The Best Master's in Healthcare Administration Programs in New York for 2027
Key Points: Best Healthcare Administration Master's Programs in New York
- Columbia University in the City of New York ranks #1 in New York on a 95.5 Program Score, with a 96% graduation rate.
- Private schools hold most of the places on this list.
- Cornell University follows at #2 with a 95.0 Program Score.
- Programs analyzed
- 10
- Average graduation rate
- 80%
- Median salary (BLS)
- $123,860
We built this ranking of the best master's in healthcare administration in New York by scoring 10 healthcare administration programs on graduation rate, admission selectivity, cost, and outcomes, drawing on data from the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS system and BLS wage figures. Every school on this list runs an MHA or a closely related health administration master's, and what you'll pay varies enormously: in-state tuition among these ranked programs spans $7,070 to $68,380 a year. That's not a typo. Stony Brook University, a public research university on Long Island, charges $7,070 in-state and still lands at rank 3 with a 93.6 Program Score, proof that a low sticker price doesn't mean a weak program.
Averaged across the 10 master's programs we analyzed, the graduation rate comes in at 80%, though individual schools range from the high 50s to the mid-90s. Below, you'll find how we built this ranking, what a New York MHA actually costs once you strip away sticker-price noise, and what CAHME and AUPHA accreditation should mean to you before you apply. If you're comparing healthcare management programs across state lines or weighing an online format against on-campus, this page gives you the numbers to make that call yourself.
The Top Healthcare Administration Master's Programs in New York at a Glance
Columbia leads at 95.5, and Monroe closes the chart at 80.6. Longer bars rank higher.
How the Healthcare Administration Master's Programs in New York Are Scored
Each Program Score runs from 0 to 100: outcomes count for 44%, selectivity and academics for 38%, and scale and value for 18%, all from federal data. See how the weights work.
The 10 Best Healthcare Administration Master's Programs in New York, Ranked for 2027
The 10 best Healthcare Administration Master's Programs in New York, ranked by outcomes.
Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY · Nonprofit
- Grad rate
- 96%
- Admit rate
- 4%
- Tuition
- Varies by program
Columbia University in the City of New York's Master of Health Administration is offered in full-time, part-time and executive formats and is CAHME accredited.
- 96% graduation rate
- Program Score 95.5
- CAHME accredited, per the school
- Full-time, part-time and executive formats
Columbia University in the City of New York's Master of Health Administration (MHA) is run by the Department of Health Policy and Management, and it comes in three formats: full-time, part-time and executive. The cohort-based curriculum covers organizational leadership and management, health policy development and implementation, and public health and health systems administration. Courses use healthcare examples and case studies, and students build skills in finance, strategy, leadership and analytics. The program uses a competency model with 17 standardized competencies across all three formats, and the page states that the MHA is accredited by CAHME, the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education. Fieldwork and professional interaction in and around New York City supplement coursework.
Columbia graduates 96% of its students and admits 4% of applicants. The program's Program Score is 95.5 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. The three formats make it a fit both for early-career students who want a full-time degree and for working healthcare professionals who need a part-time or executive schedule, with employers in hospitals, consulting, insurance and pharmaceutical companies named on the page.
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY · Nonprofit
- Grad rate
- 95%
- Admit rate
- 9%
- Tuition
- Varies by program
Cornell University's Sloan MHA is a 64-credit residential degree, with a five-year BS/MHA and a 36.5-credit virtual executive option.
- 95% graduation rate
- Program Score 95
- 64-credit residential MHA
- Executive MHA, 36.5 credits, virtual
The Sloan Master of Health Administration at Cornell University is housed in the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy and prepares graduates to manage in hospitals, long-term care organizations, pharmaceutical companies and government agencies, with an emphasis on quality, access, efficiency and innovation. It comes in three forms. The residential MHA is a 64-credit-hour management curriculum for early careerists on the Ithaca campus. A combined five-year BS/MHA is open to current Cornell undergraduates in specified majors. The Executive MHA is a 36.5-credit-hour curriculum offered virtually for experienced health care professionals. The curriculum covers management and leadership, health care systems, health policy, finance, accounting and marketing.
