Connecticut / Health information management programs

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

Connecticut has 5 CAHIIM-accredited HIM programs. We score every program on our seven-factor methodology. Top: Charter Oak State College's BSHIM, scoring 89.5/100.

Taylor Rupe, founder of healthinformationmanagementprograms.com

by , founder & editor

updated

Connecticut
5

Programs ranked

89.5

Top score

$61K

CT median HIM wage

1,120

HIM jobs in CT

Key Takeaways

  • Charter Oak State College BSHIM ranks #1 in Connecticut (89.5/100). The only CAHIIM BSHIM in CT, Continuing CAHIIM, fully online.
  • Charter Oak State College runs the most specialized HIM credential ecosystem in Connecticut: a BSHIM plus three CAHIIM-accredited Undergraduate Certificates (Clinical Documentation Improvement, Physician Practice Management, Provider Credentialing Specialist), all under one director.
  • Connecticut has 5 active CAHIIM-accredited programs: 1 AAS, 1 bachelor's (Charter Oak), and 3 specialty undergraduate certificates.
  • Connecticut does not currently have a CAHIIM-accredited MS in HIM or Health Informatics. Students typically continue into out-of-state online MS programs.
  • Median HIM salary in Connecticut is 60,940 per BLS OEWS May 2025. 90th pct 88,900. 1,120 working in this occupation.
  • Yale New Haven Health is the largest CT system. Hartford HealthCare anchors the Hartford metro. Trinity Health Of New England, Nuvance, Stamford Health, Middlesex Health, and Connecticut Children's round out the major employer cluster.
  • Connie is Connecticut's state-designated HIE (launched 2021), providing clinical exchange and ADT alerting for most major CT systems.
  • Connecticut medical record retention is 10 years for adult records (Connecticut General Statutes § 19a-490c), and until age 23 for minors.

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 5 CAHIIM-accredited HIM programs in Connecticut, ranked.

RankInstitutionDegreeCityScoreCAHIIM
#1 Charter Oak State College BS New Britain 89.5/100 Continuing
#2 Charter Oak State College UG Cert (Clinical Documentation Improvement) New Britain 81/100 Initial
#3 Charter Oak State College UG Cert (Physician Practice Management) New Britain 78/100 Initial
#4 Charter Oak State College UG Cert (Provider Credentialing Specialist) New Britain 78/100 Initial
#5 Connecticut State Community College Middlesex AAS Middletown 76/100 Initial
#1
89.5/100

Overall score

Charter Oak State College (BSHIM)

Best in-state BSHIM (only CAHIIM bachelor's in Connecticut, four-program ecosystem)

BSHIM New Britain, CT Online CAHIIM Continuing Next Review 2032-2033

Why it ranks #1

Charter Oak State College BSHIM. The only CAHIIM-accredited BSHIM in Connecticut. Director Cindy Edgerton holds MHA + MEd + RHIA. Continuing CAHIIM, next review 2032-2033. Fully online. Charter Oak is part of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system and runs the BSHIM plus three CAHIIM-accredited specialty Undergraduate Certificates (CDI, Physician Practice Management, Provider Credentialing) all under the same director: the most specialized HIM credential ecosystem in CT.

Program Director

Cindy Glewwe Edgerton , MHA, MEd, RHIA

Address

185 Main Street, New Britain, CT, 06051

Contact

(860) 515-3833
cedgerton@charteroak.edu

Score breakdown

Accreditation (25%)10/10
Director credentials (15%)9/10
Pathways (15%)9/10
Delivery (15%)10/10
Employer pipeline (15%)8/10
Cost (10%)7/10
Reputation (5%)7/10
Overall89.5/100

Visit program at charteroak.edu → · CAHIIM directory listing

#2
81/100

Overall score

Charter Oak State College (UG Cert Clinical Documentation Improvement)

Best CDI (Clinical Documentation Improvement) certificate

UG Cert Clinical Documentation Improvement New Britain, CT Online CAHIIM Initial Next Review 2030-2031

Why it ranks #2

Charter Oak State College Undergraduate Certificate in Clinical Documentation Improvement, an in-demand HIM specialization. Same director as the Charter Oak BSHIM (Cindy Edgerton, MHA + MEd + RHIA). Initial CAHIIM, next review 2030-2031. Fully online. CDI roles are some of the highest-paying entry-to-mid-career HIM specializations.

