Missouri / Health information management programs

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

Missouri has 8 CAHIIM-accredited HIM and health informatics programs. We score every program on our seven-factor methodology. Top: East Central College's AAS, scoring 84.5/100.

Taylor Rupe, founder of healthinformationmanagementprograms.com

by , founder & editor

updated

St. Louis, Missouri Gateway Arch
8

Programs ranked

84.5

Top score

$51K

MO median HIM wage

3,890

HIM jobs in MO

Key Takeaways

  • East Central College AAS ranks #1 in Missouri (84.5/100). Director Kimberly Daman-Scheel holds a clinical + HIM credential stack (BSN + RN + RHIA + CCS + CDIP).
  • State Fair Community College's director Beverly Marquez holds dual FCAHIIM + FAHIMA fellowships, the only AAS director in the state with both fellowships.
  • Missouri has 8 active CAHIIM-accredited programs: 6 AAS, 1 bachelor's (Saint Louis University), 1 master's (University of Missouri-Columbia).
  • Saint Louis University is the only CAHIIM-accredited bachelor's in Missouri, a top-50 private research university with direct pipeline into BJC HealthCare and Washington University Medicine.
  • Median HIM salary in Missouri is 50,750 per BLS OEWS May 2025. 90th pct 77,010. 3,890 working in this occupation.
  • BJC HealthCare and SSM Health (both St. Louis-based) are the two largest MO systems, with Mercy as a close third. Kansas City is anchored by Saint Luke's, University Health, and Children's Mercy. MU Health Care anchors Columbia. CoxHealth and Mercy Springfield anchor Southwest Missouri.
  • Missouri Health Connection (MHC) is the state-designated nonprofit HIE, connecting most MO health systems.
  • Missouri medical record retention is 7 years for adult records (Missouri Rules 19 CSR 30-20.021), with extended retention 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 →

Programs taking applications in Missouri now

HIM, health informatics, and medical coding programs currently accepting students.

The ranked programs

The 8 CAHIIM-accredited HIM programs in Missouri, ranked.

RankInstitutionDegreeCityScoreCAHIIM
#1 East Central College AAS Union 84.5/100 Continuing
#2 State Fair Community College AAS Sedalia 83/100 Continuing
#3 St. Louis Community College at Forest Park AAS St. Louis 76.5/100 Continuing
#4 Ozarks Technical Community College AAS Springfield 75/100 Continuing
#5 University of Missouri - Columbia MS Columbia 74.5/100 Initial
#6 Metropolitan Community College - Penn Valley AAS Kansas City 74/100 Continuing
#7 Saint Louis University BS Saint Louis 71.5/100 Continuing
#8 Jefferson College AAS Hillsboro 71/100 Initial
#1
84.5/100

Overall score

East Central College

Best fully-online AAS (longest CAHIIM review cycle in MO, clinical + HIM director)

AAS Union, MO Online CAHIIM Continuing Next Review 2033-2034

Why it ranks #1

East Central College in Union, MO (St. Louis exurban). Director Kimberly Daman-Scheel holds BSN + RN + RHIA + CCS + CDIP, a unique clinical + HIM credential stack that pairs nursing licensure with three AHIMA credentials. Continuing CAHIIM with the longest review cycle of any MO program, next review 2033-2034. Fully online. Reach extends into the broader St. Louis market.

Program Director

Kimberly Daman-Scheel , BSN, RN, RHIA, CCS, CDIP

Address

1964 Prairie Dell Road, Union, MO, 63084

Score breakdown

Accreditation (25%)10/10
Director credentials (15%)10/10
Pathways (15%)4/10
Delivery (15%)10/10
Employer pipeline (15%)7/10
Cost (10%)10/10
Reputation (5%)6/10
Overall84.5/100

Visit program at eastcentral.edu → · CAHIIM directory listing

#2
83/100

Overall score

State Fair Community College

Best fully-online AAS (only double FCAHIIM + FAHIMA AAS director in the state)

AAS Sedalia, MO Online CAHIIM Continuing Next Review 2032-2033

Why it ranks #2

State Fair Community College in Sedalia. Director Beverly Marquez holds MS + RHIA + FCAHIIM + FAHIMA: dual CAHIIM and AHIMA fellowships, a rare combination at the AAS-director level. Continuing CAHIIM, next review 2032-2033. Fully online. Serves the rural central MO market with full statewide online reach.

