Philadelphia has two of the country's 22 AHIMA PCAP-approved coding programs inside one commute, and neither is in the city. Camden County College is across the river in Blackwood, New Jersey, and Delaware County Community College is in Media. They take the top two places here because independent review is worth more in the ranking than anything else.
Two names lower down need a note. Drexel and Thomas Jefferson appear because each awards a coding certificate, and the tuition shown for them is the university's full annual tuition, not the price of the certificate.
Top 11 medical coding programs in Philadelphia in 2026
The top 11 medical coding programs in Philadelphia are ranked below on the same model as our national and Pennsylvania lists: independent review, cost, track record, delivery and credential fit. Philadelphia here means the whole Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan area as the federal government draws it, not the city limits, because that is the area a student actually commutes across, and it is why programs in Delaware and New Jersey appear on a Philadelphia list. Of the 16 institutions in it, 11 publish an annual tuition figure and graduated coders in the latest year, which is what scoring needs; the rest are listed in full further down.
A program scores exactly what it scores on its state page, since cost is measured against every rankable program in the country. Only its position changes. The methodology has the weights.
- #1 AHIMA PCAP approved
Camden County College
Blackwood, NJ · Public · Medical Coding Certificate
89.9
of 100
Online available Certificate 39 credits Practicum includedWhy it ranks in the Philadelphia area
From its campus in Blackwood, NJ, Camden County College places #1 among the 11 medical coding programs we scored in the Philadelphia area. AHIMA has reviewed this program under its Professional Certificate Approval Program, the one independent program review this field has. Medical Coding Certificate: 39 credits, three semesters. Splits diagnostic and procedural coding across two courses and adds a separate advanced ambulatory coding course, so outpatient work gets its own treatment. Delivery is the certificate can be completed online.
Tuition
$3,960 a year, in-district
Facts on this card come from the Camden County College program page
Score breakdown
- Independent review 35.0/35
- Published tuition 16.9/25
- Track record 20.0/20
- Online availability 12.0/12
- Credential fit 6.0/8
-
- #2 AHIMA PCAP approved
Delaware County Community College
Media, PA · Public · Medical Coding and Billing, Certificate of Proficiency
81.4
of 100
Online available Certificate + associate 49 credits Practicum included Preps CCAPreps CCSPreps CCS-PWhy it ranks in the Philadelphia area
From its campus in Media, PA, Delaware County Community College places #2 among the 11 medical coding programs we scored in the Philadelphia area. Graduates are told they may sit CCA, CCS and CCS-P, which is a wider set than most programs name. Expect 49 credits for the Medical Coding and Billing, Certificate of Proficiency, five semesters full time, six part time. A stackable credential that feeds directly into the Health Information Technology pathway. Delivery is available 100% online through synchronous and asynchronous courses.
Tuition
$6,660 a year, in-district
Facts on this card come from the Delaware County Community College program page
Score breakdown
- Independent review 35.0/35
- Published tuition 6.4/25
- Track record 20.0/20
- Online availability 12.0/12
- Credential fit 8.0/8
-
- #3
Community College of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA · Public
51.9
of 100
Online available CertificateWhy it ranks in the Philadelphia area
From its campus in Philadelphia, PA, Community College of Philadelphia places #3 among the 11 medical coding programs we scored in the Philadelphia area. At $4,632 a year in district, it is about 30% below the median of $6,660 across medical coding programs we scored in the Philadelphia area. 15 awards in the latest year, and awards in each of the three years before it, which is the check we run for whether a program is actually operating. No independent program review is on record for this one, which is the normal position in medical coding rather than a mark against it. IPEDS records the college as offering undergraduate programs that can be finished entirely at a distance, an institution-level flag, so confirm with the the Philadelphia area campus that the coding award itself runs online.
Tuition
$4,632 a year, in-district
Facts on this card come from Community College of Philadelphia
Score breakdown
- Independent review 0.0/35
- Published tuition 13.9/25
- Track record 20.0/20
- Online availability 12.0/12
- Credential fit 6.0/8
-
- #4
Bucks County Community College
Newtown, PA · Public
50.7
of 100
Online available Certificate + associateWhy it ranks in the Philadelphia area
From its campus in Newtown, PA, Bucks County Community College places #4 among the 11 medical coding programs we scored in the Philadelphia area. At $4,984 a year in district, it is about 25% below the median of $6,660 across medical coding programs we scored in the Philadelphia area. Online study is available here, though the federal flag covers the college rather than this specific award, which is worth confirming with an the Philadelphia area advisor. It has graduated students in all three of the years we checked, most recently 21. It awards both a certificate and an associate degree, so a student can take the short route first and come back for the degree.
