Colorado / Health information management programs

Best CAHIIM-accredited health information management programs in Colorado, ranked (2026)

Colorado has 3 CAHIIM-accredited HIM programs, all at the associate level. We score every program on our seven-factor methodology. Top: Front Range Community College's AAS, scoring 86/100.

Taylor Rupe, founder of healthinformationmanagementprograms.com

by , founder & editor

updated

Colorado
3

Programs ranked

86

Top score

$59K

CO median HIM wage

1,780

HIM jobs in CO

Key Takeaways

  • Front Range Community College AAS ranks #1 in Colorado (86/100). Westminster, north Denver metro. Continuing CAHIIM with the longest review cycle in CO (next review 2031-2032). Campus-based and online delivery.
  • Colorado has 3 active CAHIIM-accredited programs, all at the associate level. No CAHIIM-accredited BS or MS currently in CO. Front Range CC (Westminster), Arapahoe CC (Littleton), Pueblo CC (Pueblo).
  • Median HIM salary in Colorado is 59,020 per BLS OEWS May 2025, above the national median of 51,140. 90th pct 82,980. 1,780 working in this occupation.
  • UCHealth is Colorado's largest system (~30,000 employees, 14 hospitals) anchored by University of Colorado Hospital on the Anschutz Medical Campus and Memorial Hospital (Colorado Springs).
  • Centura Health restructured in 2023. CommonSpirit retained the Catholic / CHI hospitals (St. Anthony, Penrose-St. Francis), and AdventHealth took the Seventh-day Adventist hospitals (Avista, Castle Rock, Littleton, Parker, Porter).
  • HCA HealthONE is the largest for-profit network in metro Denver: 7+ hospitals including Swedish, Sky Ridge, Rose, Presbyterian/St. Luke's, and North Suburban.
  • Contexture is CO's regional HIE, formed by the 2021 merger of CORHIO (CO) and Health Current (AZ). Serves ~1,800 healthcare organizations across both states.
  • Colorado does not license HIM professionals at the state level. AHIMA credentials (RHIT, RHIA, CCS) function as the de facto standard. CHIMA is the Colorado AHIMA component.

How we ranked

Our ranking methodology in one paragraph.

Every program is CAHIIM-accredited. We score each one 0-10 on seven factors: CAHIIM accreditation maturity (25%), program director credentials (15%), degree-level pathways (15%), delivery flexibility (15%), employer pipeline (15%), cost-effectiveness (10%), institutional reputation (5%).

Read the full methodology →

The ranked programs

The 3 CAHIIM-accredited HIM programs in Colorado, ranked.

RankInstitutionDegreeCityScoreCAHIIM
#1 Front Range Community College AAS Westminster 86/100 Continuing
#2 Arapahoe Community College AAS Littleton 80.5/100 Continuing
#3 Pueblo Community College AAS Pueblo 69.5/100 Initial
#1
86/100

Overall score

Front Range Community College

Best metro Denver AAS (UCHealth + HealthONE + AdventHealth corridor)

AAS Westminster, CO Campus Based, Online CAHIIM Continuing Next Review 2031-2032

Why it ranks #1

Front Range Community College AAS in Westminster (north Denver metro). Director Andrea Graves holds RHIA. Continuing CAHIIM, next review 2031-2032 (the longest review cycle in CO, indicating a recent strong reaccreditation). Both campus-based and online delivery. FRCC sits inside the densest Denver metro employer corridor: UCHealth (~30,000 employees), HCA HealthONE, AdventHealth Colorado, and CommonSpirit's former Centura facilities. Strong RHIT-eligible pathway from the Colorado Community College System.

Program Director

Andrea Graves , RHIA

Address

3645 West 112th Ave, Westminster, CO, 80031

Contact

(303) 404-5293
andrea.graves@frontrange.edu

Score breakdown

Accreditation (25%)10/10
Director credentials (15%)8/10
Pathways (15%)4/10
Delivery (15%)10/10
Employer pipeline (15%)10/10
Cost (10%)10/10
Reputation (5%)6/10
Overall86/100

Visit program at frontrange.edu → · CAHIIM directory listing

#2
80.5/100

Overall score

Arapahoe Community College

Best south Denver / Littleton AAS (AdventHealth + UCHealth)

AAS Littleton, CO Online CAHIIM Continuing Next Review 2028-2029

Why it ranks #2

Arapahoe Community College AAS in Littleton (south Denver). Director Christine Tomas holds BS + RHIA. Continuing CAHIIM, next review 2028-2029. Fully online. ACC sits in the south Denver corridor, with direct proximity to AdventHealth Littleton, AdventHealth Castle Rock, AdventHealth Parker, and the UCHealth Highlands Ranch / Lone Tree facilities. Colorado Community College System tuition.