Cornell graduates 95% of its students and admits 9% of applicants. The program's Program Score is 95 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. The options make it a fit for a recent graduate who wants a two-year residential degree in Ithaca, a Cornell undergraduate planning a five-year path, or an experienced clinician or manager who needs a virtual format. Applicants should confirm current requirements and deadlines with the program before applying.
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY · Public
- Grad rate
- 76%
- Admit rate
- 49%
- Tuition
- Varies by program
A fully online, CAHME-accredited Master of Health Administration from Stony Brook University's Medicine, delivered asynchronously with a capstone.
- Program Score 93.6
- 76% graduation rate
- 49% admit rate
- Fully online, asynchronous MHA
Stony Brook University's Master of Health Administration is run by the Program in Public Health at Stony Brook Medicine and is described as CAHME-accredited and fully online. Students can finish remotely in an asynchronous format, supplemented by optional synchronous sessions, which the page says suits working professionals, parents and caregivers. The curriculum pairs general management with healthcare topics: the U.S. health system, finance and accounting, health law and compliance, quality improvement, information systems, strategic planning, physician practice management and long-term care administration. Population health courses add biostatistics and epidemiology, health economics and policy, and the social and behavioral determinants of health. The degree ends with an integrative experience and capstone courses. Faculty include full-time members with terminal degrees and active practitioners.
The program earns a Program Score of 93.6 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. Stony Brook University graduates 76% of its students and admits 49% of applicants, a more selective profile than many peers. The program fits healthcare workers and aspiring managers who need schedule flexibility and want a credential grounded in population health. The page cites Bureau of Labor Statistics projections of 23% growth for medical and health services managers from 2024 to 2034.
New York University
New York, NY · Nonprofit
- Grad rate
- 88%
- Admit rate
- 9%
- Tuition
- Varies by program
This CAHME-accredited online MHA is part-time, built for working professionals, and includes an in-person immersion in New York University's City.
- 88% graduation rate
- Program Score 93.3
- CAHME-accredited
- Online, part-time, no GRE or GMAT
New York University's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service offers an online Master of Health Administration. The page describes it as CAHME-accredited, part-time and designed for working professionals, with no GRE or GMAT required. Students meet professors and peers in weekly live online sessions. The second term includes an intensive in-person immersion in New York City, where students work through case studies and assignments. A culminating team project uses a healthcare system simulation to tackle real-world problems with the skills built during the program. The curriculum emphasizes health equity and the social, economic and political factors behind health outcomes, and the school says faculty come from senior management roles at healthcare systems, organizations and agencies.
NYU is a private nonprofit university in New York City. About 88% of students graduate, and the school admits 9% of applicants. The program earns a Program Score of 93.3 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It fits working healthcare professionals who want a management degree without leaving their jobs, can commit to live weekly sessions, and can travel to New York once for the immersion.
Fordham University
Bronx, NY · Nonprofit
- Grad rate
- 82%
- Admit rate
- 59%
- Tuition
- Varies by program
A CAHME-accredited, one-year MS in Health Administration of 31 credits taught in weekend classes in Manhattan.
- 82% graduation rate
- Program Score 89
- 31 credits in one year
- Weekend classes at Lincoln Center
Fordham University's MS in Health Administration is a one-year, accelerated-style program of 14 courses and 31 credits, offered through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The school reports CAHME accreditation. Classes meet on alternating weekends at the Lincoln Center campus in midtown Manhattan, with some intensives and online instruction, and students move through as a cohort. The curriculum covers finance, communication and negotiation, operations, electronic medical records, leadership, law and regulation, and ethics. Students complete a yearlong case study and a mentored capstone project focused on policy-relevant research, and receive complimentary membership in the American College of Healthcare Executives. The page lists graduates working at systems such as Mount Sinai, NYU Langone and Memorial Sloan Kettering.
