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Diploma Program

Medical Coding
Diploma Program Online

Calendar

CLASSES START
May 6th

10 Mo.

Program Length

25

Credits

Online

Format

$12,875

Total Tuition

Diploma Program

Medical Coding
Diploma Program Online

Earn a diploma in medical coding and start carving a new career path

AccreditationAccredited by the Higher Learning Commission
Transfer creditUp to 18 approved credits
Coding trainingIncludes training in inpatient (ICD-10) or outpatient (CPT) coding
CertificationBecome prepared for several coding certifications from AAPC and AHIMA
QuickPaths6 start dates per year; transfer credit, stackable credentials, and adaptive learning technology build a faster pathway to a higher education with Herzing University
Medical Coder Seated at Desk Smiling

Over 90%

Satisfaction rate

Our overall student satisfaction rate, according to the 2023 Herzing Graduate Survey.

Over 90%

Satisfaction rate

Our overall student satisfaction rate, according to the 2023 Herzing Graduate Survey.

Diploma in Medical Coding

Overview: Diploma in Medical Coding

The Diploma in Medical Coding is a 25-credit career diploma program which prepares you for a career as a medical coder. The online diploma program provides students with fundamental knowledge and skills in patient privacy, medical terminology, international classification of diseases, insurance claims, and much more.

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Career-focused curriculum

Discover the crucial knowledge and skills required to succeed in your work and build a foundation for continued career growth.

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Flexible schedule

You can take classes during the day or in the evening. We strive to be as flexible as possible for busy non-traditional students.

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Virtual services

Access to extensive virtual services, including academic advising, tutoring, support services, technical support and library services.

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Lifelong support

We support your ongoing career advancement by providing comprehensive, personalized student services with lifelong career coaching.

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Rolling admissions

No application deadlines to worry about. Apply when you’re ready and prepare to get started soon.

Classes Start May 6th

Learn More Today

Curriculum

Diploma in Medical Coding Program Curriculum

As a graduate of Herzing's diploma program in medical coding, you'll be prepared for an entry-level position as a medical coder in a hospital, clinic, physician's office or other healthcare facility. 

You'll have a working understanding of anatomy, physiology, disease processes, and medical terminology. You'll also be prepared to analyze medical records and assign codes to classify diagnoses and procedures.

ProgramMonthsiCredits
Diploma in Medical Coding1025
i. Average number of months for students to complete program
Program availability varies by location

Required Courses

All courses, 25.00 semester credit hours, are required.

Advancing Your Education

When greater career options are calling you, we're here to help you advance your Herzing education. You'll have a direct pathway to Herzing University's associate degree program in medical coding.

Tuition & Cost

Tuition & Cost

When you accept the 10% tuition discount from our Financial Commitment Scholarship, the cost of tuition for the Diploma in Medical Coding program is $464 per credit.1

You can potentially earn even greater savings by transferring credit from prior college coursework, applying for financial aid, or potential partnership opportunities through your employer.

Our goal is your career advancement. That’s why we are always working to improve our curriculum and processes to make our program as affordable as possible while preparing you best for success in your work.

Find my estimate

 Scholarships & Financial Aid

You may be eligible for multiple scholarships and grants, both through Herzing University and several national scholarship websites.

Find scholarships and grants 

 Military/Veteran Discounts

Veterans, Active Duty U.S. Servicemembers, and spouses may qualify for a 10% tuition discount or tuition reduction to $250 per credit.

VA/Military benefits 

i. Financial Commitment Scholarship eligibility requirements: Recommended that students limit student loan borrowing to only what is needed to cover the cost of tuition and fees. Students may borrow up to $2,000 in student loans in excess of tuition and fees to cover their cost of attendance and retain eligibility for this scholarship. Excess loan eligibility dependent on individual student situation.

Requirements

Medical coding diploma program enrollment prerequisites

Enrollment requirements for the Herzing University Medical Coding diploma program include:

  1. Hold a high school diploma, GED or equivalent
  2. Achieve the minimum score on one of several options for entrance testing, including the Wonderlic, ACT or SAT
  3. Meet with a Herzing admissions advisor
  4. Fill out an enrollment application

If you have any further questions, please contact us and we’ll fill in all the blanks.