Program Director

Christine Tomas , BS, RHIA

Address

5900 S. Santa Fe Drive, Littleton, CO, 80120

Contact

(303) 797-5603
christine.tomas@arapahoe.edu

Score breakdown

Accreditation (25%)9/10
Director credentials (15%)7/10
Pathways (15%)4/10
Delivery (15%)10/10
Employer pipeline (15%)9/10
Cost (10%)10/10
Reputation (5%)6/10
Overall80.5/100

Visit program at arapahoe.edu → · CAHIIM directory listing

#3
69.5/100

Overall score

Pueblo Community College

Best southern Colorado AAS (Parkview + Centura/CommonSpirit Pueblo)

AAS Pueblo, CO Online CAHIIM Initial Next Review 2028-2029

Why it ranks #3

Pueblo Community College AAS in Pueblo (southern Colorado). Director Marianne Horvath holds BS + RHIA. Initial CAHIIM (newer accreditation), next review 2028-2029. Fully online. PCC is the dominant CC option for southern Colorado, with reach into Parkview Health (Pueblo), CommonSpirit St. Mary-Corwin (Pueblo), and Memorial Hospital (Colorado Springs) for clinical/practicum sites.

Program Director

Marianne Horvath , BS, RHIA

Address

900 West Orman Ave., Pueblo, CO, 81004

Contact

(719) 549-3197
marianne.horvath@pueblocc.edu

Score breakdown

Accreditation (25%)6/10
Director credentials (15%)7/10
Pathways (15%)4/10
Delivery (15%)10/10
Employer pipeline (15%)7/10
Cost (10%)10/10
Reputation (5%)5/10
Overall69.5/100

Visit program at pueblocc.edu → · CAHIIM directory listing

Best for…

Best Colorado HIM programs by category.

Best metro Denver AAS

Front Range Community College

Westminster, north Denver. Continuing CAHIIM, next review 2031-2032. Campus + online. Dense UCHealth + HealthONE + AdventHealth corridor.

Best south Denver / Littleton AAS

Arapahoe Community College

Littleton. Direct AdventHealth Littleton / Castle Rock / Parker pipeline. Fully online. CCCS tuition.

Best southern Colorado AAS

Pueblo Community College

Pueblo. The dominant CC HIM option for Pueblo, Colorado Springs, and southern CO. Parkview + St. Mary-Corwin reach.

Best campus-based option

Front Range Community College

The only CO CAHIIM program offering both campus-based and online delivery. ACC and PCC are fully online.

Best UCHealth pipeline

Front Range CC or Arapahoe CC

FRCC for north-Denver UCHealth facilities (Anschutz, Highlands Ranch); ACC for south-Denver UCHealth (Highlands Ranch / Lone Tree).

Cheapest CAHIIM-accredited HIM program in CO

Tie: Front Range / Arapahoe / Pueblo CC

All three are Colorado Community College System schools with the same statewide CCCS resident tuition. Pell-eligible. Colorado Promise (free CCCS) for qualifying students.

If you want a BSHIM

You'll need to go out of state

No CAHIIM-accredited BSHIM currently in CO. Online options: WGU (Salt Lake City, online national), Weber State (Ogden, UT), Beal University (Bangor, ME). All accept CO students.

If you want an MS in Health Informatics

No CO CAHIIM MS

There is currently no CAHIIM-accredited MS in CO. CU Anschutz offers an MS in Biomedical Informatics outside CAHIIM (medical-school informatics, not CAHIIM HIM).

Credentials

HIM credentials and certifications in Colorado (RHIT, RHIA, CCS).

Colorado does not license HIM staff. The Colorado Health Information Management Association (CHIMA) is the state AHIMA component.

CredentialFull NameEducation RequiredTypical CO Role
RHITRegistered Health Information TechnicianCAHIIM AASRecords, ROI, coder at UCHealth / HealthONE / AdventHealth / CommonSpirit / Children's Hospital Colorado
RHIARegistered Health Information AdministratorCAHIIM BSHIM (no in-state, online ladder needed)HIM supervisor, privacy officer, compliance
CCSCertified Coding SpecialistRHIT/RHIA + coding experienceInpatient/outpatient coder, coding auditor

Salary data

Medical records specialist salary in Colorado.

BLS OEWS May 2025 CO estimates for SOC 29-2072:

  • Median: $59,020 (national: $51,140, +$7,880)
  • Mean: $61,810
  • 10th pct: $45,280 · 90th pct: $82,980
  • Statewide employment: 1,780

The Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metro and Colorado Springs anchor the upper end of the CO HIM wage distribution; UCHealth, HCA HealthONE, CommonSpirit, and AdventHealth all cluster in metro Denver. Pueblo, Greeley, and Fort Collins pay near the CO median. Rural CO (Western Slope, San Luis Valley) generally pays below.