Fordham graduates 82% of its students and admits 59% of applicants. The program has a Program Score of 89 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. The weekend, full-time format suits people who want to keep working while completing the degree in a single year, including clinicians and administrators aiming for management roles in hospitals, practices, insurers and public health.
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY · Nonprofit
- Grad rate
- 85%
- Admit rate
- 40%
- Tuition
- Varies by program
The 31-credit Leadership in Healthcare Systems master's runs hybrid in the evenings and can be finished part-time in as little as five semesters.
- Program Score 87
- 85% graduation rate
- 31 credits, as few as five semesters
- Evening hybrid-online classes
The University of Rochester School of Nursing offers a 31-credit master's in Leadership in Healthcare Systems for working professionals from healthcare-related backgrounds. The page describes a hybrid-online format, with coursework offered in person or online in the evenings, and says students can finish part-time in as little as five semesters. The curriculum is interdisciplinary and focuses on the big-picture challenges facing healthcare systems, including efficient, high-quality and safe patient care delivery. Students complete a hands-on capstone project and a mentored field placement with healthcare leaders across Western New York, which adds real management experience and professional contacts.
Federal data show an 85% graduation rate at the University of Rochester and a 40% admit rate, so admission is selective. The program earns a Program Score of 87 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It fits managers and aspiring leaders already working in or near healthcare who need an evening schedule and want a practical capstone and field placement rather than a purely classroom degree. The school lists an application deadline of Sept. 15 for a Spring 2027 start.
Hofstra University
Hempstead, NY · Nonprofit
- Grad rate
- 69%
- Admit rate
- 68%
- Tuition
- Varies by program
A 48-credit Master of Health Administration offered on Long Island or fully online, with a CAHME-accredited in-person option.
- 69% graduation rate
- Program Score 85.4
- 48-credit curriculum
- On campus or asynchronous online
Hofstra University's Master of Health Administration is a 48-credit program that students can complete on campus on Long Island or online. The in-person option is described as CAHME-accredited, combines traditional study with field-based experience, and can be finished in two years, with students free to move between part-time and full-time. The online option is asynchronous, with weekly modules, recorded lectures, readings and activities that students complete on their own schedule. Most in-person courses are taught by health service practitioners, each student is assigned a faculty advisor, and internships are built into the curriculum. The program is housed in the Department of Population Health and prepares graduates for leadership in hospitals, healthcare facilities, insurers, pharmaceutical companies and consulting firms.
Hofstra graduates 69% of its students and admits 68% of applicants. The program has a Program Score of 85.4 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. The two formats fit both full-time students who want a campus experience and working professionals who need an online route into health services management.
Touro University
New York, NY · Nonprofit
- Grad rate
- 72%
- Admit rate
- 61%
- Tuition
- Varies by program
Touro University's MS in Healthcare Management charges $19,472 in tuition, less than a third of what Fordham or Rochester charge for their New York health administration master's.
- 85.2 Program Score
- 72% graduation rate
- $19,472 tuition, about $37,000 to $46,000 below Hofstra, Fordham, and Rochester
- MS in Healthcare Management, Graduate School of Business
Touro University's Graduate School of Business offers an MS in Healthcare Management, built to prepare students to manage both patient outcomes and organizational performance as healthcare costs and complexity keep rising. Touro's own program page is thin on details like credit count or format, but the school positions the degree around the operational and financial skills healthcare organizations need from their managers.
The program holds a Program Score of 85.2 on a 72% graduation rate and a 61% admit rate. Where it separates itself is cost: $19,472 in tuition against $56,545 at Hofstra, $62,990 at Fordham, and $65,870 at Rochester, a savings of roughly $37,000 to $46,000 depending on the comparison. Enrollment sits at 11,937. That price gap makes Touro the value play for a cost-conscious applicant willing to accept less published detail about the program's structure in exchange for a master's that costs a fraction of its New York peers.
