According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare jobs are projected to grow between 14% (lab techs) and 36% (dental assistants) over the next six years. Lab techs can take home as much as $74,680 a year, and pharmacy techs can make as much as $18.77 an hour. College graduates who major in healthcare also have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country at just 5.4% for recent grads and only 2.2% for experienced graduates.

Just search for the term “medical training,” and you’ll find scores of schools that offer training in the medical support professions – and much of it is online. In addition to being flexible, convenient, and affordable, online degrees in general have gained more acceptance in recent years.

In a 2010 survey, the Pope Center for Higher Education Policy found that 97% of employers rated graduates of Western Governors University (a nonprofit, online-only university and StraighterLine partner school) equal to or better than graduates of other universities—and 94% of employers were willing to hire WGU graduates. Western Governors University's College of Health Professions offers a selection of online healthcare degrees, including a Bachelor's of Science in Health Informatics and an MBA in Healthcare Management.

The same types of basic courses are required for most healthcare degrees or certifications, and before you can start your career in healthcare, you'll need to take them someplace. But the best place to take them is StraighterLine, where your course credits are guaranteed to transfer to any of our partner colleges or through the ACE CREDIT service to over 1,800 colleges and universities in the United States. Teaming up with StraighterLine can save you thousands—or even tens of thousands—of dollars on your healthcare career.