Tuition
$4,984 a year, in-district
Score breakdown
- Independent review 0.0/35
- Published tuition 10.7/25
- Track record 20.0/20
- Online availability 12.0/12
- Credential fit 8.0/8
-
- #5
Rowan College at Burlington County
Mount Laurel, NJ · Public
48.9
of 100
Online available CertificateWhy it ranks in the Philadelphia area
From its campus in Mount Laurel, NJ, Rowan College at Burlington County places #5 among the 11 medical coding programs we scored in the Philadelphia area. At $4,968 a year in district, it is about 25% below the median of $6,660 across medical coding programs we scored in the Philadelphia area. No program-level approval is recorded. Read that as the field's norm, not as a finding about this college, whose institutional accreditation is a separate matter. Distance study is on offer at this the Philadelphia area college, though the federal record does not say whether the coding certificate itself is delivered that way. It has graduated students in all three of the years we checked, most recently 10.
Tuition
$4,968 a year, in-district
Facts on this card come from Rowan College at Burlington County
Score breakdown
- Independent review 0.0/35
- Published tuition 10.9/25
- Track record 20.0/20
- Online availability 12.0/12
- Credential fit 6.0/8
-
- #6
Montgomery County Community College
Blue Bell, PA · Public
45.0
of 100
Online available CertificateWhy it ranks in the Philadelphia area
From its campus in Blue Bell, PA, Montgomery County Community College places #6 among the 11 medical coding programs we scored in the Philadelphia area. There is no program-level review on record here. That is unremarkable in this field, where only 22 programs nationally carry one. It has graduated students in all three of the years we checked, most recently 40. Tuition of $6,270 a year sits close to the $6,660 median for medical coding programs we scored in the Philadelphia area. IPEDS records the college as offering undergraduate programs that can be finished entirely at a distance, an institution-level flag, so confirm with the the Philadelphia area campus that the coding award itself runs online.
Tuition
$6,270 a year, in-district
Facts on this card come from Montgomery County Community College
Score breakdown
- Independent review 0.0/35
- Published tuition 7.0/25
- Track record 20.0/20
- Online availability 12.0/12
- Credential fit 6.0/8
-
- #7
Peirce College
Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit
40.5
of 100
Online available CertificateWhy it ranks in the Philadelphia area
From its campus in Philadelphia, PA, Peirce College places #7 among the 11 medical coding programs we scored in the Philadelphia area. Tuition of $15,060 runs about 126% above the $6,660 median for medical coding programs we scored in the Philadelphia area, which is worth weighing against what else the program includes. The institution runs fully online undergraduate programs, a flag covering the college as a whole, so ask the the Philadelphia area campus whether this award is among them. It has graduated students in all three of the years we checked, most recently 37. No independent program review is on record for this one, which is the normal position in medical coding rather than a mark against it.
Tuition
$15,060 a year, in-district
Score breakdown
- Independent review 0.0/35
- Published tuition 2.5/25
- Track record 20.0/20
- Online availability 12.0/12
- Credential fit 6.0/8
-
- #8
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit
38.1
of 100
Online available CertificateWhy it ranks in the Philadelphia area
From its campus in Philadelphia, PA, Thomas Jefferson University places #8 among the 11 medical coding programs we scored in the Philadelphia area. Tuition of $45,533 runs about 584% above the $6,660 median for medical coding programs we scored in the Philadelphia area, which is worth weighing against what else the program includes. Federal completions show awards in each of the last three years, 2 in the most recent, so this is a running program rather than a listed one. No independent program review is on record for this one, which is the normal position in medical coding rather than a mark against it. Online study is available here, though the federal flag covers the college rather than this specific award, which is worth confirming with an the Philadelphia area advisor.
