by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 9 U.S. colleges awarded 104 degrees and certificates in Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality. College Factual ranks 2 schools in its 2027 Best Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality Schools ranking and compares their cost in a Best Value ranking. Graduates earn a median $51,160 one year after completing, rising to $70,680 after four years.
A major in Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality covers A Program That Focuses On The Application Of Transformative Mechanisms And Evidence-Based Protocols To Reduce Preventable Patient Harm And Improve Clinical Outcomes. Includes Instruction In Healthcare Quality, Patient Safety, Research Methods, Program Evaluation, Epidemiology, Legal And Regulatory Compliance, Systems Thinking, Human Factors Engineering, And Risk Management.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Nationwide, patient safety and healthcare quality is a popular field of study, with 104 degrees awarded annually. 9 colleges award patient safety and healthcare quality degrees, an average of 12 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 77.
All 104 of the awards are master’s degrees, the only level colleges reported.
Women earned 75% of patient safety and healthcare quality degrees and certificates in the latest year (78 of 104). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (61) and Black or African American (26), and international students earned 3.
College Factual ranks 2 schools in its 2027 Best Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality Schools ranking, including 1 for master’s degrees. It also ranks patient safety and healthcare quality schools within 2 states. In all, 9 colleges offer patient safety and healthcare quality programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
O*NET rates Reading Comprehension the most important skill for jobs related to patient safety and healthcare quality, at 4.0 out of 5. The key knowledge areas are English Language, Law and Government and Customer and Personal Service. The most important abilities are Oral Expression, Written Comprehension and Oral Comprehension.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long a patient safety and healthcare quality degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 104 |
Bachelor’s degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to patient safety and healthcare quality, at 43.9%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 43.9% |
| Master’s degree | 15.5% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 8.7% |
| Doctoral degree | 6.7% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 6.1% |
| Post-doctoral training | 5.8% |
| Some college courses | 4.7% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 4.4% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 3.0% |
| First professional degree | 0.8% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 0.3% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.2% |
Source: O*NET Online.
11 occupations are related to Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality, with an average median salary of $80,670; the strongest outlook belongs to Regulatory Affairs Specialists, at 14.4% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Psychiatry Teacher, Health Diagnostics Teacher, Occupational Therapy Aides Teacher and Health Education Teacher.
The occupation related to patient safety and healthcare quality with the most projected jobs is Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary, at 1,335,407.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,335,407 | 10.7% |
| Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers | 735,120 | 1.8% |
| Environmental Compliance Inspectors | 674,467 | 10.0% |
| Coroners | 499,816 | -4.9% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 419,330 | 8.8% |
| Regulatory Affairs Specialists | 373,276 | 14.4% |
| Government Property Inspectors and Investigators | 370,977 | 3.7% |
| Customs Brokers | 249,561 | 5.2% |
Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality graduates earn a median $51,160 one year after completing their program, $70,680 after four years and $71,212 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $51,160 |
| 4 years | $70,680 |
| 5 years | $71,212 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The highest-paying occupation related to patient safety and healthcare quality is Medical and Health Services Managers, with a median salary of $129,557.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $129,557 |
| Environmental Compliance Inspectors | $119,630 |
| Coroners | $110,095 |
| Occupational Health and Safety Specialists | $105,544 |
| Regulatory Affairs Specialists | $85,399 |
| Compliance Officers | $71,138 |
| Customs Brokers | $67,529 |
| Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers | $52,280 |
Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality has 11 similar majors in the Health Professions field, which together award 41,629 degrees a year; the largest are Public Health, General (24,834), Public Health Education and Promotion (3,767) and Community Health and Preventive Medicine (3,539). Browse all Health Professions majors or the full list of college majors.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Public Health, General | 24,834 |
| Public Health Education and Promotion | 3,767 |
| Community Health and Preventive Medicine | 3,539 |
| Public Health, Other | 2,750 |
| Health Services Administration | 2,283 |
| International Public Health/International Health | 1,529 |
| Environmental Health | 1,309 |
| Behavioral Aspects of Health | 759 |
| Health/Medical Physics | 334 |
| Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene | 300 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
