Value, Structure, and Curriculum in US Graduate Health Informatics Programs: Cross-Sectional Study

Graduate health informatics programs in the United States differ widely in cost, curriculum, and program design. However, it is unclear how these differences influence affordability, accreditation signaling, and preparation for a data-driven workforce.

This study aimed to evaluate the value (tuition and affordability), structure (delivery format, credit load, culminating experience, and accreditation), and curriculum (technology content emphasis) of US graduate health informatics programs. It examined how accreditation and modality relate to program design, and whether tuition-normalized curriculum breadth differed by accreditation status.

A cross-sectional study of 107 US graduate health informatics programs was conducted using publicly available data collected between January and May 2025. Tuition was standardized to cost per credit. Curricular content was coded for technology density and mapped to the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education domains. Comparative statistics, regression models, and exploratory cluster analyses were used to assess relationships between tuition, credit requirements, accreditation, delivery format, and curriculum characteristics.

Programs varied by delivery format, with 37 of 107 (34.6%) online, 32 of 107 (29.9%) hybrid, 23 of 107 (21.5%) in person, and 15 of 107 (14.0%) flexible. Credit requirements most commonly fell between 31 and 39 credits. Culminating experiences included capstone (54/107, 50.5%), internships (21/107, 19.6%), and thesis (7/107, 6.5%). Required credit hours showed modest variation by delivery format but not by accreditation status. Accreditation was not associated with differences in the tuition-normalized curriculum breadth structural proxy in this program-level analysis. Programs requiring internships had significantly higher mean credit loads than programs without internships (39.0 vs 31.3 credits; P=.005). Cluster analysis revealed 4 descriptive program configurations differentiated by cost, modality, credit requirements, and culminating experiences.

In this program-level descriptive analysis, accreditation status was not associated with differences in tuition-normalized curriculum breadth structural proxy. Instead, delivery format and internship requirements were descriptively associated with variation in credit load and cost. Improving transparency in tuition models and aligning program structure with curricular scope may support efforts to enhance equity and value in graduate health informatics education.