Eligible states for enrollment: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, District Of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands.

Certifications

What coding certifications will I be eligible for?

Completing the diploma program in medical coding prepares you for two top industry certification exams, among others:

  • Certified Professional Coder (CPC) from the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC)
  • Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) from the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)

Exam prep is included as part of the curriculum. After graduation you will become eligible for several industry certifications.

By getting educated and earning experience in the field you may qualify for further certification in the future.2

Additional certifications

After completing the medical coding diploma program, you can also become eligible for several other coding certifications:i

  • Certified Coding Associate (CCA)
  • Certified Coding Specialist-Physician (CCS-P)
  • Certified Outpatient Coder (COC)
  • Certified Inpatient Coder (CIC)

i. Preparation for these specific certification exams is not part of our curriculum. But your training can help you qualify for certifications in areas of your choosing.

Classes Start May 6th

Waived Enrollment Fee
Careers

Ranked #4 Best Health Care Support Jobs of 2023 by U.S. News & World Report

With the increased demand for electronic health care records and medical treatment in general, the outlook for medical coding jobs is strong.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, national job openings for medical records technicians should grow by over 9% over the 2022-2032 period*.

By earning your diploma in medical coding with Herzing,  you'll have the choice to focus on the area of specialization that aligns with your career goals.

  • Outpatient Coding:  train for career opportunities in clinics, group practices and physicians' offices
  • Inpatient Coding: train for opportunities in hospitals and long-term care facilities

Possible job title include: Coding Specialist, Department Coder, Inpatient Coder

What about medical billing?

Medical coding and medical billing are separate jobs with unique roles and responsibilities.

Billers and coders work together to facilitate the healthcare revenue cycle. Coders interpret the care provided into the language a computer system can understand, and billers use these instructions to file insurance claims and post payments to accounts.

Develop enough experience in the field and you can potentially earn a larger role in both medical billing and coding—but many students pursue either billing or coding.

Learn more about our diploma program in medical billing and coding.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes!

Medical coding is a great career choice for detail-oriented people who work well on their own (a good option for introverts!) and seek a growing career field with opportunities for advancement.

Getting educated is your first step to finding the job you love. Become possible with Herzing University.

You can find an estimate for our medical coding program by using the Herzing University Tuition Wizard.

An affordable, career-focused education is within your reach. You may consider many different options for financial aid, including grants, scholarships, loans or student employment.

Herzing University offers several undergraduate healthcare degree and diploma options that you may earn online, in addition to medical coding and billing:

Each program is positioned uniquely to build a foundation for you to pursue the type of job in healthcare you’re looking for—whether it’s directly caring for patients, focusing on day-to-day administrative tasks or leading the way in a managerial role.

Our goal is to best prepare you to become an excellent medical coder who is ready to excel right away in your first entry-level coding job.

While earning a degree/diploma is not always required to earn certain coding certifications, getting educated can help you qualify for more job openings, hit the ground running at full speed and position you best for career advancement.

Inpatient coding refers to a diagnosis report for patients who require hospitalization and must be admitted for an extended stay. Inpatient coding uses Internal Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) coding systems.

Outpatient coding refers to reports outlining services for patients who aren’t required to be hospitalized, typically those who are released within 24 hours. Outpatient coding uses Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) coding systems.

Inpatient and outpatient coding also deal with unique payment and reimbursement systems you will need to be familiar with.

You may learn inpatient and/or outpatient coding depending on whether you choose the associate degree or diploma path.

Technology increasingly influences the evolution of the healthcare industry. Digital coding software called “encoders” can streamline the coding process and have provoked many to wonder about the future of medical coding.

Software can help to reduce the probability of human error but certainly does not replace what a human medical coder brings to the table: ability to decipher human documentation and the reasoning skills to accurately translate them into instructions for billing.

According to the projection from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for medical records and health information technicians (including medical coders) is expected to increase 9% from 2022-2032, faster than the average U.S. occupation.*

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), medical records specialists earn an average salary of $48,310 per year ($23.23 per hour).* 

Learn more about how much medical coders and billers can make, including a state-by-state breakdown and averages for different types of certified professionals.