Program Director

Cindy Edgerton , MHA, MEd, RHIA

Address

Charter Oak State College, 55 Paul Manafort Sr. Drive, New Britain, CT, 06053

Contact

(860) 515-3833
cedgerton@charteroak.edu

Score breakdown

Accreditation (25%)6/10
Director credentials (15%)9/10
Pathways (15%)9/10
Delivery (15%)10/10
Employer pipeline (15%)9/10
Cost (10%)7/10
Reputation (5%)7/10
Overall81/100

Visit program at charteroak.edu → · CAHIIM directory listing

#3
78/100

Overall score

Charter Oak State College (UG Cert Physician Practice Management)

Best Physician Practice Management certificate

UG Cert Physician Practice Management New Britain, CT Online CAHIIM Initial Next Review 2030-2031

Why it ranks #3

Charter Oak State College Undergraduate Certificate in Physician Practice Management. Same director as the BSHIM. Initial CAHIIM, next review 2030-2031. Fully online. Targets practice administrators, billers, and physician-office operations roles.

Program Director

Cindy Edgerton , MHA, MEd, RHIA

Address

Charter Oak State College, 55 Paul Manafort Sr. Drive, New Britain, CT, 06053

Contact

(860) 515-3833
cedgerton@charteroak.edu

Score breakdown

Accreditation (25%)6/10
Director credentials (15%)9/10
Pathways (15%)9/10
Delivery (15%)10/10
Employer pipeline (15%)7/10
Cost (10%)7/10
Reputation (5%)7/10
Overall78/100

Visit program at charteroak.edu → · CAHIIM directory listing

#4
78/100

Overall score

Charter Oak State College (UG Cert Provider Credentialing Specialist)

Best Provider Credentialing Specialist certificate

UG Cert Provider Credentialing Specialist New Britain, CT Online CAHIIM Initial Next Review 2030-2031

Why it ranks #4

Charter Oak State College Undergraduate Certificate in Provider Credentialing Specialist. Same director as the BSHIM. Initial CAHIIM, next review 2030-2031. Fully online. Targets credentialing-coordinator roles at hospitals, payers, and large medical groups.

Program Director

Cindy Edgerton , MHA, MEd, RHIA

Address

Charter Oak State College, 55 Paul Manafort Sr. Drive, New Britain, CT, 06053

Contact

(860) 515-3833
cedgerton@charteroak.edu

Score breakdown

Accreditation (25%)6/10
Director credentials (15%)9/10
Pathways (15%)9/10
Delivery (15%)10/10
Employer pipeline (15%)7/10
Cost (10%)7/10
Reputation (5%)7/10
Overall78/100

Visit program at charteroak.edu → · CAHIIM directory listing

#5
76/100

Overall score

Connecticut State Community College Middlesex

Best CT public-system AAS (JD + MLS + MS + RHIT director)

AAS Middletown, CT Online CAHIIM Initial Next Review 2029-2030

Why it ranks #5

Connecticut State Community College Middlesex in Middletown. Director Jill Flanigan holds JD + MLS + MS + RHIT, a rare law + library-science + HIM credential stack. Initial CAHIIM, next review 2029-2030. Fully online. CT State CC Middlesex is part of the consolidated Connecticut State Community College system. Feeds Hartford HealthCare, Yale New Haven Health, Middlesex Health, and the Trinity Health Of New England network.

Program Director

Jill Flanigan , JD, MLS, MS, RHIT

Address

100 Training Hill Road, Middletown, CT, 06457

Contact

(860) 343-5791
Jill.Flanigan@CTState.edu

Score breakdown

Accreditation (25%)6/10
Director credentials (15%)9/10
Pathways (15%)4/10
Delivery (15%)10/10
Employer pipeline (15%)9/10
Cost (10%)10/10
Reputation (5%)6/10
Overall76/100

Visit program at ctstate.edu → · CAHIIM directory listing

Best for…

Best Connecticut HIM programs by category.

Best in-state BSHIM

Charter Oak State College

Only CAHIIM BSHIM in CT. Public CT online college. Fully online.

Best CDI certificate

Charter Oak State College

CAHIIM-accredited Undergraduate Certificate in Clinical Documentation Improvement, fully online.

Best Physician Practice Management certificate

Charter Oak State College

Designed for practice administrators, billers, and physician-office operations roles.

Best Provider Credentialing certificate

Charter Oak State College

Designed for credentialing coordinators at hospitals, payers, and large medical groups.

Best CT public-system AAS

Connecticut State Community College Middlesex

Middletown. Director Jill Flanigan holds JD + MLS + MS + RHIT. Fully online.

Best Yale New Haven Health pipeline

CT State CC Middlesex + Charter Oak

CT State CC Middlesex AAS into Yale New Haven entry-level HIM, then Charter Oak BSHIM (and any of the three specialty certs) for the RHIA ladder.

Cheapest CAHIIM-accredited HIM programs in CT

Connecticut State Community College Middlesex

CT State CC qualifies for the Pledge to Advance Connecticut (PACT, free community-college tuition for first-time degree-seeking students), Roberta B. Willis Scholarship, and Pell.

Where's the MS?