Tuition
$45,533 a year, in-district
Score breakdown
- Independent review 0.0/35
- Published tuition 0.1/25
- Track record 20.0/20
- Online availability 12.0/12
- Credential fit 6.0/8
-
- #9
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit
38.0
of 100
Online available CertificateWhy it ranks in the Philadelphia area
From its campus in Philadelphia, PA, Drexel University places #9 among the 11 medical coding programs we scored in the Philadelphia area. Tuition of $60,663 runs about 811% above the $6,660 median for medical coding programs we scored in the Philadelphia area, which is worth weighing against what else the program includes. There is no program-level review on record here. That is unremarkable in this field, where only 22 programs nationally carry one. The college reports distance-education programs at undergraduate level, and whether this the Philadelphia area certificate is one of them is worth a direct question. Federal completions show awards in each of the last three years, 15 in the most recent, so this is a running program rather than a listed one.
Tuition
$60,663 a year, in-district
Score breakdown
- Independent review 0.0/35
- Published tuition 0.0/25
- Track record 20.0/20
- Online availability 12.0/12
- Credential fit 6.0/8
-
- #10
ASPIRA City College
Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit
35.9
of 100
Some online courses CertificateWhy it ranks in the Philadelphia area
From its campus in Philadelphia, PA, ASPIRA City College places #10 among the 11 medical coding programs we scored in the Philadelphia area. Tuition of $12,147 runs about 82% above the $6,660 median for medical coding programs we scored in the Philadelphia area, which is worth weighing against what else the program includes. Federal completions show awards in each of the last three years, 2 in the most recent, so this is a running program rather than a listed one. No program-level approval is recorded. Read that as the field's norm, not as a finding about this college, whose institutional accreditation is a separate matter.
Tuition
$12,147 a year, in-district
Score breakdown
- Independent review 0.0/35
- Published tuition 3.9/25
- Track record 20.0/20
- Online availability 6.0/12
- Credential fit 6.0/8
-
- #11
Lansdale School of Business
North Wales, PA · Private for-profit
29.9
of 100
On campus CertificateWhy it ranks in the Philadelphia area
From its campus in North Wales, PA, Lansdale School of Business places #11 among the 11 medical coding programs we scored in the Philadelphia area. Tuition of $11,850 runs about 78% above the $6,660 median for medical coding programs we scored in the Philadelphia area, which is worth weighing against what else the program includes. Federal completions show awards in each of the last three years, 2 in the most recent, so this is a running program rather than a listed one. No program-level approval is recorded. Read that as the field's norm, not as a finding about this college, whose institutional accreditation is a separate matter.
Tuition
$11,850 a year, in-district
Score breakdown
- Independent review 0.0/35
- Published tuition 3.9/25
- Track record 20.0/20
- Online availability 0.0/12
- Credential fit 6.0/8
-
What does a Philadelphia resident pay at Delaware County Community College?
A Philadelphia resident pays double the local rate at Delaware County Community College, because Pennsylvania community colleges price by sponsoring district. Delaware County charges $153 a credit to residents of its sponsoring school districts, $306 to other Pennsylvanians and $459 out of state.
For a city resident that puts DCCC's approved program next to Community College of Philadelphia, which charges Philadelphians $174 a credit and other Pennsylvanians $348. The trade is about $132 a credit for DCCC's AHIMA approval, paid on every credit of the certificate.
Can a Philadelphia student attend Camden County College?
A Philadelphia student can attend Camden County College, but as an out-of-state student, so the low tuition on this list is a Camden County figure that a Pennsylvanian will not pay. Camden's medical coding certificate runs at least 39 credits over three semesters and holds PCAP approval, which is what puts it first.
For a South Jersey resident it is the strongest option in the metro. For a Philadelphian, the comparison that matters is Camden's out-of-state rate against DCCC's $306, and the college's own tuition page is the place to check it.
How much do medical coders make in Philadelphia?
Medical coders in Philadelphia make a median of $49,700 a year, across 3,260 jobs in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan area. That is $1,440 below the national median of $51,140 and $2,860 above the Pennsylvania figure of $46,840.
The spread matters more than the middle. The bottom tenth earns $38,380 and the bottom quarter $44,600, which is nearer to what a newly certified coder is offered, while the top quarter clears $65,360 and the top tenth $83,650. That upper end is coders with an inpatient credential, a few years of audit or CDI work, or a remote role paid on a national scale. Billing is a separate federal occupation and pays less: billing and posting clerks in the metro earn a median of $50,190, across 7,650 jobs.
