Online CAHIIM-Accredited HIM Programs: The 2026 Access and Payback Report

How Many CAHIIM-Accredited HIM Programs Are Online?

CAHIIM, the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education, labels each program as online, campus-based, or both. We count a program as fully online when CAHIIM lists online as its only delivery, and as hybrid when it lists both. The count covers 314 active degree programs. We left out 15 active certificates and 21 programs CAHIIM marks inactive.

If you want the RHIT credential, the odds are strongly in your favor. 125 of the 205 associate programs are fully online, and only 11 make you attend on campus. Our associate degree rankings and the affordable online RHIT programs list show how those programs compare.

The RHIA path is tighter. 10 of 61 bachelor's programs (16%) are campus-only, three times the associate share. Master's programs lean online the most, with 33 of 48 (69%) fully online. See the bachelor's rankings and the best online master's in health information management for working professionals.

Which States Have No Online CAHIIM-Accredited HIM Program?

We counted, for each of 52 states and territories, the active degree programs based there that you can take fully or partly online. A zero does not shut you out, because you can enroll in a program based in another state. It does mean your own state has no accredited online option to compare.

Delaware, District of Columbia, Rhode Island, and Vermont have no active CAHIIM-accredited degree program at all. The associate level has 8 gaps: Delaware, District of Columbia, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Vermont.

The bachelor's level has 23 gaps, which is 44% of the 52. They are Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, and Wyoming.

In those states, the road to RHIA often means enrolling out of state or finishing an associate degree first. Check the state-by-state HIM program rankings for what each state offers.

Master's programs show the widest spread, with 25 of 52 lacking an online or hybrid option. At the other end, Texas has 25 online or hybrid degree programs, Illinois has 19, and Florida has 16.

What Does an Online HIM Degree Cost, and How Fast Does It Pay Back?

Medical records specialists earned a median of $51,140 in May 2025, with the lowest-paid tenth at $37,000 and the highest-paid tenth at $81,150. About 194,720 people hold the job. We use that pay as a yardstick, and we use each state's own median for programs in that state.

Our payback measure is simple. It is the number of weeks of gross median pay that equal a program's published in-state tuition, two years of it for an associate degree and four for a bachelor's. It is not a salary bump. It shows how big the bill is next to a normal paycheck.

The median associate program costs $8,902, or $4,451 a year. Measured against the entry-level pay of $37,000, that is about 13 weeks of work. 188 of 190 associate programs cost less than a year of their state's median pay, and none cost more than two.

Location matters at the state level too. Among states with five or more priced associate programs, California sits lowest at about 2 weeks (n = 5) and Michigan highest at about 27 weeks (n = 5). Median associate tuition runs $2,208 in California and $25,200 in Michigan.

The bachelor's degree is a bigger bet. Its median published tuition is $33,456 over four years (n = 54), and 40 of 54 programs stay under a year of median pay. 4 run past two years of it.

That comparison understates the RHIA path, because many RHIA graduates move into management. Medical and health services managers, the group that includes HIM directors, had a national median of $123,860 in May 2025. Against that pay, the median bachelor's is about 14 weeks.

Tuition is only part of the bill. Fees, books, and exam costs come on top, and out-of-state students usually pay more than the in-state figures here. Our wage data by state and the medical records specialist career guide give the pay side in more detail.

What Does This Mean for HIM Students?

First, you probably do not have to move. If you want the RHIT credential, 44 of 52 states and territories have an online or hybrid associate program, and the RHIT certification guide explains what the exam asks of you after you graduate.

Second, the sticker price is your biggest lever. A public college can cost about 8 weeks of pay, and a private one about 32. You earn the same credential either way. Start with your state's public colleges, and check whether an online program charges you in-state rates.

Third, if you want the RHIA credential and live in a state with no online bachelor's program, you have two routes. You can enroll in an out-of-state online program, or you can earn the associate degree first and transfer. Read RHIA vs RHIT and the RHIA certification guide before you commit to four years.

Finally, remember that online does not mean no campus. CAHIIM-accredited programs include professional practice experience at a real healthcare site. Our guide to online vs on-campus HIM programs covers how that works, and the CAHIIM accreditation guide shows how to check any program's status.

The Full Data: Every Active CAHIIM Degree Program

The state table covers all 52 states and territories. The program table lists all 314 active degree programs. Both are in the CSV files below.

Download the program data (CSV) or download the state data (CSV).

Online CAHIIM Degree Programs by State

A blank cell means no priced associate program or no wage figure applies. Associate, Bachelor's, and Master's columns count online or hybrid programs.

All 314 Active CAHIIM Degree Programs With Tuition and Payback

A blank cell means the figure does not apply to that row. Master's programs carry no tuition figure because the source covers undergraduate tuition.

How We Built This Report: Methodology

• Programs. We used the CAHIIM Program Directory, pulled on May 14, 2026 with detail pages. It lists 350 programs. We kept the 329 marked active, then the 314 at the associate, bachelor's, and master's levels (associate 205, bachelor's 61, master's 48). We excluded 15 active certificates and 21 inactive programs.
• Delivery. "Fully online" means CAHIIM lists Online as the only delivery. "Hybrid" means it lists Campus Based and Online. "Online or hybrid" adds the two. One graduate certificate with no listed delivery falls outside the degree count.
• States. A program counts in the state where CAHIIM lists the institution. 52 jurisdictions are the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Online programs can usually enroll students from other states, which this report does not test.
• Wages. Medical records specialists (SOC 29-2072) and medical and health services managers (SOC 11-9111) come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 release, pulled May 15, 2026. State medians cover 52 of the 52 jurisdictions.
• Tuition. Published in-state tuition for 2024 comes from the federal IPEDS institutional charges file, matched to each CAHIIM institution by name and state. We matched 190 of 205 associate and 54 of 61 bachelor's programs. Fees, books, and out-of-state rates are not included. Tuition belongs to the institution, so a specific degree can cost more or less.
• Payback. Weeks of pay equal total tuition divided by the state median annual wage, times 52. Total tuition is two years of annual tuition for associate programs and four years for bachelor's programs, before any transfer credit or financial aid. The medians in the chart are medians of program values.

Read more about how we score and rank programs on our methodology page.

Questions About Online CAHIIM-Accredited HIM Programs