Program Director

Beverly Marquez , M.S., RHIA, FCAHIIM, FAHIMA

Address

3201 W. 16th Street, Sedalia, MO, 65301

Contact

(660) 596-7259
bmarquez@sfccmo.edu

Score breakdown

Accreditation (25%)10/10
Director credentials (15%)10/10
Pathways (15%)4/10
Delivery (15%)10/10
Employer pipeline (15%)6/10
Cost (10%)10/10
Reputation (5%)6/10
Overall83/100

Visit program at sfccmo.edu → · CAHIIM directory listing

#3
76.5/100

Overall score

St. Louis Community College at Forest Park

Best St. Louis metro AAS (BJC / SSM / Mercy / Wash U pipeline)

AAS St. Louis, MO Campus Based, Online CAHIIM Continuing Next Review 2030-2031

Why it ranks #3

St. Louis Community College Forest Park, inside St. Louis city. Director Patricia A. Sherman holds MEd + RHIA. Continuing CAHIIM, next review 2030-2031. Hybrid delivery. Direct pipeline to BJC HealthCare (Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Christian Hospital), SSM Health, Mercy, and Washington University in St. Louis.

Program Director

Patricia A. Sherman , M.Ed, RHIA

Address

5600 Oakland Avenue, St. Louis, MO, 63110

Contact

(314) 644-9917
psherman@stlcc.edu

Score breakdown

Accreditation (25%)8/10
Director credentials (15%)7/10
Pathways (15%)4/10
Delivery (15%)8/10
Employer pipeline (15%)10/10
Cost (10%)10/10
Reputation (5%)6/10
Overall76.5/100

Visit program at stlcc.edu → · CAHIIM directory listing

#4
75/100

Overall score

Ozarks Technical Community College

Best Springfield AAS (CoxHealth / Mercy Springfield pipeline)

AAS Springfield, MO Online CAHIIM Continuing Next Review 2029-2030

Why it ranks #4

Ozarks Technical Community College in Springfield. Director Denise Baer holds BS + RHIA. Continuing CAHIIM, next review 2029-2030. Fully online. Feeds CoxHealth and Mercy Springfield, the two dominant Southwest MO systems.

Program Director

Denise Baer , BS, RHIA

Address

1001 East Chestnut Expressway, Springfield, MO, 65802

Contact

(417) 447-8821
baerd@otc.edu

Score breakdown

Accreditation (25%)8/10
Director credentials (15%)6/10
Pathways (15%)4/10
Delivery (15%)10/10
Employer pipeline (15%)8/10
Cost (10%)10/10
Reputation (5%)6/10
Overall75/100

Visit program at academics.otc.edu → · CAHIIM directory listing

#5
74.5/100

Overall score

University of Missouri - Columbia

Best research-university MS in Health Informatics

MS Health Informatics Columbia, MO Campus Based, Online CAHIIM Initial Next Review 2029-2030

Why it ranks #5

University of Missouri-Columbia MS in Health Informatics, housed in the School of Medicine's Department of Biomedical Informatics, Biostatistics and Medical Epidemiology. Director Dr. Fares Alahdab holds MD + MS + MSc + FAHA. Initial CAHIIM, next review 2029-2030. Hybrid delivery. R1 research university with direct pipeline to MU Health Care.

Program Director

Fares Alahdab , MD, MS, MSc, FAHA

Address

Department of Biomedical Informatics, Biostatistics and Medical Epidemiology, School of Medicine, 810 Rollins St., Math Sciences Building, Room 106, Columbia, MO, 65211

Score breakdown

Accreditation (25%)6/10
Director credentials (15%)9/10
Pathways (15%)7/10
Delivery (15%)8/10
Employer pipeline (15%)8/10
Cost (10%)7/10
Reputation (5%)9/10
Overall74.5/100

Visit program at medicine.missouri.edu → · CAHIIM directory listing

More HIM programs accepting students

#6
74/100

Overall score

Metropolitan Community College - Penn Valley

Best Kansas City AAS (Saint Luke's / University Health / Children's Mercy pipeline)

AAS Kansas City, MO Campus Based, Online CAHIIM Continuing Next Review 2027-2028

Why it ranks #6

MCC Penn Valley in downtown Kansas City. Director Matthew Patterson holds RHIA + CPC + CIC. Continuing CAHIIM, next review 2027-2028. Hybrid delivery. Direct pipeline to Saint Luke's Health System, University Health (formerly Truman Medical Centers), Children's Mercy Hospital, and the broader KC HIM employer network.