There are a few primary differences between medical billing and coding and health information management.

Those who work in medical billing and coding, who may be referred to as medical records specialists, play a key role in the healthcare revenue cycle, ensuring Electronic Medical Records (EMR) are assembled accurately and entered into health information systems properly. They communicate with healthcare staff, insurance companies, and patients to best represent services provided (coding) and secure payment for those services (billers).

Health Information Management professionals (sometimes referred to as Health Information Technology – HIT) are responsible for maintaining, analyzing, and optimizing these systems. Their role is more on the backend, emphasizing informatics and Information Technology (IT). These professionals create, manage, and analyze the systems billers and coders rely on to maintain the Electronic Health Record (EHR). They can also play a wider role in data analysis, management, protection, and administration of patient health information.

Medical coders translate the care provided to a patient into codes a computer system can understand. Coders categorize both diagnoses and procedures performed to convert a story of medical treatment into concise codes used for determining the cost of care.

Coders must work closely with physicians, billers and other healthcare personnel to ensure costs are distributed appropriately and claims are filed correctly. Accurate coding helps the business of healthcare run much more smoothly.

Yes!

Herzing’s program features 100% online coursework for both the diploma and associate degree options.

The program does include a required research project or internship as part of the curriculum.

You can complete the research project online. If you choose the internship (pending eligibility in your state), you will be able to gain experience in a real working environment to best prepare you for your first entry-level job as a medical coder.

Locations

Program Finder

Diploma in Medical Coding Degree Programs

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On Campus| Online

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Accreditation

Accreditation & Disclosures

1. Based on student accepting awarded scholarship and completing the program within two semesters.

2. Certification in this program is not a state requirement.

Herzing University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

View Herzing University Accreditation and Approvals

* Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook 2022. BLS estimates do not represent entry-level wages and/or salaries. Multiple factors, including prior experience, age, geography market in which you want to work and degree field, will affect career outcomes and earnings. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the average salaries calculated by BLS for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, promotion, salary increase or other career growth.

I love my instructors and the staff at the Herzing University. Their help and encouragement is what helped me achieve my degree. At the age of 54, who knew that I had this kind of potential? Herzing did, my family and friends did, and finally I did after I saw what I could do. Herzing is the best, and I am possible!

cherryl_shields_testimonial.jpg

Cherryl R. Shields

Healthcare Program

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Herzing Tuition Wizard

When do you want to start classes?

The program has an automatic transfer of credits, and allows you to transfer up to additional credits.

  Transfer Credits

The program allows you to transfer up to credits.

  Transfer Credits

The program allows you to transfer up to credit hours.

  Transfer Credit Hours
Diploma in Medical Coding Online Campus
Tuition
Cost per Credit$515.00
Base Tuition$12,875.00
Savings from Transfer Credits (18 x $515.00 )(-$9,270.00)
Estimated Tuition Cost*$3,605.00
Fees
One-time Program Fee$0.00
Per-semester Program Fee$0.00
Per-semester Learner Resource Fee$530.00
Estimated Total Fee*$1,060.00
Total Semesters 1
RequiredNeeded
32
Total Credits
RequiredNeeded
257
Estimated Cost 2
Base CostYour Cost
$14,465.00$4,665.00
Estimated Savings*
$9,800.00

Available Scholarships & Loan Options

Who Can Apply

Available to applicants in any program that demonstrate a financial need, who are unable to cover cost of attendance with alternative resources

Requirements

Must show financial need and are unable to cover cost of attendance with alternative resources

Who Can Apply

Employees of a business participating in the Herzing Partnerships Program

Requirements
  • Documentation showing proof of employment is required
  • Recipients must be packaged at direct cost (receiving financial aid for tuition and fees only)

Questions?

Reach out to a member of the Financial Aid team at the Online campus:

1 

Actual semesters to complete are dependent upon university approved transfer credits and program mapping.

2 

Estimated program length, estimated number of semesters, and estimated program shown above are standard by program for each student based on: a student taking a full-time course load each semester, the student not having any transfer credits (from previous Herzing experiences or from other post-secondary institutions), and successful completion of each course.

Current tuition rates for all programs are effective through the Summer 2024 semester.