Virginia / Health information management programs

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

Virginia has 6 CAHIIM-accredited HIM and health informatics programs. We score every program on our seven-factor methodology. Top: Mountain Empire Community College's AAS, scoring 81/100.

Taylor Rupe, founder of healthinformationmanagementprograms.com

by , founder & editor

updated

Virginia
6

Programs ranked

81

Top score

$53K

VA median HIM wage

4,630

HIM jobs in VA

Key Takeaways

  • Mountain Empire Community College AAS ranks #1 in Virginia (81/100). Continuing CAHIIM with the longest review cycle in VA (2032-2033), fully online.
  • Virginia does not currently have a CAHIIM-accredited BSHIM. The vertical pathway runs AAS to George Mason University's CAHIIM-accredited MS in Health Informatics.
  • Virginia has 6 active CAHIIM-accredited programs: 5 AAS and 1 master's (George Mason MS Health Informatics).
  • George Mason University is the only CAHIIM-accredited graduate program in VA. R1 research university in Fairfax with direct ties to the DC-metro health-IT ecosystem and federal contractors.
  • Median HIM salary in Virginia is 53,290 per BLS OEWS May 2025. 90th pct 78,680. 4,630 working in this occupation.
  • Inova Health System dominates Northern VA. Sentara is HQ'd in Hampton Roads. HCA Virginia, Bon Secours Mercy Health VA, and VCU Health anchor Richmond. UVA Health anchors Charlottesville. Carilion Clinic anchors Roanoke. Ballad Health anchors the Tri-Cities / SW VA.
  • Virginia's prior statewide HIE (ConnectVirginia) was decommissioned. Current exchange happens through CRISP (cross-border from Maryland into parts of VA), Carequality, eHealth Exchange, and the new TEFCA QHIN networks.
  • Virginia medical record retention is 5 years for adult records (12 VAC 5-410-370) and 5 years past the age of majority for minors. Shorter than many states.

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 Virginia now

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

The ranked programs

The 6 CAHIIM-accredited HIM programs in Virginia, ranked.

RankInstitutionDegreeCityScoreCAHIIM
#1 Mountain Empire Community College AAS Big Stone Gap 81/100 Continuing
#2 George Mason University MS Informatics Fairfax 79.5/100 Continuing
#3 Northern Virginia Community College AAS Springfield 76.5/100 Continuing
#4 Laurel Ridge Community College AAS Middletown 74/100 Initial
#5 Tidewater Community College AAS Virginia Beach 73.5/100 Continuing
#6 American National University AAS Salem 61/100 Initial
#1
81/100

Overall score

Mountain Empire Community College

Best fully-online AAS (longest CAHIIM review cycle in Virginia)

AAS Big Stone Gap, VA Online CAHIIM Continuing Next Review 2032-2033

Why it ranks #1

Mountain Empire Community College in Big Stone Gap (far southwest VA). Director Sabrina Ward holds RHIA + CPC + CCS-P. Continuing CAHIIM with the longest review cycle of any VA program, next review 2032-2033. Fully online. Feeds Ballad Health and the cross-border Appalachian employer market (KY / TN / WV).

Program Director

Sabrina Ward , RHIA, CPC, CCS-P

Address

3441 Mountain Empire Road, Big Stone Gap, VA, 24219

Contact

(276) 523-9060
sward@mecc.edu

Score breakdown

Accreditation (25%)10/10
Director credentials (15%)8/10
Pathways (15%)4/10
Delivery (15%)10/10
Employer pipeline (15%)7/10
Cost (10%)10/10
Reputation (5%)5/10
Overall81/100

Visit program at catalog.mecc.edu → · CAHIIM directory listing

#2
79.5/100

Overall score

George Mason University

Best in-state MS in Health Informatics (R1 research university, DC metro)

MS Health Informatics Fairfax, VA Campus Based, Online CAHIIM Continuing Next Review 2027-2028

Why it ranks #2

George Mason University MS in Health Informatics in Fairfax. Director Dr. Janusz Wojtusiak holds a PhD. Continuing CAHIIM, next review 2027-2028. Hybrid delivery. George Mason is an R1 research university with deep ties to the DC-metro health-IT ecosystem and federal contractors. Direct pipeline to Inova Health System, MedStar Virginia, HCA Virginia, and the federal healthcare workforce (VA, HHS, DoD).

Program Director

Janusz Wojtusiak , PhD

Address

4400 University Drive, Ms 1j3, Fairfax, VA, 22030

Contact

(703) 993-1929
jwojtusi@gmu.edu

Score breakdown

Accreditation (25%)8/10
Director credentials (15%)8/10
Pathways (15%)6/10
Delivery (15%)8/10
Employer pipeline (15%)10/10
Cost (10%)7/10
Reputation (5%)9/10
Overall79.5/100

Visit program at hap.gmu.edu → · CAHIIM directory listing

#3
76.5/100

Overall score

Northern Virginia Community College

Best DC-metro AAS (Inova / MedStar Virginia / federal pipeline)

AAS Springfield, VA Campus Based, Online CAHIIM Continuing Next Review 2029-2030

Why it ranks #3

Northern Virginia Community College in Springfield. Director Dana Pratt holds MJ + RHIT. Continuing CAHIIM, next review 2029-2030. Hybrid delivery. NOVA is the largest community college in VA, sitting in the densest VA HIM employer market with direct access to Inova Health System, MedStar Virginia, Reston Hospital (HCA), and the federal healthcare workforce.