Clarkson University
Potsdam, NY · Nonprofit · online option
- Grad rate
- 75%
- Admit rate
- 77%
- Tuition
- Varies by program
Clarkson University says its MBA in Healthcare Management is one of only nine programs in the country with dual AACSB and CAHME accreditation.
- 75% graduation rate
- Program Score 81.6
- 42 credits, as little as one year
- Online, full- or part-time
Clarkson University's Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Management is a 42-credit program of 14 courses, 13 required and one elective. The core covers healthcare finance, health economics, healthcare operations, health law, health informatics, health policy and managerial epidemiology, and it ends with a capstone on strategic issues for health organizations. Students can finish in as little as one year full time or in two to four years part time, and the school says the program can be completed entirely online. An internship is required but may be waived for students with professional managerial experience in healthcare. Clarkson reports dual AACSB and CAHME accreditation, one of only nine programs nationally, and says all graduates find a position in their field within three months.
Clarkson graduates 75% of its students, and it admits 77% of applicants, so admission is selective but not extreme. The page lists automatic admission for applicants with a 3.25 undergraduate GPA, or a 3.0 plus a GMAT score of 500, and GMAT or GRE scores are otherwise optional. The Program Score of 81.6 out of 100 is the basis of this program's ranking. The format suits working professionals who want a management credential rather than a clinical one, and graduates who want to move into hospital, insurer or consulting roles.
Monroe University
Bronx, NY · For-profit · online option
- Grad rate
- 57%
- Admit rate
- 68%
- Tuition
- Varies by program
A 42-credit MS in Health Care Administration offered online or hybrid, with a three-semester accelerated calendar for full-time students.
- 57% graduation rate
- Program Score 80.6
- 42 credits with capstone
- Online or hybrid format
Monroe University's King Graduate School offers a Master of Science in Health Care Administration online or in a hybrid online and on-campus format. The program totals 42 credits: 36 credits of required core courses, including a capstone, and 6 elective credits. Coursework covers health care policy, law and regulation, economics, research methods, marketing and strategic planning, health information systems, and organizational behavior and leadership. The program runs five semesters, and full-time students can finish in under two years on the accelerated three-semester academic calendar. The school aims to prepare leaders across the private, nonprofit and government sectors, with ties to medical facilities in New York City. The page cites Bureau of Labor Statistics projections of strong growth for medical and health services managers.
Monroe graduates 57% of its students and admits 68% of applicants. The program has a Program Score of 80.6 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. The online and hybrid options suit working adults who want a management-focused degree without relocating or attending campus full time.
Graduation Rates at the Ranked Healthcare Administration Master's Programs in New York
The median school on this list graduates 79% of its students. The highest rates belong to Columbia University in the City of New York (96%) and Cornell University (95%). The school with the highest rate is also ranked #1.
- #1 Columbia University in the City of New York96% graduation rate
- #2 Cornell University95% graduation rate
- #4 New York University88% graduation rate
Institution-wide graduation rates reported to IPEDS. They describe the whole school, not this program alone.
How Selective Are the Healthcare Administration Master's Programs in New York?
On this list, 5 schools admit fewer than half of applicants, the most selective being Columbia University in the City of New York at 4%.
- #1 Columbia University in the City of New York4% admitted
- #2 Cornell University9% admitted
- #4 New York University9% admitted
Institution-wide admit rates for first-time applicants, reported to IPEDS. Open-admission schools do not report one.
Public and Private Healthcare Administration Master's Programs in New York
This list holds 1 public, 8 private nonprofit, and 1 for-profit schools.
Control (public, private nonprofit, for-profit) as reported to IPEDS. Public schools usually charge residents less; private schools charge everyone the same rate.