Out-of-state online MS

Connecticut does not have a CAHIIM-accredited MS today. The Charter Oak BSHIM ladders into out-of-state online MS programs (UTHSC TN, UMMC MS, KU Med Center, Davenport MI, etc.).

Credentials

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

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

CredentialFull NameEducation RequiredTypical CT Role
RHITRegistered Health Information TechnicianCAHIIM AASRecords, ROI, coder at Yale New Haven / Hartford HealthCare / Trinity / Nuvance
RHIARegistered Health Information AdministratorCAHIIM BSHIMHIM supervisor, privacy officer, compliance
CCSCertified Coding SpecialistRHIT/RHIA + coding experienceInpatient/outpatient coder, coding auditor
CDIPCertified Documentation Improvement PractitionerRHIA / RHIT + CDI experienceCDI specialist at academic medical centers (Yale New Haven, Hartford HealthCare)

Salary data

Medical records specialist salary in Connecticut.

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

  • Median: $60,940 (national: $51,140)
  • Mean: $63,970
  • 10th pct: $40,490 · 90th pct: $88,900
  • Statewide employment: 1,120

New Haven (Yale New Haven Health), Hartford (Hartford HealthCare, Trinity Health Of New England), Stamford (Stamford Health), and Fairfield County / NYC commuter belt anchor the upper end. Connecticut pays well above the national median across all regions due to the dense academic-medical-center cluster and high-COL Northeast wage structure.

Salary distribution

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

$30K$40K$50K$60K$70K$80K$90K Connecticut MED $61K National MED $51K

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Workforce

Connecticut health information management job market and top hospital employers.

Yale New Haven Health. New Haven HQ. The largest CT system, academic affiliate of Yale School of Medicine.

Hartford HealthCare. Hartford. Operates Hartford Hospital, The Hospital of Central Connecticut, Backus Hospital, and Charlotte Hungerford.

Trinity Health Of New England. Springfield, MA HQ with significant CT footprint, includes Saint Francis Hospital (Hartford), Johnson Memorial, and Mount Sinai Rehab.

Nuvance Health. Danbury HQ. Operates 7 hospitals in Western CT and the Hudson Valley NY.

Stamford Health. Stamford. Fairfield County / NYC metro adjacent.

Connecticut Children's Medical Center. Hartford. Pediatric academic medical center.

Middlesex Health. Middletown. Affiliate of Mayo Clinic Care Network.

Health information exchange

Connie (Connecticut's HIE).

Connie is Connecticut's state-designated HIE, launched in 2021 under the Connecticut Health Information Exchange Authority. Connie connects participating CT providers with clinical messaging, query-based retrieval, ADT alerting, and analytics. Most major CT systems participate, and Connie is one of the newer but rapidly maturing state HIEs in the country.

State regulation

Connecticut state laws affecting health information management.

  • Medical record retention (Connecticut General Statutes § 19a-490c). CT hospitals must retain adult medical records for at least 10 years from the date of patient discharge, and minors' records until age 23.
  • Patient access (Connecticut General Statutes § 20-7c). CT law grants patients access to medical records with statutory copy-fee caps.
  • Connecticut data breach notification (Connecticut General Statutes § 36a-701b). Breach notification within 60 days of discovery.

Sources

Sources and references.

  1. healthinformationmanagementprograms.com Methodology.
  2. CAHIIM Program Directory.
  3. BLS OEWS: May 2025 CT estimates.
  4. AHIMA Certification Exams.
  5. Connie (Connecticut HIE).
  6. CT Office of Higher Education Student Financial Aid: PACT, Roberta B. Willis Scholarship.
  7. Connecticut General Assembly: CGS §§ 19a-490c, 20-7c, 36a-701b.
  8. CtHIMA.

FAQ

HIM programs in Connecticut: frequently asked questions.

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

On our methodology, Charter Oak State College ranks #1 (89.5/100). Charter Oak State College #2. Charter Oak State College #3.

How many CAHIIM-accredited HIM programs are in CT?

5 active. 1 associate, 1 bachelor's (Charter Oak), 3 specialty undergraduate certificates. No CAHIIM-accredited master's in CT.

What is the average HIM salary in CT?

Median $60,940 per BLS OEWS May 2025. 90th pct $88,900.

Does CT require a license to work in HIM?

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

Which Connecticut hospitals hire the most HIM staff?

Yale New Haven Health, Hartford HealthCare, Trinity Health Of New England, Nuvance Health, Stamford Health, Connecticut Children's, Middlesex Health.

What is Connie?

Connecticut's state-designated HIE, launched in 2021.

Can I get a HIM degree fully online in CT?

Yes. All five CT CAHIIM programs run fully online: Charter Oak BSHIM + three specialty certificates + CT State CC Middlesex AAS.