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Best MHA Programs in
California for 2024: Online & Campus

Discover top grad schools in California for earning your MHA degree and see how they can help you take the next step in your healthcare management career.

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The healthcare management field is experiencing tremendous growth. That’s especially true in California where over 18,300 new positions are expected to be created over the next decade — and that’s in addition to openings from turnover in current jobs. Whether you already work in healthcare administration and are looking to move up the ladder or want to pivot to a different field, earning your master’s in healthcare administration (MHA) can help you achieve your next career move.

This guide offers a comprehensive look at online and on-campus MHA programs in California. It includes a list of the best programs and many useful resources, information, and advice to help you succeed in an MHA program and as a professional in the healthcare management field. Keep reading to start your path towards earning your MHA by seeing which two schools in California topped our list of the best for the ’23-’24 academic year:

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About the ranking

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Base Methodology for EduMed’s Best Online College Rankings for the ’23-’24 school year.

One: Create list of Eligible Schools and Programs

To be eligible, schools were required to meet the following criteria based on data pulled from The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), which was self-reported by the schools themselves.

  • Institutional accreditation from an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
  • At least 1 online component in a program within the ranking-subject area.

Two: Assign Weighting

After creating the list of eligible schools, EduMed data scientists assigned weights and ranked schools based on a mix of metrics, which were all self-reported by the schools themselves to the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.

The metrics are listed below in order of most- to least-heavily weighted.

Online Programs – Number of online programs in the relevant subject area.

Online Student % – Number of total students who are enrolled in at least 1 distance-learning course in the relevant subject area.

Tuition – The average in-state tuition for undergraduate students studying full-time, as self-reported by the school.

Academic Counseling – Existence of this service on campus or online.

Career Placement Services – Existence of this service on campus or online.

Student/Faculty Ratio

About Our DataEduMed’s rankings use the latest official data available from The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Most recent data pull: July 2023

# School Name Type Tuition Online Programs More Details School Information Online Students Academic Counseling Career Placement Students w/Institutional Aid Median Earnings 10yrs After Entry Accreditation
1 West Coast University-Orange CountyAnaheim, CA Private for-profit $ 1

The online Master of Health Administration program at West Coast University offers students a foundational education in the core areas of management with a focus on the healthcare industry, several tracks in which they can specialize, a flexible online format, and extensive resources. Students can complete the program in as few as 8 months or as many as 20, according to their schedules and obligations. Specializations include Informatics, Organizational Leadership, Project Management, and Public Health.

Program Highlights:

Master of Health Administration

  • Credits: 30
  • Length: 8-20 months
  • Cost: $750/credit
  • Mode: Online
  • Accreditation: WSCUC
Academic
Counseling
Yes
Career
Placement
Yes
Student/
Faculty Ratio
20/1
Online
Student %
100%
2 California State University-East BayHayward, CA Public $ 1

Cal State East Bay offers an online MS in Health Care Administration program designed to provide students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed professionally. Students study concepts in organizational design as well as new models of health care delivery. This program is best suited for students who already have at least a couple years of work experience in the health care field and who aspire to work in positions of leadership and/or management.

Program Highlights:

Master of Science in Health Care Administration

  • Credits: 34
  • Length: varies
  • Cost: $527/credit
  • Mode: Online
  • Accreditation: Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
Academic
Counseling
Yes
Career
Placement
Yes
Student/
Faculty Ratio
24/1
Online
Student %
65%

Spotlight: Popular MHA Program in California

Below, we’ve spotlighted a popular MHA program in California to provide you with a good idea of what to expect when searching for the best program fit for you.

California State University Long Beach

California State University Long Beach offers two program options for healthcare administration master’s students. The campus-based Master of Science in Health Care Administration (Traditional) program is designed for beginning healthcare professionals and new undergraduates intending managerial careers in the healthcare industry. The 45-credit curriculum includes core coursework in essential management functions and critical aspects of U.S. healthcare systems along with electives in specialized healthcare subjects and related academic disciplines. The program has both full-time and part-time options, and most students complete their studies in two to three years.

The cohort-formatted Master of Science in Health Care Administration (Accelerated) program is designed for experienced healthcare professionals seeking to advance their careers into management and administration positions. The accelerated program combines online and in-person weekend courses presented in a specific course sequence that allows students to earn their degrees in two years. Admission into the accelerated program requires a minimum of five years of work experience in the healthcare industry.

