3 Best MHA Programs in Chicago – 2025
Written By: Editorial Staff @ NursingProcess.org
MHA programs in Chicago attract many healthcare professionals who want to advance their careers, as well as individuals with minimal healthcare experience. As a student on the MHA track, your curriculum will include courses in economics, healthcare finance, ethics, strategic planning, and organizational leadership. Graduates of the Windy City’s MHA programs go on to work in hospitals, private physician practices, long-term care facilities, community clinics, and state and local healthcare agencies, where they earn $135,990 a year on average. Sound intriguing? Read on to learn more about the 3 best MHA programs in Chicago for 2025.
RECOMMENDED ONLINE MHA PROGRAMS
FOLLOWING ARE THE 3 BEST MHA PROGRAMS IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (ONLINE & CAMPUS) FOR 2025
(Based on our Ranking Methodology, we have ranked the 3 best campus-based and online MHA programs in Chicago.)
1. University of Illinois at Chicago
Programs Offered: Residential MHA (On-Campus) and
Executive MHA (On-Campus)
About the School: Are you keen on launching your career in healthcare administration? Do you wish to study in the middle of a city’s healthcare center? Well, if you’ve answered yes to both these questions then you are in the right place. The University of Illinois at Chicago, which offers one of the best MHA programs in Chicago, produces excellent healthcare leaders who are committed to transforming healthcare delivery across the world. Besides, being located in the heart of an urban medical district, you will be able to easily access several opportunities in terms of internships and jobs. Aside from this, to suit the specific needs of its growing student population, the college offers a residential and an executive MHA program.
Program Details: With two program options, you can enroll in either the residential or the executive track, based on where you are in your professional journey. While the residential track is designed for students without any experience, the executive track is meant for mid-level healthcare professionals.
The residential track offered on campus requires the completion of a total of 60 credits. You can enroll either full-time or part-time based on your preference.
On the other hand, if you enroll in the executive on-campus track, you will complete the coursework on a part-time basis. This MHA in Chicago requires the completion of 48 credits.
Regardless of the track you enroll in, the core courses that equip you with professional skills and knowledge include quality management, human resources management, healthcare law & ethics, healthcare finance, health economics, and strategic planning & planning healthcare. While the residential track includes an internship and a capstone, the executive track only requires the completion of a capstone project at your current place of work.
Admission Requirements: To be considered for admission into either of these two MHA programs in Chicago, you must foremost have an accredited bachelor’s degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0. While the residential track does not require any work experience to be eligible, the executive track requires at least two years of professional healthcare experience. Besides, the college requires you to submit your transcripts, a resume, a personal goals statement and references.
Key Highlights
• The preceptorship experience that you must complete as part of your residential MHA coursework, requires you to apply the newly acquired theoretical skills to practice in a healthcare organization. These 12 months of experiential learning begins in the summer following your first year in the program. You will typically spend at least 25 hours each week, working at a partner healthcare facility.
• The MHA residential program boasts a 100% placement rate. This means as an MHA graduate who is eager to kickstart your career, you will be highly desired by employers because of your exceptional professional preparedness.
• The college provides students ample opportunities for professional development through membership in its Association of Future Healthcare Administrators, its official organization for MHA students.
Concentrations: Healthcare Business Intelligence, Healthcare Community Engagement & Partnership, Post-Acute Care Administration, and Generalist
About the School: If you looking at the best MHA programs in Chicago, then you must certainly stop to learn about Loyola University Chicago’s MHA program. Offered through a convenient online coursework, here, in addition to the generalist track, the college offers three in-demand areas of focus. Asides from this, the faith-based education that you gain at this Jesuit institution, not only grooms you for professional and personal success but also prepares you for leadership that is aligned with the Jesuit tradition.
Program Details: This MHA program in Chicago, which is open to students from varied backgrounds, offers maximum flexibility through part-time enrollment and online coursework. The program offers three concentration tracks that you can choose from, based on your interest and career goals. So, you can gain specialized training either in healthcare business intelligence, healthcare community engagement, or post-acute care administration or instead choose the generalist MHA track.
Regardless of the option you choose, you’ll complete a 37-credit coursework that begins with the MHA core courses. The core coursework strengthens your foundation in organizational management & ethics, healthcare finance & reimbursement, healthcare information systems, quality & patient safety, managerial epidemiology, and strategical healthcare leadership.
If you opt for the Healthcare Business Intelligence track, you focus on healthcare data analytics & business intelligence, whereas the Healthcare Community track emphasizes healthcare community engagement and partnership. The Post-Acute Care track trains you in improving post-acute care delivery. In addition to the concentration-specific coursework, each track also includes a three-credit elective course that you can choose from a range of course options. Besides, all three tracks include a specialty capstone experience.
Alternatively, if you enroll in the generalist track, your 37-credit coursework will include core courses, immersion experiences, and electives taken from the concentration courses.
Admission Requirements: Just like any other MHA program in Chicago, to qualify for admission, you must have an accredited bachelor’s degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Additionally, the college requires candidates to have completed prerequisite courses in accounting, economics, and statistics.
Key Highlights
• Being located in heart of Chicago, the college has forged partnerships with leading healthcare organizations throughout the metropolitan area. As an MHA student, you can explore exciting internship opportunities at any one of these healthcare organizations.
• The college offers several need-based and merit-based scholarships that you can explore to make your MHA education affordable.
• If you’ve completed your BSHA from this school and it has not been more than 10 years since, then, you may be eligible for a 25% tuition discount on your MHA through the “Returning Rambler Scholarship” offer.
Concentrations: Fundamentals of Design Thinking, Long-Term Care Administration, and Public Health Leadership
About the School: Are you looking at advancing your career in healthcare administration? If so, then enrolling in National Louis University’s MHA program may be a good idea. Not only will complete your training through a fine blend of online and on-campus learning, but you’ll also have a choice of concentrations to choose from. So here, based on your preferred area of interest, you can enroll in either the fundamentals of design thinking, long-term care administration, or public health leadership.
Program Details: This master of healthcare administration program in Chicago, regardless of the track requires completing a total of 36 credits. The common core courses that you take educate you on leadership in health services, ethical & legal issues, healthcare business, healthcare finance, healthcare informatics, marketing in healthcare, project management, and strategic management in healthcare.
If you opt for the Fundamentals of Design Thinking track, you’ll learn about innovation through empathy, and ideation & communication. For the Long-Term Care Administration track, you will obtain proficiency in the management of a long-term care facility. On the other hand, the Public Health Leadership track integrates public health courses into the MHA curriculum to prepare you for leadership roles in the sphere of public health.
Admission Requirements: For admission into this MHA in Chicago, you require to have an accredited bachelors with a minimum GPA of 3.0. In addition, you must submit three references, your transcripts, a resume, and a personal goals statement to fulfill the other admission requirements.
Key Highlights
• The college allows a transfer of up to nine credits. If allowed the transfer, you may be able to complete your MHA in Chicago sooner and with lesser costs.
• The college participates in many federal and state financial assistance programs. Also, it offers several private grants and scholarships to eligible students. To know whether you are eligible, you must check with the college’s financial aid office.
• If you are ambitious about your leadership career, then you can consider obtaining a second degree of an MBA in General Management and Health Services. Should you decide to enroll, you’ll be able to seamlessly transfer 15 MHA credits towards this second degree.
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