Kentucky sits 6th from the bottom of the country on median pay
for this work and its best-paid tenth earn within $7,400 of the national
best-paid tenth. Choosing among the 6 healthcare administration
programs in Kentucky is therefore less about the typical salary than about which
end of an unusually long distribution the degree is meant to reach.
A Low Median with a Nearly National Ceiling
Most low-paying states on this site are low-paying throughout. Mississippi's
median and its top decile are both near the bottom of the table. Kentucky is
not that. Its median of $103,450 is 6th from the
bottom, while its ninetieth percentile of $216,940 sits only
$7,400 below the national $224,340. Divide the top
decile by the bottom and Kentucky returns 3.70, against
3.06 nationally and a rank of
2nd widest in the country.
What that describes is a state with a handful of large health systems paying
near national rates for senior leadership, and a much larger number of
clinic, practice and long-term care management posts paying Kentucky rates.
The bachelor's degrees below open the second group. The first is generally
reached later, through a master's and through scale of responsibility, which
is why the 2 accredited graduate programs in the state are
worth noting at this stage rather than after graduation.
The practical consequence is about debt tolerance. In a state where the median
is $103,450, borrowing against the $216,940 figure is
borrowing against an outcome most people in the occupation do not reach. The
ranking below is unusually easy to act on for that reason: the public
programs are both cheaper and stronger on completion, so the cautious choice
and the high-scoring choice are the same choice.
1 Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration
Western Kentucky
Fully online
Bowling Green, KY
$11,652 in-state tuition56% graduation rate94% admit rate64.3 score
Western Kentucky's Health Care Administration B.S. requires a 250-hour internship, with a longer placement for students choosing its NAB-accredited long-term-care pathway.
The curriculum includes health literacy, quality management, long-term and ambulatory care, finance and informatics. Students need 30 credits, specified prerequisites and a 2.5 overall GPA for admission to the major. Core and prerequisite courses require at least a C.
The standard bachelor's internship is 250 hours. The NAB pathway combines the degree with the Long-Term Care Administration certificate and a 1,000-hour internship, including at least 501 hours in a skilled nursing facility. That additional pathway has its own requirements.
- 250-hour standard internship
- Optional long-term-care pathway
- Health informatics laboratory
- 2.5 major-entry GPA
View Western Kentucky's Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration
2 Bachelor of Science in Medical and Health Services Management
American National University-Pikeville
Fully online
Pikeville, KY
$11,484 in-state tuition50% graduation rate61.1 score
American National's Medical and Health Services Management B.S. lists delivery options for Pikeville, Kentucky, that combine live video with asynchronous online learning.
The program builds on prior allied health education. Its core includes medical practice management, accounting and billing, revenue management, quality improvement, data analytics and evidence-based research. Students also study collaboration, negotiation and conflict management.
For Pikeville, Kentucky, the university lists both distance and blended study. Distance courses combine synchronous video and asynchronous work; the blended option adds limited campus residency. ANU's admissions requirements include a healthcare-related certificate, diploma or associate degree from an accredited institution, a 2.0 GPA, and healthcare licensure or certification or at least 12 months of healthcare work experience.
- Allied health completion pathway
- Delivery for Pikeville, KY explicitly listed
- Live video and asynchronous study
- Blended option adds campus residency
View American National University-Pikeville's Bachelor of Science in Medical and Health Services Management
3 Bachelor of Health Sciences in Clinical Leadership and Management
University of Kentucky
On campus CAHME master's on campus
Lexington, KY
$12,109 in-state tuition71% graduation rate93% admit rate60.3 score
Kentucky's Clinical Leadership and Management B.H.S. includes foundation and advanced practica, and the university identifies it as an AUPHA-certified undergraduate program.
Students study health care operations, finance, quality improvement, policy and organizational leadership. The published major map places a foundation practicum and an advanced practicum in the later part of the degree, alongside coursework in management and ethics.
Admission to the major is selective. Applicants need at least a 2.8 GPA for consideration, and the committee also reviews leadership, activities and essays. Meeting the GPA threshold does not guarantee a place. The university reports initial AUPHA certification in 2024.
- Foundation and advanced practica
- Selective major admission
- 2.8 minimum consideration GPA
- School-reported AUPHA certification
View University of Kentucky's Bachelor of Health Sciences in Clinical Leadership and Management
4 Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration
Midway
Fully online
Midway, KY
$17,990 in-state tuition41% graduation rate95% admit rate55.8 score
Midway's 120-credit Health Care Administration B.S. combines eight-week online coursework with two Health Careers and Practicum courses and a capstone.
The major includes financial and managerial accounting, health insurance claims management, delivery systems, health care policy and organizational finance. Its course list also includes business research, medical vocabulary and application software.
Midway delivers the coursework online in eight-week modules. Current undergraduates can apply for its M.H.A. 4+1 pathway, which allows up to six credits toward the master's degree. The practicum sequence remains part of the bachelor's curriculum.
- 120-credit B.S.
- Eight-week online modules
- Two practicum courses
- Optional M.H.A. 4+1 pathway
View Midway's Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration
5 Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management
Campbellsville
Fully online
Campbellsville, KY
$27,498 in-state tuition42% graduation rate80% admit rate54.9 score
Campbellsville offers its Healthcare Management B.S. both at the campus in Campbellsville, Kentucky, and through CU Online, using cases and projects to apply business principles.
The curriculum addresses health care systems, policy, finance, compliance, ethics and organizational leadership. Case studies and current management scenarios give students practice applying those subjects to the operation of health care organizations.
The program page lists a 2.0 minimum GPA for applicants, along with proof of high school completion or a GED and transcripts from earlier study. Its undergraduate focus includes team leadership and the managerial decisions made in hospitals, clinics and other health services.
- Campus and CU Online options
- Case studies and projects
- Health care policy and compliance
- 2.0 minimum application GPA
View Campbellsville's Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management
6 Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration
Georgetown
On campus
Georgetown, KY
$41,840 in-state tuition49% graduation rate91% admit rate40.7 score
Georgetown College's Healthcare Administration B.S. has a 51-credit major, a required internship and a senior assessment tied to value-based care.
The major combines 42 core credits with nine allied credits. Students study accounting, economics, finance, marketing, human resources and U.S. health care delivery. Allied requirements add statistics, mathematics and a choice of business or medical ethics.
Three credits of internship are required. The senior comprehensive experience takes place in Value Based Healthcare Administration, which connects finance and quality. Assessment includes a written examination and the standardized Comprehensive Business Exam.
- 51-credit major
- Three-credit internship
- Value-based care senior course
- Business and medical ethics options
View Georgetown's Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration
How We Scored Kentucky's Healthcare Administration Programs
Graduation rate carries 40% of the score, in-state tuition 25%, delivery
flexibility 20% and admission selectivity 15%. Every input is federal IPEDS data
or the school's own program page, and a program has to report both a graduation
rate and a tuition figure, and still be enrolling new students, to be ranked at
all. Weights are never renormalized
around a missing factor, because that turns non-disclosure into an advantage. The
same model runs on every state page, with no editorial override and no paid
placement. The full weighting, and the factors left out deliberately, are in the
ranking methodology (version 1.0).
No accreditation factor appears at this level. CAHME accredits healthcare
management programs at master's level only, so no bachelor's degree anywhere
carries it, and an undergraduate program claiming otherwise is describing
something that does not exist. Where a school states AUPHA certification on its
own page, that is reported on the program rather than scored.