Program Director

Matthew Patterson , RHIA, CPC, CIC

Address

3444 Broadway, Suite 410, Health Science Institute, Kansas City, MO, 64111

Contact

(816) 604-4903
matthew.patterson@mcckc.edu

Score breakdown

Accreditation (25%)7/10
Director credentials (15%)7/10
Pathways (15%)4/10
Delivery (15%)8/10
Employer pipeline (15%)10/10
Cost (10%)10/10
Reputation (5%)6/10
Overall74/100

Visit program at mcckc.edu → · CAHIIM directory listing

#7
71.5/100

Overall score

Saint Louis University

Best in-state BSHIM (only CAHIIM bachelor's in Missouri)

BSHIM Saint Louis, MO Campus Based CAHIIM Continuing Next Review 2029-2030

Why it ranks #7

Saint Louis University is the only CAHIIM-accredited BSHIM in Missouri. Director Teresa Neal holds MHA + RHIA. Continuing CAHIIM, next review 2029-2030. Campus-based only (the trade-off for the BSHIM at a top-50 private research university). Direct pipeline to BJC, SSM, Mercy, and Washington University in St. Louis.

Program Director

Teresa Neal , MHA, RHIA

Address

1 North Grand Blvd., Saint Louis, MO, 63103

Contact

(314) 977-8704
teresa.neal@health.slu.edu

Score breakdown

Accreditation (25%)8/10
Director credentials (15%)7/10
Pathways (15%)6/10
Delivery (15%)5/10
Employer pipeline (15%)10/10
Cost (10%)5/10
Reputation (5%)9/10
Overall71.5/100

Visit program at slu.edu → · CAHIIM directory listing

#8
71/100

Overall score

Jefferson College

Best Southern St. Louis metro fully-online AAS

AAS Hillsboro, MO Online CAHIIM Initial Next Review 2026-2027

Why it ranks #8

Jefferson College in Hillsboro, MO (south St. Louis metro). Director Niki Vogelsang holds MBA + RHIA. Initial CAHIIM, next review 2026-2027. Fully online. Strong employer adjacency to the broader STL hospital network.

Program Director

Niki Vogelsang , MBA, RHIA

Address

1000 Viking Road, Hillsboro, MO, 63050

Contact

(636) 481-3419
nvogelsa@jeffco.edu

Score breakdown

Accreditation (25%)6/10
Director credentials (15%)7/10
Pathways (15%)4/10
Delivery (15%)10/10
Employer pipeline (15%)8/10
Cost (10%)10/10
Reputation (5%)5/10
Overall71/100

Visit program at jeffco.edu → · CAHIIM directory listing

Best for…

Best Missouri HIM programs by category.

Best in-state BSHIM

Saint Louis University

Only CAHIIM bachelor's in MO. Top-50 private research university. Direct BJC + Wash U pipeline.

Best MS in Health Informatics

University of Missouri - Columbia

R1 research university, School of Medicine Department of Biomedical Informatics.

Best fully-online AAS

East Central College

Longest CAHIIM review cycle in MO (2033-2034). Director holds rare clinical + HIM credential stack (BSN + RN + RHIA + CCS + CDIP).

Best double-fellow director AAS

State Fair Community College

Beverly Marquez is the only AAS director in MO with both FCAHIIM and FAHIMA fellowships.

Best St. Louis metro AAS

St. Louis Community College at Forest Park

Inside St. Louis city. BJC + SSM + Mercy + Wash U adjacency.

Best Kansas City AAS

Metropolitan Community College - Penn Valley

Downtown KC. Direct Saint Luke's, University Health, Children's Mercy pipeline.

Best Springfield AAS

Ozarks Technical Community College

Fully online. Feeds CoxHealth and Mercy Springfield.