Both program options are programmatically accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME).

University of California Los Angeles

The Online Master of Healthcare Administration program offered by the prestigious Fielding School of Public Health at the University of California Los Angeles is designed to prepare current healthcare professionals to lead healthcare organizations by developing skills in areas like management, marketing, finance, and analytics. The 66-unit curriculum combines asynchronous online components (e.g., readings, video lectures, etc.) with weekly one-hour, online live sessions with peers and faculty. Students also participate in on-campus immersion experiences and a capstone field project. Full-time students can complete the degree in as little as two years. Part-time study is also available.

UCLA’s MHA program costs $59,400, making it more expensive than most public university MHA programs but less expensive than some private school programs. External scholarships and other financial aid opportunities are available to most students to help mitigate program costs.

Admission into UCLA’s Online MHA program requires a bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited college or university comparable in content and standard to a University of California bachelor’s degree. Other requirements include a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 and three years of professional experience in the healthcare field.

Frequently Asked Questions About MHA Programs in California

What knowledge and skills do you learn in MHA programs in California?

In an MHA program in California, students acquire the skills and competencies necessary to lead healthcare teams and oversee administration efforts in hospitals, private practices, and other healthcare settings. Specific ways students grow in these programs include:

  • Professionalism and ethical standards.
  • Knowledge of the history and current environment of the healthcare industry, particularly in California.
  • Knowledge and skills in budgeting, finances, and business management.
  • Human resource management skills.
  • Written and oral communications skills.
  • Analytical skills leading to effective decision-making, greater operations efficiency, and better health outcomes.

Are there CAHME-accredited online MHA programs in California?

There are three MHA programs in California accredited by the CAHME that feature online study: Cal State Long Beach’s partially-online Accelerated MS in Healthcare Administration, USC’s partially-online Executive MHA, and Concordia University’s fully-online MHA.

What are the admissions requirements for MHA programs in California?

Specific admissions requirements for MHA programs in California vary from program to program. However, you can expect most programs to include requirements similar to the following:

  • A bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited college or university with a stated cumulative minimum GPA, commonly 3.0 with exceptions like Cal State East Bay’s 2.5 minimum requirement.
  • Work experience in the healthcare field. Anywhere from two to five years is not uncommon. Some programs, like Cal State Long Beach’s Traditional MHA, have no work experience requirement.
  • GRE/GMAT scores are sometimes required, though there is a trend away from this requirement for MHA programs.

Additional application requirements typically include a current resume or CV, letters of recommendation, and personal statements and/or statements of purpose, but vary by institution.

How long do MHA programs in California take to complete?

Specific admissions requirements for MHA programs in California vary from program to program. However, you can expect most programs to include requirements similar to the following:

  • A bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited college or university with a stated cumulative minimum GPA, commonly 3.0 with exceptions like Cal State East Bay’s 2.5 minimum requirement.
  • Work experience in the healthcare field. Anywhere from two to five years is not uncommon. Some programs, like Cal State Long Beach’s Traditional MHA, have no work experience requirement.
  • GRE/GMAT scores are sometimes required, though there is a trend away from this requirement for MHA programs.

Additional application requirements typically include a current resume or CV, letters of recommendation, and personal statements and/or statements of purpose.

How long do MHA programs in California take to complete?

Most MHA programs in California can be completed with two to three years of full-time study. Two-year, full-time programs are the most common. Examples include the Cal State East Bay and UCLA MHA programs spotlighted above. The University of California San Francisco’s program, which can be completed in as few as 12 months, is one exception to this typical length.

Part-time students should expect to make a three to four-year commitment to complete their programs. Possibly the most flexible program in California, in terms of length, is the MHA program at Loma Linda University, which offers two, three, and four-year completion time options as well as a one-year option for clinical students studying in the medical, dental, pharmacy, or other clinical fields.

How much do California MHA programs cost?

Price tags for MHA programs in California vary substantially. The schools below provide an idea of the full range of program costs for California MHA programs. Usually, the lowest cost programs are those houses in public universities, such as the universities in the California State University system. Several primary factors impact cost, including whether the program is offered by a public or private institution, the prestige of the program or school, and whether it’s full-time or part-time.