Program Director

Dana Pratt , MJ, RHIT

Address

6699 Springfield Center Drive, Springfield, VA, 22150

Contact

(703) 822-9059
dpratt@nvcc.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 nvcc.edu → · CAHIIM directory listing

#4
74/100

Overall score

Laurel Ridge Community College

Best Shenandoah Valley fully-online AAS (seven-credential director)

AAS Middletown, VA Online CAHIIM Initial Next Review 2027-2028

Why it ranks #4

Laurel Ridge Community College in Middletown (Winchester area). Director Kathy Ware holds MS + RHIA + CPMA + CDEO + CPC + CPB + AAPC, a seven-credential AAPC + AHIMA stack heavy on coding and auditing. Initial CAHIIM, next review 2027-2028. Fully online. Serves the Shenandoah Valley and reaches into the broader DC-metro market.

Program Director

Kathy Ware , MS, RHIA, CPMA, CDEO, CPC, CPB, AAPC

Address

173 Skirmisher Lane, Middletown, VA, 22645

Contact

(540) 868-7160
kware@laurelridge.edu

Score breakdown

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

Visit program at laurelridge.edu → · CAHIIM directory listing

#5
73.5/100

Overall score

Tidewater Community College

Best Hampton Roads AAS (Sentara / Riverside / CHKD pipeline)

AAS Virginia Beach, VA Campus Based CAHIIM Continuing Next Review 2029-2030

Why it ranks #5

Tidewater Community College in Virginia Beach. Director Amy Shay holds CHPS + RHIT. Continuing CAHIIM, next review 2029-2030. Campus-based only. Sits inside Hampton Roads with direct adjacency to Sentara Healthcare (HQ in Norfolk), Riverside Health System, and Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters.

Program Director

Amy Shay , CHPS, RHIT

Address

Health Professions MN 317, 1700 College Crescent, Virginia Beach, VA, 23453

Contact

(757) 822-7262
ashay@tcc.edu

Score breakdown

Accreditation (25%)8/10
Director credentials (15%)8/10
Pathways (15%)4/10
Delivery (15%)5/10
Employer pipeline (15%)10/10
Cost (10%)10/10
Reputation (5%)6/10
Overall73.5/100

Visit program at tcc.edu → · CAHIIM directory listing

More HIM programs accepting students

#6
61/100

Overall score

American National University

Best Roanoke-area private online AAS

AAS Salem, VA Online CAHIIM Initial Next Review 2028-2029

Why it ranks #6

American National University AAS in Salem, VA (Roanoke area). Director Sherry Davis (Acting Program Director). Initial CAHIIM, next review 2028-2029. Fully online. Private for-profit institution: tuition is the trade-off compared with the public Virginia Community College System options.

Program Director

Sherry Davis , Acting Program Director

Address

1813 East Main Street, Salem, VA, 24153

Contact

(330) 402-5325
shdavis@an.edu

Score breakdown

Accreditation (25%)6/10
Director credentials (15%)5/10
Pathways (15%)4/10
Delivery (15%)10/10
Employer pipeline (15%)7/10
Cost (10%)5/10
Reputation (5%)4/10
Overall61/100

Visit program at an.edu → · CAHIIM directory listing

Best for…

Best Virginia HIM programs by category.

Best in-state MS in Health Informatics

George Mason University

Only CAHIIM-accredited graduate program in VA. R1 research university, DC-metro Inova / federal pipeline.

Best fully-online AAS (longest review cycle)

Mountain Empire Community College

Far southwest VA. Continuing CAHIIM, next review 2032-2033 (longest in VA).

Best DC-metro AAS

Northern Virginia Community College

Largest VA community college. Inova, MedStar Virginia, Reston Hospital (HCA), federal pipeline.

Best Hampton Roads AAS

Tidewater Community College

Virginia Beach. Direct Sentara, Riverside, Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters adjacency.

Best seven-credential director AAS (coding + auditing)

Laurel Ridge Community College

Director Kathy Ware (MS + RHIA + CPMA + CDEO + CPC + CPB + AAPC). Coding-and-auditing-heavy credentials.

Best Roanoke-area private AAS

American National University

Salem (Roanoke area). Fully online. Private institution: tuition is the trade-off.

Cheapest CAHIIM-accredited HIM programs in VA

Virginia Community College System

NOVA, Tidewater, Mountain Empire, and Laurel Ridge are all VCCS schools and qualify for the G3 (Get a Skill, Get a Job, Get Ahead) program (free tuition for high-demand programs including HIM), Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant, and Pell.

Where's the BSHIM?

