Healthcare Administration major
Healthcare Administration: courses, careers, and where to study
Healthcare Administration prepares graduates to manage the business side of hospitals, clinics, and health systems, combining health-policy knowledge with management, finance, and operations.
A Healthcare Administration major (often titled Health Administration, Health Services Administration, or Healthcare Management) covers the operational, financial, legal, and policy side of delivering care. Coursework typically blends a business core, accounting, finance, management, operations, with health-specific subjects like healthcare economics, the U.S. health system, medical terminology, health law and ethics, and quality and patient-safety management. Most programs are offered as a bachelor's degree and include an internship or administrative residency in a clinical or insurance setting.
Graduates manage the parts of healthcare that keep it running: scheduling and staffing, budgets and billing, regulatory compliance, electronic health records, and facility operations. Entry-level roles are usually in department or practice administration, with many practitioners later earning a Master of Health Administration (MHA) or MBA for senior leadership. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of medical and health services managers to grow 23.2% from 2024 to 2034, with a 2024 median wage of $117,960 (the median reflects all experience levels, not a starting wage).
The major suits students who want a healthcare career without a clinical or licensure-bound role, and it pairs naturally with coursework in business, public health, or information systems.
What you'll study
- U.S. healthcare system structure, payers, and reimbursement (Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance)
- Healthcare finance, budgeting, and medical billing and coding fundamentals
- Health law, regulatory compliance (HIPAA), and medical ethics
- Operations and quality management, patient safety, and process improvement
- Health information systems and electronic health records (EHR)
- Human-resource management and staffing in clinical settings
- Healthcare economics and health policy analysis
- Administrative internship or supervised residency in a healthcare organization
Typical careers
- Medical and Health Services Manager
- Practice / Clinic Administrator
- Hospital Department Manager
- Health Information Manager
- Health Insurance / Claims Operations Specialist
- Healthcare Operations Analyst
Typical salary range: BLS, 2024 medical and health services managers median $117,960 (across all experience levels, not a starting wage)Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
Before you commit to a Healthcare Administration major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Healthcare Administration program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Healthcare Administration department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Healthcare Administration program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges that offer Healthcare Administration programs. Filter by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Healthcare Administration by state
- Healthcare Administration in California
- Healthcare Administration in Florida
- Healthcare Administration in Georgia
- Healthcare Administration in Illinois
- Healthcare Administration in Maryland
- Healthcare Administration in Massachusetts
- Healthcare Administration in New York
- Healthcare Administration in North Carolina
- Healthcare Administration in Pennsylvania
- Healthcare Administration in Texas
Related majors
Health Sciences
Health Sciences is a broad pre-professional major for students preparing for medical, dental, PA, PT, or pharmacy school, combining biology, chemistry, and patient-care exposure.
Public Health
Public Health studies how to prevent disease and protect population health, suiting students who want to improve community well-being through data, policy, and programs rather than treating patients.
Business Administration
Business Administration is the most popular U.S. major, a broad foundation in accounting, finance, marketing, management, and economics that prepares graduates for nearly any industry.
Human Resource Management
Human Resource Management studies how organizations hire, develop, pay, and retain people, a business major suited to students who want to work at the intersection of people and operations.
Nursing
Nursing prepares graduates for the NCLEX-RN licensure exam and careers as Registered Nurses, combining biomedical sciences with clinical rotations across hospital units.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.