Cheapest CAHIIM-accredited HIM programs in MO

Missouri community colleges

All MO community college AAS programs qualify for the MO A+ Scholarship Program, Access Missouri Grant, and Pell.

Credentials

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

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

CredentialFull NameEducation RequiredTypical MO Role
RHITRegistered Health Information TechnicianCAHIIM AASRecords, ROI, coder at BJC / SSM / Mercy / Saint Luke's
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 experienceClinical documentation improvement at academic medical centers

Salary data

Medical records specialist salary in Missouri.

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

  • Median: $50,750 (national: $51,140)
  • Mean: $55,950
  • 10th pct: $38,880 · 90th pct: $77,010
  • Statewide employment: 3,890

St. Louis metro (BJC, SSM, Mercy, Wash U) and Kansas City (Saint Luke's, University Health, Children's Mercy) anchor the upper end. Columbia (MU Health Care) and Springfield (CoxHealth, Mercy Springfield) pay near the MO median. Rural Missouri pays below the median but with lower COL.

Salary distribution

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

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

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Workforce

Missouri health information management job market and top hospital employers.

BJC HealthCare. St. Louis HQ. Includes Barnes-Jewish Hospital (academic affiliate of Washington University School of Medicine), Christian Hospital, Missouri Baptist, and more.

SSM Health. St. Louis HQ. Multi-state Catholic system spanning MO, IL, OK, and WI.

Mercy. St. Louis HQ. 40+ hospitals across MO, AR, OK, KS.

Saint Luke's Health System. Kansas City. 16 hospitals across the KC metro.

University Health. Kansas City. Formerly Truman Medical Centers. Public safety-net system.

Children's Mercy Hospital. Kansas City. Major pediatric academic medical center.

MU Health Care. Columbia. Academic health system of the University of Missouri.

CoxHealth. Springfield. Dominant Southwest MO system.

Washington University School of Medicine. St. Louis. Top-tier academic research medical school, partner with BJC.

Health information exchange

Missouri Health Connection (MHC).

Missouri Health Connection (MHC) is Missouri's state-designated nonprofit HIE. MHC connects most major MO health systems and provides clinical messaging, query-based retrieval, and ADT alerting. MHC participation is voluntary, not state-mandated.

State regulation

Missouri state laws affecting health information management.

  • Medical record retention (Missouri Rules 19 CSR 30-20.021). Missouri hospitals must retain adult medical records for at least 7 years, and minors' records until age 23 (age of majority + 4 years).
  • Patient access and copy fees (Missouri Revised Statutes § 191.227). MO statute caps copy fees with annually-adjusted per-page rates.
  • Missouri Data Breach Notification Act (Missouri Revised Statutes § 407.1500). Breach notification without unreasonable delay after discovery.

Sources

Sources and references.

  1. healthinformationmanagementprograms.com Methodology.
  2. CAHIIM Program Directory.
  3. BLS OEWS: May 2025 MO estimates.
  4. AHIMA Certification Exams.
  5. Missouri Health Connection (MHC).
  6. MO Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development: state aid programs (A+, Access Missouri).
  7. Missouri Revised Statutes: § 191.227, § 407.1500.
  8. MoHIMA.

FAQ

HIM programs in Missouri: frequently asked questions.

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

On our methodology, East Central College ranks #1 (84.5/100). State Fair Community College #2. St. Louis Community College at Forest Park #3.

How many CAHIIM-accredited HIM programs are in MO?

8 active. 6 associate, 1 bachelor's (Saint Louis University), 1 master's (University of Missouri-Columbia).

What is the average HIM salary in MO?

Median $50,750 per BLS OEWS May 2025. 90th pct $77,010.

Does MO require a license to work in HIM?

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

Which Missouri hospitals hire the most HIM staff?

BJC HealthCare, SSM Health, Mercy, Saint Luke's, University Health, Children's Mercy, MU Health Care, CoxHealth, Washington University in St. Louis.

Does Missouri have a statewide HIE?

Yes: Missouri Health Connection (MHC), the state-designated nonprofit HIE.

Can I get a HIM degree fully online in MO?

Yes. East Central, State Fair, Ozarks Tech, and Jefferson College all run fully online AAS. MU Columbia MS Health Informatics is hybrid. Saint Louis University BSHIM is campus-based.