Where the Healthcare Administration Master's Programs in New York Are
The 10 ranked schools are spread across 7 cities. New York (3) and Bronx (2) are the only ones with more than one ranked school.
Main campus city as reported to IPEDS.
Campus Size Across the Healthcare Administration Master's Programs in New York
Enrollment on this list runs from 3,348 at Clarkson University to 56,832 at New York University. Of the 10, 4 enroll 20,000 students or more and 1 enrolls fewer than 5,000.
Total institution enrollment reported to IPEDS, all levels and programs.
What Graduates of the Healthcare Administration Master's Programs in New York Earn
| Rank | School | Median earnings, 4 years outEarnings, 4 yrs |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Columbia University in the City of New YorkColumbia | $144,395 |
| #2 | Cornell UniversityCornell | $141,532 |
| #3 | Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook | $99,795 |
| #4 | New York UniversityNYU | $133,466 |
| #7 | Hofstra UniversityHofstra | $89,928 |
| #9 | Clarkson UniversityClarkson | $108,604 |
Four years out, medians on this list run from $89,928 at Hofstra to $144,395 at Columbia.
Columbia leads on both counts: the top rank among these schools and the highest graduate pay.
College Scorecard, October 2026 release. Earnings cover each school's programs in this field at this degree level.
What Master's in Healthcare Administration Programs Cost in New York
The best master's in healthcare administration in New York programs don't share a price tag. In-state tuition among the 10 schools we ranked spans $7,070 to $68,380 a year, a $61,310 gap that has more to do with public versus private funding than with program quality. Stony Brook University, a public school, charges $7,070 a year and still ranks third overall with a 93.6 Program Score. Cornell University, a private Ivy, charges $68,380, nearly ten times as much, and ranks second with a 95 Program Score, 1.4 points ahead of Stony Brook.
Run the math on a typical two-year MHA. At Stony Brook's in-state rate, two years of tuition totals roughly $14,140. At Cornell's rate, two years runs about $136,760. That $122,620 difference is nearly equal to a full year of the $123,860 national median salary the BLS reports for medical and health services managers. That salary figure is national and identical for every graduate of every program on this list; it isn't something Cornell or Stony Brook delivers differently, so weigh it against what each school's price actually buys: smaller cohorts, a specific hospital-system pipeline, or a brand name that carries weight in your target market.
Between those extremes sit programs like Touro University at $19,472 and Monroe University at $16,344, both a fraction of the Manhattan private-school rate. If cost is your primary filter among healthcare administration programs, start with the public and lower-cost private options before you assume the most expensive name is the safer bet.
Licensure and Certification in Healthcare Administration
Unlike accounting or law, most healthcare administration programs don't lead to a state licensing exam. The BLS notes that medical and health services managers generally don't need a license to practice, with one exception: nursing home administrators, who must be licensed in all 50 states, typically after completing a bachelor's or master's degree plus a state-administered exam. If you're headed toward hospital, health system, or group-practice administration rather than nursing home administration, none of the 10 programs on this list require you to pass a licensing exam before you can start working.
What you'll see instead is voluntary board certification, a fellowship-style credential many healthcare executives pursue years into their careers, after they've built a management track record, not something tied to a specific school's pass rate right out of the MHA. Because certification in this field is voluntary and comes after work experience rather than immediately after graduation, the more useful signal when comparing these programs is accreditation, not an exam pass rate.
Why CAHME and AUPHA Accreditation Matters
The accreditation that matters most among healthcare administration programs is CAHME, the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education. CAHME accredits master's-level healthcare management programs against standards covering curriculum, faculty qualifications, and post-graduation outcomes, playing a role similar to what AACSB plays for business schools. When a program is accredited by CAHME, employers across hospital systems and health networks recognize it; some director and administrator roles specifically ask for a CAHME-accredited degree.
