RHIT to RHIA Programs

Best Online RHIT to RHIA Programs

RHIT to RHIA programs can give you credit for work you have already done: an accredited associate degree, prior general education, and sometimes the RHIT credential itself. The useful comparison is how many courses remain after the university evaluates your record. A published total bachelor’s degree length does not answer that question.

These three online completion routes explicitly address RHIT holders. UIC publishes community-college transfer guides, Davenport accepts a qualifying HIT associate degree and RHIT for its completion route, and William Carey awards 29 credits by merit of RHIT certification. Each still requires completion of its degree requirements before the applicable certification process.

By Taylor Rupe

Last updated: September 17, 2026

Three Online RHIT-to-RHIA Completion Options

College and Program	Published Details	Decision to Make
1. University of Illinois ChicagoBS in Health Information Management	RHIT Route: Illinois Transfer Guides and Other Partnerships Shortest Stated Route: Three Full-Time Semesters for Eligible Illinois Transfers Standard Online Plan: 63 Credits; 24 Months Published Tuition: $521 per Credit	Have UIC confirm the exact remaining credits and which advertised completion schedule applies to you.
2. Davenport UniversityBS in Health Information Management Completion	Degree Minimum: 123 Total Credits, Including Transfer Credit Published Completion: As Little as One Year Delivery: Online Coursework Entry Profile: Qualifying HIT Associate Degree and RHIT	Get the remaining-credit calculation and eligibility for the non-Michigan rate in the same written estimate.
3. William Carey UniversityBS in Health Information Management, RHIT-to-RHIA Track	Credential Credit: 29 Hours for RHIT Certification Published HIM Coursework: 31 Credit Hours After Prerequisites Degree Structure: 120 Total Credits in the RHIT Fact Sheet Practice Requirement: Professional Practice Experience	Complete the prerequisite evaluation and confirm the cohort start, practice arrangement, and current tuition quote.

This editorial order favors a clearly documented RHIT-specific transfer route, practical online delivery, and enough detail to plan the next step. It is not a tuition ranking or a prediction of exam success.

University of Illinois Chicago

BS in Health Information Management

RHIT Route: Illinois Transfer Guides and Other Partnerships
Shortest Stated Route: Three Full-Time Semesters for Eligible Illinois Transfers
Standard Online Plan: 63 Credits; 24 Months
Published Tuition: $521 per Credit

UIC ranks first for the clarity of its transfer planning. Its dedicated RHIT-to-RHIA page links individual college agreements rather than implying that every associate degree transfers in the same way. The three-semester option is specifically for students with an AA or AS from an Illinois community college who also hold RHIT certification.

The separate online BSHIM page lists a standard 63-credit, 24-month completion plan at $521 per credit. Multiplying those figures gives $32,823 in tuition before other charges, but that is the standard plan, not a quote for the accelerated RHIT route. Ask the program to reconcile your transfer evaluation with the online enrollment plan before choosing a start date.

Consider This If: You want a documented transfer map and can compare it with the courses on your transcript.

Plan Around: Have UIC confirm the exact remaining credits and which advertised completion schedule applies to you.

Read the University of Illinois Chicago Official Program Source

Davenport University

BS in Health Information Management Completion

Degree Minimum: 123 Total Credits, Including Transfer Credit
Published Completion: As Little as One Year
Delivery: Online Coursework
Entry Profile: Qualifying HIT Associate Degree and RHIT

Davenport’s completion program explicitly gives transfer consideration to both a qualifying HIT associate degree and RHIT certification. Its one-year claim is a shortest-case completion schedule after that credit is applied. Do not read the 123-credit degree minimum as 123 new credits or assume every RHIT applicant has the same remaining work.

The curriculum extends into leadership, information governance, security, and applied research. Davenport describes a capstone with an optional internship, which may suit a working technician who wants a degree connected to management responsibilities.

For 2026–27, standard undergraduate online tuition is $1,059 per credit. Eligible non-Michigan online students receive a tuition grant that reduces the charge to $716 per credit; that rate cannot be combined with other Davenport scholarships, grants, or discounts. Books and fees are additional.

Consider This If: You already have the qualifying associate credential and want a completion route with a capstone.

Plan Around: Get the remaining-credit calculation and eligibility for the non-Michigan rate in the same written estimate.

Read the Davenport University Official Program Source

William Carey University

BS in Health Information Management, RHIT-to-RHIA Track

Credential Credit: 29 Hours for RHIT Certification
Published HIM Coursework: 31 Credit Hours After Prerequisites
Degree Structure: 120 Total Credits in the RHIT Fact Sheet
Practice Requirement: Professional Practice Experience

William Carey publishes the most explicit credential-credit award in this comparison: 29 hours for RHIT certification. Its dedicated track sheet shows 60 prerequisite credits and 31 HIM credits toward a 120-credit degree. Those figures describe the RHIT progression route; the general HIM page separately describes a 61-hour major excluding prerequisites.