Out-of-state online BSHIM

VA has no CAHIIM BSHIM today. Most VA students pursuing a bachelor's enroll in out-of-state online BSHIMs (Davenport MI, Coppin State MD, UMGC MD, ECU NC, etc.) or pursue the GMU MS HI directly after the AAS plus a non-HIM bachelor's.

Credentials

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

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

CredentialFull NameEducation RequiredTypical VA Role
RHITRegistered Health Information TechnicianCAHIIM AASRecords, ROI, coder at Inova / Sentara / HCA Virginia / VCU Health / UVA Health
RHIARegistered Health Information AdministratorCAHIIM BSHIM (out of state for VA)HIM supervisor, privacy officer, compliance
CCSCertified Coding SpecialistRHIT/RHIA + coding experienceInpatient/outpatient coder, coding auditor

Salary data

Medical records specialist salary in Virginia.

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

  • Median: $53,290 (national: $51,140)
  • Mean: $56,960
  • 10th pct: $37,630 · 90th pct: $78,680
  • Statewide employment: 4,630

Northern VA / DC metro (Inova, MedStar Virginia, federal contractors) anchors the upper end. Richmond (VCU Health, HCA Virginia, Bon Secours), Hampton Roads (Sentara, Riverside, CHKD), and Charlottesville (UVA Health) pay near the VA median. Roanoke (Carilion) and SW VA (Ballad) pay below the median.

Salary distribution

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

$30K$40K$50K$60K$70K$80K$90K Virginia MED $53K National MED $51K

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Workforce

Virginia health information management job market and top hospital employers.

Inova Health System. Falls Church HQ. Dominant Northern VA system, 5 hospitals.

Sentara Health. Norfolk HQ. 12 hospitals across VA and NC. Sentara also operates the Optima Health insurance plan.

HCA Virginia Health System. Richmond. Largest for-profit VA system, 14 hospitals.

Bon Secours Mercy Health Virginia. Richmond / Hampton Roads. Part of the Bon Secours Mercy Health national system.

VCU Health. Richmond. Virginia Commonwealth University academic medical center.

UVA Health. Charlottesville. University of Virginia academic medical center.

Carilion Clinic. Roanoke HQ. Dominant Western VA system, 7 hospitals.

Ballad Health. Tri-Cities (NE TN + SW VA). The dominant Appalachian system.

Riverside Health System. Newport News. Hampton Roads.

Health information exchange

Virginia HIE landscape (no single statewide HIE).

Virginia's prior state HIE (ConnectVirginia) was decommissioned. Today, VA exchange relies on a mix: CRISP extends from Maryland into parts of Virginia, the major systems exchange bilaterally and through Carequality and eHealth Exchange, and the newer TEFCA QHIN framework is starting to consolidate cross-state exchange. The Inova HIE is also a meaningful regional Northern VA effort. This fragmented landscape makes HIE / interoperability experience particularly valuable on VA HIM resumes.

State regulation

Virginia state laws affecting health information management.

  • Medical record retention (12 VAC 5-410-370). Virginia hospitals must retain adult medical records for at least 5 years from the date of last patient encounter and minors' records for 5 years past the age of majority. Shorter than many states.
  • Patient access (Code of Virginia § 32.1-127.1:03). VA Health Records Privacy law grants patients access to medical records with statutory caps on copy fees.
  • Virginia Personal Information Privacy Act and Consumer Data Protection Act (Code of Virginia §§ 18.2-186.6, 59.1-575 et seq.). Breach notification framework and consumer data privacy rights (effective 2023 for the CDPA).

Sources

Sources and references.

  1. healthinformationmanagementprograms.com Methodology.
  2. CAHIIM Program Directory.
  3. BLS OEWS: May 2025 VA estimates.
  4. AHIMA Certification Exams.
  5. CRISP HIE.
  6. State Council of Higher Education for Virginia: G3 program, VTAG, Pell.
  7. Virginia Law: 12 VAC 5-410-370, Code of Virginia § 32.1-127.1:03.
  8. VHIMA.

FAQ

HIM programs in Virginia: frequently asked questions.

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

On our methodology, Mountain Empire Community College ranks #1 (81/100). George Mason University #2. Northern Virginia Community College #3.

How many CAHIIM-accredited HIM programs are in VA?

6 active. 5 associate, 1 master's (George Mason MS Health Informatics). No CAHIIM-accredited BSHIM in VA.

What is the average HIM salary in VA?

Median $53,290 per BLS OEWS May 2025. 90th pct $78,680.

Does VA require a license to work in HIM?

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

Which Virginia hospitals hire the most HIM staff?

Inova, Sentara, HCA Virginia, Bon Secours Mercy Health VA, VCU Health, UVA Health, Carilion Clinic, Ballad Health, Riverside Health System.

Does Virginia have a statewide HIE?

No single statewide HIE. ConnectVirginia was decommissioned. Exchange happens through CRISP cross-border, Carequality, eHealth Exchange, and the TEFCA QHIN framework.

Can I get a HIM degree fully online in VA?

Yes for AAS: American National, Mountain Empire, Laurel Ridge run fully online. NOVA is hybrid. Tidewater is campus-based. George Mason MS Health Informatics is hybrid.