AUPHA, the Association of University Programs in Health Administration, is the second name worth knowing. AUPHA runs a network of undergraduate and graduate healthcare management programs, certifies undergraduate programs directly, and supports the quality standards that feed into CAHME's graduate-level review. Before you apply to any of the programs in New York on this list, check the program's own site for its CAHME or AUPHA status. A degree without either affiliation isn't automatically weak, but it puts more weight on the school's general reputation and less on a third party's standards check.
Master's vs. Other Healthcare Administration Degree Levels
This ranking covers the master's level only, not the bachelor's, certificate, or doctoral tiers some of these same schools also offer. We focus here because the Master of Health Administration, or MHA, is the degree hospital systems, health insurers, and group practices actually screen for when hiring into management and director-track roles. A bachelor's in health administration gets you into entry-level coordinator or analyst jobs; the master's is what moves you toward department head, director, or VP-track positions.
Some schools on this list, such as Touro University, also run bachelor's or certificate pathways in health administration, but this ranking scores only the master's-level program at each school. If you already hold a bachelor's in an unrelated field, that's normal for this field: most healthcare administration programs at the master's level are designed for career-changers and expect you to close gaps through coursework, not through a specific undergraduate major.
Online Master's in Healthcare Administration Programs in New York
Online and hybrid formats have become standard among healthcare administration programs, and New York is no exception. Working professionals headed into hospital or health-system management often can't leave a job for two full-time years on campus, and several of the 10 programs on this list are built with that reality in mind. Touro University, at $19,472 in-state, and Monroe University, at $16,344, are lower-cost options worth checking for remote or hybrid delivery directly with the school.
An online MHA from a CAHME-accredited program carries the same accreditation as the on-campus version at that school, so the credential on your resume doesn't announce which format you used. What changes is pace and cost: an accelerated or asynchronous format can let you keep working full-time while you study, which matters if you're trying to avoid the $122,620 two-year cost gap we calculated between the cheapest and most expensive programs here. Confirm the specific delivery format directly with each school. Format details shift year to year and aren't something IPEDS tracks consistently.
- #9 Clarkson UniversityPotsdam, NY
- #10 Monroe UniversityBronx, NY
Based on each school reporting distance-education offerings to IPEDS. Whether this specific degree is fully online varies, so confirm the format with the school.
Healthcare Administration Salary and Job Outlook
Every graduate of every program on this list enters the same national labor market. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook puts the median salary for medical and health services managers at $123,860 a year. That figure is national, not specific to Columbia, Cornell, or any other single school; it's the benchmark against which you should weigh a program's cost, not a promise tied to any one diploma.
Healthcare management is one of the more stable paths within healthcare administration because demand tracks the health system itself: hospitals, outpatient clinics, insurers, and long-term care facilities all need administrators regardless of the economic cycle. For detailed wage data by metro area, the BLS OEWS program breaks salaries down further than the national median alone, which matters if you're deciding whether a New York City program is worth the area's higher cost of living compared to accepting a role somewhere else after graduation.
Graduation rate is a rough proxy for how supported you'll be finishing the degree once you enroll. Across the 10 healthcare administration programs we analyzed, that rate ranges from 57% at Monroe University to 96% at Columbia University, a 39-point gap. A lower graduation rate doesn't automatically mean a bad program, some schools serve more working adults who stop out and return, but it's worth asking the admissions office directly what drives the number before you commit two years and a five- or six-figure tuition bill.
Keep Exploring
Healthcare Administration Master's Programs in New York: Your Questions, Answered
How long does a master's in healthcare administration take?
Is an online master's in healthcare administration respected by employers?
How much do master's in healthcare administration programs cost in New York?
What is a good graduation rate for a healthcare administration program?
Do I need to pass a licensing exam after a healthcare administration master's?
Data Sources
- U.S. Dept. of Education (IPEDS)
- BLS Occupational Outlook: Medical and Health Services Managers
- BLS wage data (OEWS)
- CAHME (Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education)
- AUPHA (Association of University Programs in Health Administration)
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (earnings by field of study; net price)