Most Popular Online Healthcare Degree Programs

According to National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) data from the 2018-2019 school year, health professions was the second-most popular undergraduate major. That year, approximately 251,400 students earned bachelor’s degrees in health professions fields, including nursing, health informatics, healthcare administration, and public health. This means that 12% of all bachelor’s degrees awarded that year were in healthcare.

Bachelor’s in healthcare programs are popular for many reasons. They usually lead to careers that are both personally and financially rewarding. Healthcare professionals can use their skills to help others for a living while also earning high salaries.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as of May 2021, healthcare workers earned a median annual wage of $75,040, which eclipsed the median annual wage for all careers by approximately $30,000. Between 2020 and 2030, the BLS projects 16% job growth for healthcare careers, double the average projected growth rate for all careers during that period.

Read on to learn more about where an online bachelor’s in healthcare can lead you, including admission requirements, courses, and careers.

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Like most online bachelor’s programs, the typical online bachelor’s in healthcare curriculum requires 120 credits of coursework, which full-time students can usually complete over the course of four years. Practice-focused healthcare programs often include some sort of practicum or internship experience to provide future healthcare practitioners with practical experience in their chosen field. Many programs also include lab-based science courses.

Detail-oriented, compassionate, and hard-working students often thrive in bachelor’s in healthcare programs. It also helps if you have an aptitude for science. No matter your natural traits, you can gain the hard skills and knowledge you need to succeed in the healthcare field if you focus over the course of your bachelor’s program.

There are many healthcare fields in which you can pursue bachelor’s degrees, including the following:

There are several factors that prospective students can look at to evaluate the popularity of a given program. Before making a decision, learners can research enrollment statistics, job placement data, and graduation rates. They can also seek out testimonials from program alumni and currently enrolled students, either through LinkedIn or through the school’s website.

Prospective students can also consider name recognition as an indicator of popularity. While name brand does not always translate to popularity, it’s a good indicator of how well-known the school is, which means that more accepted applicants are likely to enroll.

Most healthcare programs include a course in medical terminology during the first couple of semesters. Students learn the basics of prefixes and word roots so that they can communicate effectively with doctors, nurses, and administrators.

In this introductory course, students learn how to design research experiments and collect data in studies that involve human subjects. Covered topics often include research ethics and hypothesis testing.

This survey course covers introductory concepts in public health. Possible covered topics include the history and philosophy of public health, and coursework often involves case studies.

No matter the occupation, healthcare professionals need a strong understanding of the legal aspects of their careers. This course covers HIPAA and various ethical issues they might encounter.

Many healthcare programs culminate in some sort of fieldwork or practicum, allowing learners to gain practical experience in the field they will enter upon graduation.

Healthcare is a very popular major for good reason. Healthcare professionals earn high salaries while also making a difference in the lives of patients. According to the BLS, healthcare professionals earned a median annual wage of $75,040 as of May 2021, which was almost $30,000 more than the median annual salary for all careers. Furthermore, between 2020 and 2030, the BLS projects 16% job growth for healthcare careers, double the projected growth rate for all occupations during that decade.

There are many lucrative positions with high growth potential that graduates can pursue with a bachelor’s degree in healthcare. If you graduate from a popular program, your school’s name recognition may also help you get your foot in the door with potential employers.

Many healthcare degree programs are specific to certain careers in the industry. For example, nurses, dental hygienists, and medical coders all fall under the umbrella of healthcare, but each of these careers has unique degree programs and licensing requirements. See where a bachelor’s in healthcare can take you. Learn more about healthcare careers.

These professionals perform administrative tasks specifically for medical offices. Common tasks for medical secretaries include scheduling appointments, billing and corresponding with patients, and organizing medical charts and materials. They may work in a variety of medical settings including hospitals, nursing homes, community clinics, and dental offices.

Median Annual Salary (May 2021): $37,450

Clinical laboratory technicians and technologists perform laboratory support functions like collecting samples and performing tests. Most of these professionals work in hospitals, physicians’ offices, and diagnostic or research laboratories. Job candidates need a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.

Median Annual Salary (May 2021): $57,800

Dietitians and nutritionists provide nutritional services, meal plans, and educational workshops to help individuals and communities live healthy lives. They can work in cafeterias, nursing homes, healthcare clinics, and government agencies. Job candidates need a bachelor’s degree, and in many states, these professionals must earn a state-issued license before they can practice.

Median Annual Salary (May 2021): $61,650

Most hospitals and medical offices have to keep track of a great number of medical records and data. These professionals use medical and data science knowledge to organize and manage health information. Health information specialists commonly work in medical settings, but often have limited contact with patients.

Median Annual Salary (May 2021): $45,240

These professionals, also known as healthcare administrators, run day-to-day business operations for healthcare facilities and companies. They generally need a bachelor’s degree and some relevant experience, although some companies prefer to hire candidates who hold master’s degrees.

Median Annual Salary (May 2021): $101,340

While there are plenty of available entry-level career opportunities for healthcare majors, it is relatively common for bachelor’s degree-holders in healthcare to pursue further education. A master’s degree in healthcare can open the door to advanced practice roles, such as hospital administrator. An advanced degree can also make you more competitive for medical and health services manager roles.

Many professionals, including nurses and some dietitians, must complete a given number of continuing education hours during a certain period to renew their state-issued licenses. As such, continuing education is very common across the healthcare field.

It depends. Popular online bachelor’s programs aren’t necessarily more difficult to get into than less popular online bachelor’s programs. While popular programs generally enroll more students than less popular programs, they don’t always maintain stricter admission requirements. Each school maintains unique requirements and admits a different percentage of students, so check each school’s website for the most up-to-date information.

For undergraduate programs, admission sometimes depends on the school and not the specific program, so check each school’s selectivity rate to determine how difficult it is to get into.

During the 2018-2019 academic year, the NCES conducted a study to find the most popular college majors among undergraduate students. Here is the top 10 list:

How you should go about choosing an online program depends on your individual goals and circumstances. If you want a school with name recognition, you should consider a program’s popularity. You should also consider factors like cost, delivery method (synchronous or asynchronous), location, student services, and accreditation.

To determine which factors are most important to you, consider your learning style, your financial means, and your other commitments. For example, if you work or raise a family full time, you should research online programs that offer part-time enrollment and deliver coursework asynchronously.

The most popular online programs aren’t necessarily also the highest quality. Popular programs provide several advantages, including name recognition and the support of a larger peer group; however, there isn’t necessarily any correlation between popularity and academic quality.

Less popular programs often offer smaller class sizes and increased interaction with and attention from professors. Consider what you value the most when considering whether you would prefer a popular program or a less popular program.

Finding a job after graduation can seem daunting, but with an online bachelor’s in healthcare in hand, you should have plenty of options. Depending on your specific major, possible job titles may include dietitian, nutritionist, medical and health services manager, clinical lab technician, and exercise physiologist.

Bachelor’s degree-holders in healthcare can also consider applying to master’s programs in fields like nursing and healthcare administration. Advanced degrees in these fields can lead to more lucrative positions with increased responsibility.

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