Salary distribution

Medical records specialist salary in Colorado vs. national median (BLS OEWS May 2025).

$30K$40K$50K$60K$70K$80K$90K Colorado MED $59K National MED $51K

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Workforce

Colorado health information management job market and top hospital employers.

UCHealth. ~30,000 employees, 14 hospitals. The state's largest system, anchored by University of Colorado Hospital on the Anschutz Medical Campus (Aurora) and Memorial Hospital (Colorado Springs). UCHealth integrates research, teaching, and clinical care across the Front Range.

HCA HealthONE. The largest for-profit network in metro Denver: 7+ hospitals including Swedish Medical Center, Sky Ridge, Rose Medical Center, Presbyterian/St. Luke's, and North Suburban.

CommonSpirit Health (former Centura Catholic side). Post-2023 Centura split, CommonSpirit retained the Catholic Health Initiatives hospitals: St. Anthony (Lakewood), Penrose-St. Francis (Colorado Springs), Mercy Regional (Durango), and others. Now operating under the CommonSpirit umbrella.

AdventHealth Colorado. Post-2023 Centura split, AdventHealth took the Seventh-day Adventist hospitals: Avista (Louisville), Castle Rock, Littleton, Parker, Porter (Denver).

Children's Hospital Colorado. Aurora. ~7,000+ employees. The state's pediatric anchor, adjacent to UC Hospital on the Anschutz campus.

Kaiser Permanente Colorado. Serves the Front Range. Integrated insurer-provider model, distinct HIM workflows.

Intermountain Health (former SCL Health). SCL Health hospitals (Saint Joseph in Denver, Lutheran in Wheat Ridge, Good Samaritan in Lafayette) were absorbed into the Intermountain Health 2022 merger and now operate as Intermountain Health Colorado.

Health information exchange

Contexture.

Contexture is the regional HIE serving Colorado and Arizona, formed by the 2021 merger of CORHIO (CO) and Health Current (AZ). Contexture serves approximately 1,800 healthcare organizations across both states with clinical messaging, query-based retrieval, and admit-discharge-transfer (ADT) notifications. Participation is voluntary.

State regulation

Colorado state laws affecting health information management.

  • Patient access (C.R.S. § 25-1-801). Governs patient access to medical records and statutory copying-fee caps.
  • Colorado Privacy Act (CPA, 2021, effective July 2023). Adds non-HIPAA consumer health data protections. Relevant for HIM staff in non-HIPAA-covered analytics roles (digital health startups, wellness apps).
  • Breach notification (C.R.S. § 6-1-716). Notice within 30 days of discovery. Attorney General notification required for breaches affecting 500+ Colorado residents.
  • No state HIM licensure. Colorado DORA regulates clinical professions; HIM credentials are AHIMA-issued (RHIT, RHIA, CCS).

Sources

Sources and references.

  1. healthinformationmanagementprograms.com Methodology.
  2. CAHIIM Program Directory.
  3. BLS OEWS: May 2025 CO estimates.
  4. AHIMA Certification Exams.
  5. Contexture (CO + AZ HIE).
  6. Colorado General Assembly: C.R.S. §§ 25-1-801, 6-1-716, Colorado Privacy Act.
  7. CHIMA (Colorado Health Information Management Association).
  8. Colorado Department of Higher Education: Colorado Promise (free CCCS).

FAQ

HIM programs in Colorado: frequently asked questions.

What is the best CAHIIM-accredited HIM program in Colorado?

On our methodology, Front Range Community College ranks #1 (86/100). Arapahoe Community College #2. Pueblo Community College #3.

How many CAHIIM-accredited HIM programs are in CO?

3 active associate-level programs. No CAHIIM-accredited BS or MS currently in CO.

What is the average HIM salary in CO?

Median $59,020 per BLS OEWS May 2025 (national: $51,140). 90th pct $82,980.

Does CO require a license to work in HIM?

No. AHIMA credentials (RHIT, RHIA, CCS) are the standard.

Which Colorado hospitals hire the most HIM staff?

UCHealth, HCA HealthONE, CommonSpirit (former Centura Catholic), AdventHealth Colorado, Children's Hospital Colorado, Kaiser Permanente Colorado, Intermountain Health.

What is Contexture?

Colorado's regional HIE (merged with Arizona's in 2021). ~1,800 healthcare organizations across CO + AZ.

Can I get a HIM degree fully online in CO?

Yes. Arapahoe CC and Pueblo CC are fully online; Front Range CC offers both campus-based and online delivery.

If I want a BSHIM, what should I do?

There's no in-state CAHIIM BSHIM. Online options accepting CO students include WGU (Salt Lake), Weber State (Ogden, UT), and Beal University (Bangor, ME). A CO AAS + online BSHIM ladder is the standard path.