how you write a note about your patient care. You will learn to ensure it communicates what your assessment of the patient was, what...
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6. Intro to Improving the Patient Experience Through Analytics
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8. Medical Emergencies: Airway, Breathing, and Circulation
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9. Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers
This course is designed with a singular goal: to improve the care you provide to your patients with substance use disorders. By delving into a model case performed by actors, seven Yale instructors from various fields provide techniques to screen your patients for substance use disorder risk, diagnose patients to gauge the severity of their use, directly manage treatment plans, refer out to treatment services, and navigate the various conditions that may limit your patient’s access to treatment...
10. Medical Emergencies: CPR, Toxicology, and Wilderness
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13. Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative
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14. Palliative Care Always Capstone Course
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Top 10 most affordable universities for patient relations directors
The most affordable schools for patient relations directors are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for patient relations directors 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 directors.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
10. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for patient relations directors
The hardest universities for patient relations directors to get into are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Duke University.
Some great schools for patient relations directors 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 directors 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
7. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for patient relations directors
The easiest schools for patient relations directors to get into are D'Youville College, mount saint mary's university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a patient relations director 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 directors.
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. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
5. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
9. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
10. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
Average patient relations director salary by education level
| Patient relations director education level | Patient relations director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $115,610 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $100,932 |
| Doctorate Degree | $137,764 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $90,488 |
Patient relations director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025