Which schools in Philadelphia award a medical coding credential?
The schools in Philadelphia awarding a medical coding credential are the 16 below, every institution in the metropolitan area that the federal data records as awarding a medical coding or billing credential, largest first by credentials conferred. 4 of them graduated coders but report a whole-program price rather than annual tuition, which is how career schools report, so they cannot be scored on the same footing as a college and are not ranked. 1 conferred no coding credential in the latest year. A blank price means the school reports none.
| School | City | Sector | Online | Price | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennco Tech-Blackwood | Blackwood, NJ | For-profit | — | school publishes none | 106 |
| Pennco Tech-Bristol | Bristol | For-profit | — | school publishes none | 71 |
| Delaware County Community College PCAP | Media | Public | ✓ | $6,660 /yr | 40 |
| Montgomery County Community College | Blue Bell | Public | ✓ | $6,270 /yr | 40 |
| Peirce College | Philadelphia | Nonprofit | ✓ | $15,060 /yr | 37 |
| Camden County College PCAP | Blackwood, NJ | Public | ✓ | $3,960 /yr | 21 |
| Bucks County Community College | Newtown | Public | ✓ | $4,984 /yr | 21 |
| Community College of Philadelphia | Philadelphia | Public | ✓ | $4,632 /yr | 15 |
| Drexel University | Philadelphia | Nonprofit | ✓ | $60,663 /yr | 15 |
| Rowan College at Burlington County | Mount Laurel, NJ | Public | ✓ | $4,968 /yr | 10 |
| ASI Career Institute | Turnersville, NJ | For-profit | — | $4,500 program, 2mo | 3 |
| Thomas Jefferson University | Philadelphia | Nonprofit | ✓ | $45,533 /yr | 2 |
| ASPIRA City College | Philadelphia | Nonprofit | — | $12,147 /yr | 2 |
| Lansdale School of Business | North Wales | For-profit | — | $11,850 /yr | 2 |
| All-State Career School | Essington | For-profit | — | school publishes none | 1 |
| Dawn Career Institute LLC | Newark, DE | For-profit | — | $15,200 program, 9mo |
IPEDS completions, directory and tuition files, 2023. Metro membership is each institution's metropolitan area (CBSA) in the IPEDS directory. Prices come in two units and the column says which: annual tuition, shown /yr, and the whole-program price career schools report, shown program. The two are never averaged together. A college's /yr figure is its in-district rate, which only residents of its district pay. The Online flag is institution-level: it marks a college offering some fully online undergraduate program, not proof that its coding certificate is one.
Common questions about medical coding programs in Philadelphia
What is the best medical coding program in Philadelphia?
How much does a medical coding program cost in Philadelphia?
How much do medical coders make in Philadelphia?
Do you need a license to be a medical coder in Philadelphia?
Which Philadelphia-area medical coding programs are AHIMA approved?
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan area median, percentiles and employment for medical records specialists (SOC 29-2072) and billing and posting clerks (SOC 43-3021).
- IPEDS completions, directory and tuition , 2023, via the Urban Institute Education Data API: which institutions in the metro award coding credentials, how many they conferred, their metropolitan area, published tuition and distance education.
- AHIMA Professional Certificate Approval Program directory : Camden County College and Delaware County Community College hold approval.
- Delaware County Community College, tuition
- Delaware County Community College, medical coding and billing: AHIMA approval
- Community College of Philadelphia, tuition and fees
- Camden County College, medical coding
Where else can you study medical coding near Philadelphia?
You can study medical coding near Philadelphia anywhere else in Pennsylvania, and since no state licenses coders, a program further out is a real option rather than a compromise:
- Medical coding programs in Pennsylvania, 36 institutions statewide
- Medical coding programs in Delaware, 3 institutions statewide
- Medical coding programs in New Jersey, 17 institutions statewide
- The best online medical coding programs, open to Philadelphia residents
The other large cities we rank:
- Medical coding programs in New York City, 9 ranked
- Medical coding programs in Los Angeles, 10 ranked
- Medical coding programs in Chicago, 11 ranked
- Medical coding programs in Houston, 6 ranked