The track sheet describes a 12-month route after prerequisite completion. It also lists both annual fall admission and a spring-first sequence, so confirm the actual upcoming cohort calendar with the director. The general program page describes online coursework with a hybrid professional practice course in the final term and a 50-hour internship. Request the placement arrangements for the RHIT track specifically.

Consider This If: You want a school that identifies exactly how RHIT certification enters the degree audit.

Plan Around: Complete the prerequisite evaluation and confirm the cohort start, practice arrangement, and current tuition quote.

Read the William Carey University Official Program Source

How We Chose and Ordered These RHIT to RHIA Programs

The reviewed set is a focused shortlist of three universities with a published RHIT-specific completion or transfer route. All identify a CAHIIM-accredited HIM bachelor’s program. We prioritized explicit transfer documentation, then online access and transparency about remaining study. UIC leads for its college-level maps; Davenport follows for its dedicated completion route; William Carey adds a defined 29-credit credential award but requires reconciliation of its published scheduling details.

We did not assign invented scores or rank broad health informatics degrees as RHIA bridges. University marketing uses the terms HIM and informatics inconsistently. The decision rests on the exact program’s accreditation and certification eligibility. Check the current CAHIIM program directory, then ask the director to identify the degree named on your final transcript.

Current RHIA Eligibility and the Proposed Additional Route

AHIMA currently lists eligible CAHIIM-accredited bachelor’s and master’s HIM academic pathways, approved post-baccalaureate HIM certificate pathways, and specified international reciprocity routes. An RHIT certificate by itself is not one of those educational routes. Completing an eligible program establishes the academic basis for applying; you must still satisfy AHIMA’s certification process and pass the exam.

A separate CCHIIM proposal for an additional RHIA pathway describes active RHIT certification, a related bachelor’s or master’s degree, and at least three years of relevant experience. On September 17, 2026, that page still says the effective date will follow approval and implementation planning. Do not spend money on the assumption that a proposed policy already makes you eligible.

Request a Remaining-Credit Audit Before Comparing Prices

Send the same materials to each university: every college transcript, your RHIT credential, any prior bachelor’s degree, and the course descriptions the evaluator requests. Ask which credits satisfy named requirements, which become electives, and which do not apply. A generous transfer maximum is less useful than a short list of courses you actually have left.

Then price that specific list. Separate tuition, semester fees, program charges, books, and any travel or practice-site costs. Ask whether a required class runs every term and what happens if you take one course at a time. Missing a prerequisite can affect your completion date even when it adds only a few credits.

Use the Bridge to Prepare for a Specific Next Role

Choose courses and project work that match the responsibilities you want: supervising record operations, improving data quality, supporting privacy work, or managing a revenue-cycle process. Bring a real workplace problem to the capstone discussion, while following the university’s rules for organizational permission and data access.

For the broader distinction between the two credentials, read RHIA vs RHIT. If you are still choosing the first associate degree, compare affordable online RHIT programs. If you want the full range of bachelor’s options, use the CAHIIM-accredited HIM bachelor’s rankings.

Questions About Your Education Options

Can I Go From RHIT to RHIA Online?

Yes. UIC, Davenport, and William Carey publish online RHIT-focused degree completion routes. Compare the exact transfer requirements and any professional practice obligation before enrolling.

Does Having an RHIT Qualify Me for the RHIA Exam?

RHIT certification alone does not satisfy AHIMA’s currently published RHIA education routes. A proposed additional route involving a related degree and experience had not received a published effective date on the page checked September 17, 2026.

How Long Do RHIT to RHIA Programs Take?

Published shortest-case options include about one year at Davenport and William Carey after the required prior work, and three full-time semesters for a defined Illinois transfer profile at UIC. Your transcript evaluation determines which schedule is realistic.

Will Every Associate Credit Transfer Into a Bachelor’s?

The receiving university decides how each course applies. A credit may transfer without satisfying a required course, so request a degree audit showing the remaining requirements.

Can I Skip the Bachelor’s if I Already Have Another Degree?

An approved post-baccalaureate HIM pathway may be relevant. Confirm the exact program and AHIMA eligibility rather than assuming any healthcare or business bachelor’s qualifies.

Official Sources for This Comparison

Program, tuition, and certification sources checked September 17, 2026. Verify your individual degree plan and charges before enrolling.