Concordia University Irvine

Master of Healthcare Administration

Total Credits: 40

$615/credit

University of California San Francisco

Master of Science in Healthcare Administration and Interprofessional Leadership

Total Credits: 36

$1,614/credit

University of Southern California

Executive Master of Health Administration Online

Total Credits: 36

$2,602/credit

Can I get financial aid to help pay for my MHA program in California?

To help offset tuition costs, there are several types of financial aid available for MHA programs in California. These include scholarships, grants, veteran’s benefits, and employer tuition reimbursement programs. There are also student loans like those available from the federal government. Many schools, like Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles, also offer scholarships and other funding opportunities exclusively for their healthcare administration students.

Regardless of your financial situation, it is always worth contacting your school’s financial aid office to ask about available funding opportunities. For more information on funding your MHA program, visit EduMed’s list of healthcare administration scholarships and guide to financial aid.

Inside Look at Online MHA Programs in California

Several online MHA online programs in California feature fully online coursework, including those at Concordia University Irvine and California Baptist University, while others feature a mix of online and on-campus components. Cal State Long Beach, for example, offers an accelerated program that combines online coursework with weekend classes at their main campus, and UCLA’s Online MHA program mixes asynchronous elements with live synchronous class sessions. Many online programs, such as the one through UCSF, also include multiple two-day on-campus immersion sessions and/or culminating capstone projects that integrate work experiences at a student’s current place of employment.

Before you enroll, have a clear understanding of which parts of a program are completed online and which aren’t. The substance of your studies – subjects covered and competencies gained – is the same regardless of whether a program is entirely online, entirely on-campus, or hybrid.

Earnings and Job Outlook for MHA Graduates in California

Regardless of which program you choose, knowing what to expect from the job market after you graduate is important. Below are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about earnings and job outlook for MHA graduates in California.

Are healthcare managers with an MHA degree in high demand in California?

Healthcare administration for professionals working in California and throughout the nation is one of the hottest career fields and is expected to remain so for many years. As the U.S. Department of Labor figures below indicate, job growth for medical and health service managers, including healthcare administrators, is expected to increase by more than 30% in the U.S. overall and 35% in California through 2030. Compare that to job growth estimates of 9% for all other management occupations and 8% for all occupations combined for the same period.

Job Outlook for Medical and Health Services Managers in California (2020-2030)

New JobsJob Growth RateAvg. Annual Openings
California18,30035.5%6,430
United States139,60032.5%51,800

Source: Projections Central

How much do healthcare managers with an MHA make in California?

For a professional occupation in such high demand, salaries of healthcare administrators are robust in the U.S. generally and in California specifically. This is evidenced by the most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics salary estimates for medical and health services managers presented in the chart below. Salaries for healthcare managers in California are slightly higher but in line with those in the nation overall. The exception is for median salaries, which are nearly 20% higher in California compared to the nation overall.

What you’ll earn as a graduate of an MHA program in California depends on a combination of factors, including your specific employer, job title, geographic location, and level of professional experience in the healthcare field. Review the chart below to learn more about what you can expect to earn in your area.

Annual Earnings for Medical and Health Services Managers in California

Location 10th Percentile Median 90th Percentile

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2021

Additional Resources for MHA Students in California

EduMed’s guide for finding and landing valuable scholarships to help you pay for your healthcare administration master’s degree includes descriptions of many school-based and external scholarships, advice on how to make your scholarship application stand out, and information on additional financial aid opportunities.

The WHA is a nonprofit professional organization with more than 200 members employed in leadership positions with health care providers, payers, support services organizations, and regulatory agencies throughout Southern California. WHA activities and services include educational and professional development forums, networking opportunities, and an annual scholarship for health administration graduate students.

This association for southern California health care professionals specializing in communications-related disciplines like public relations, business development, investor relations, community relations, and public affairs is an affiliated chapter of the Society for Health Care Strategy & Market Development.

The ACHE is a professional association of healthcare managers and administrators dedicated to healthcare leadership excellence. There are three ACHE-affiliated chapters located in California: the San Diego Organization of Healthcare Leaders represents professionals in San Diego and Imperial counties, the ACHE of Southern California represents professionals in all other So Cal counties, and the California Association of Healthcare Leaders represents professionals in the Northern and Central California Regions.

The UPD is a national honor society dedicated to academic excellence in the study of health care management. There are currently five California schools with UPD chapters: Cal State Chico, Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Northridge, UCLA, and USC.