McHenry County College

Associate Degree in Health Information Management in Crystal Lake, IL

CAHIIM Initial Accreditation Campus Based, Online Enrollment: Active

Program information

Address: 8900 Us Hwy 14, Crystal Lake, IL, 60012
State: Illinois (IL)
Degree level: Associate Degree
Subject area: Health Information Management
Content delivery: Campus Based, Online
Program Director: Allison Minicz , RHIA, ODS-C
Phone: (815) 455-8713
Email: aminicz@mchenry.edu
Last accreditation date: 05/04/2018
Next review cycle: 2028-2029
Progress report status: Progress Report satisfactory and completed

What this means

McHenry County College is accredited and your degree counts.

Because McHenry County College holds Initial accreditation from CAHIIM, graduates of this associate degree are eligible to sit for AHIMA's RHIT (Registered Health Information Technician) exam. That eligibility is the whole reason CAHIIM accreditation matters: without a CAHIIM-accredited degree, the exam is closed to you.

"Initial Accreditation" means the program received CAHIIM accreditation recently and is on a shortened review cycle to confirm continued compliance. Graduates are fully eligible for AHIMA exams. The status simply signals a newer program.

The Illinois picture

Where McHenry County College sits among Illinois's 22 CAHIIM-accredited programs.

Illinois has 22 active CAHIIM-accredited programs, 15 of them at the associate degree level. 19 of the 22 offer online delivery, and this one is available online or on campus.

We score every Illinois program on a seven-factor methodology covering accreditation maturity, director credentials, pathways, delivery, employer pipeline, cost, and reputation. See how McHenry County College compares in our ranking of the best HIM programs in Illinois.

IL programs

At this level

Online capable

5,740

HIM jobs in IL

What the work pays

Medical records specialist pay in Illinois.

The occupation most RHIT-track graduates enter is Medical Records Specialist (SOC 29-2072). In Illinois the median is $56,440 a year, 10% above the national median. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Illinois

Median annual: $56,440
10th percentile: $38,890
90th percentile: $77,520
Employed: 5,740

National (for reference)

Median annual: $51,140
90th percentile: $81,150

Accreditation history

Recent CAHIIM actions on this program

May 2018

Grant ten years of Initial Accreditation with a Progress Report. The program remains non-compliant with the following Accreditation Standard: The following Standard is Partially Met: Standard 24. Curriculum. After review by the Program Director and faculty, the Curricular Findings Report has been upload with the changes/additions to meet the curricular competencies as flagged as 'PM' by the site survey team. All new assignments/activities/discussions will be implemented in the identified course

Source: CAHIIM Program Directory listing for McHenry County College. Refreshed quarterly.

FAQ

McHenry County College HIM program: common questions.

Is the McHenry County College health information management program CAHIIM-accredited?

Yes. The associate degree in Health Information Management at McHenry County College holds Initial accreditation from CAHIIM, most recently affirmed 05/04/2018, with its next review scheduled for the 2028-2029 cycle.

Does McHenry County College qualify me to sit for the RHIT exam?

Yes. Graduating from this CAHIIM-accredited associate degree makes you eligible for AHIMA's RHIT (Registered Health Information Technician) exam. CAHIIM accreditation is the eligibility gate; without it the exam is not available to you.

Is the McHenry County College program online?

Partly. CAHIIM lists delivery as Campus Based, Online, so you can take it on campus in Crystal Lake or online.

What do medical records specialists earn in Illinois?

Medical records specialists in the Illinois earn a median of $56,440 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025), 10% above the national median. The national median is $51,140.

How many CAHIIM-accredited programs are in Illinois?

Illinois has 22 active CAHIIM-accredited programs, 15 at the associate degree level. 19 of them offer online delivery. See our full Illinois ranking for how they compare.

Keep going

Next steps.

Best HIM programs in Illinois, ranked

How McHenry County College stacks up on our seven-factor methodology.

Associate degree in HIM guide

Curriculum, cost, and what the degree actually gets you.

RHIT certification guide

The exam this degree qualifies you for: structure, prep, wage impact.

Also in Illinois

Other CAHIIM-accredited programs in Illinois

Same degree level

Other associate degree programs in health information management

Data on this page is sourced from the official CAHIIM Program Directory listing for McHenry County College, last refreshed May 13, 2026, and BLS OEWS May 2025. Accreditation status can change between refreshes. Always verify directly with CAHIIM before enrolling.