The seven online medical billing and coding programs below differ in three ways: the certification exam they prepare you for, whether you study on your own or on a schedule, and what the price leaves out. Listed prices run from $1,049 for a self-paced diploma to $16,324 in tuition for a college certificate. These prices don’t cover the same things, so they can’t be compared as all-in totals. Start with the exam your target jobs ask for, then narrow by schedule and full cost.
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The two jobs overlap but aren’t the same: billers submit and follow up on insurance claims, while coders turn clinical records into the codes those claims use. Most courses below prepare for one of two credentials. CBCS (Certified Billing and Coding Specialist) covers both billing and coding. CPC (Certified Professional Coder) focuses on coding for physician services. If you’re not sure which you need, compare the credentials first.
Compare online programs
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| School | Published price | Study schedule | Exam preparation |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAPC | $3,499Includes a $500 discount for paying in full. Free books are part of a promotional offer that ends Nov. 30, 2026. Prerequisite courses cost extra. | Instructor-led online 16 weeksNew classes start weekly | CPCOne CPC exam, practice tests and one-year membership for new members |
| MedCerts | $4,000Materials and exam fees included; extended access may cost extra. | Online video lessons 28 weeks | CBCS, then CPC or CCS-PCCS-P is a physician-based coding credential. |
| Northwood Technical College | $4,784Estimated tuition. The school does not state the residency basis, and fees and books cost extra. | Online college courses 1 year29 college credits | Not specifiedThe school does not list a target exam. |
| Penn Foster | $1,049Pay-in-full price; includes one exam voucher. | Self-paced onlineNo fixed class times 14 months average10-month fast track; self-paced | CBCS |
| Purdue Global | $16,324Tuition for 44 quarter credits. A $345-per-term resource fee generally applies. | Online courseworkVirtual labs and a capstone About 1 year44 quarter credits | CBCS in final termAdditional coding-exam preparation included |
| U.S. Career Institute | $1,869Paid in full. Exam reimbursement comes later. | Self-paced online 12 months averageAs little as 5 months | CBCS or CPCChoose one; reimbursement up to $425 |
| University of Tennessee at Chattanooga | $3,245Course materials, CPC exam and one-year membership included. | Weekly assignmentsNo required class meetings; optional live Zoom sessions are recorded Jan. 30–June 20, 2027 | CPCExam, one retake and one-year membership included |
Once you know which exam you’re aiming for, choose how you want to study. For self-paced lessons with no fixed class times, compare Penn Foster (CBCS) and U.S. Career Institute (CBCS or CPC). For CPC preparation with an instructor, compare AAPC and UTC. MedCerts covers billing and then physician-office coding, with two exams included. Northwood and Purdue Global are the college-credit options, at very different prices.
AAPC
CPC preparation · Instructor-led
- Published price
- $3,499 Includes a $500 discount for paying in full. Free books are part of a promotional offer that ends Nov. 30, 2026. Prerequisite courses cost extra.
- Length
- 16 weeks New classes start weekly
- Classes
- Instructor-led online
- Exam preparation
- CPC One CPC exam, practice tests and one-year membership for new members
AAPC is the professional association that awards the CPC, and this instructor-led course comes from AAPC itself, with new classes starting weekly. The catch is the starting point: it assumes you already know medical terminology, anatomy and pathophysiology. If you don’t, the separate prerequisite course adds to the price. If you think your experience counts as equivalent, confirm that with AAPC before skipping it.
Requirements, costs and sources
Complete Fundamentals of Medicine or have equivalent experience with medical terminology, anatomy and pathophysiology.
The package includes one CPC exam, practice tests, Codify, Practicode and one year of AAPC membership for new members. Free books are a promotional offer that ends Nov. 30, 2026. If you need prerequisite training, Fundamentals of Medicine is sold separately; check the prerequisite course page below for the current price. Package pricing, required books and paying over time instead of in full can change the final total.
Course packages and offer terms
Course page checked November 2, 2026.
MedCerts
Medical Coding and Billing Professional · HI 5000
- Published price
- $4,000 Materials and exam fees included; extended access may cost extra.
- Length
- 28 weeks
- Classes
- Online video lessons
- Exam preparation
- CBCS, then CPC or CCS-P CCS-P is a physician-based coding credential.
MedCerts teaches billing first, then physician-office coding, and the $4,000 price covers materials and a first attempt at two exams: CBCS, then your choice of CPC or CCS-P. That fits if you want both skill sets in one sequence. Two limits come with it: you must earn CBCS before moving to the second exam, and course access ends with the program period unless you get an extension, which may cost extra.
Requirements, costs and sources
High school diploma or GED, English proficiency and internet access. Check the provider’s state restrictions before enrolling.
Materials and the first attempt at each of the two eligible exams are covered. You must earn CBCS before proceeding to the second certification. Access is limited to the program period; extensions may cost extra.
Program, fees and requirements
Sources checked October 29, 2026.
Northwood Technical College
Medical Coding Specialist · Technical diploma
- Published price
- $4,784 Estimated tuition. The school does not state the residency basis, and fees and books cost extra.
- Length
- 1 year 29 college credits
- Classes
- Online college courses
- Exam preparation
- Not specified The school does not list a target exam.
Of the two college-credit routes here, Northwood has the lower published tuition. The 29-credit diploma is listed as financial-aid eligible, covers diagnosis coding, procedure coding and health information, and leads into Northwood’s Health Information Technology associate degree. The school doesn’t name a target certification exam, so ask which exam the coursework lines up with. Rates also differ for residents and out-of-state students.
Requirements, costs and sources
High school transcript or GED/HSED, admissions meeting and academic readiness requirements. The catalog offers GPA, prior-degree or placement-score routes.
The school lists this diploma as financial-aid eligible. Its catalog has different resident and out-of-state rates; obtain an itemized quote for your residency.
Program and 2026–27 tuition estimate · 2026–27 catalog: admissions, curriculum and residency rates
Sources checked October 29, 2026.
Penn Foster
Medical Billing and Coding Career Diploma
- Published price
- $1,049 Pay-in-full price; includes one exam voucher.
- Length
- 14 months average 10-month fast track; self-paced
- Classes
- Self-paced online No fixed class times
- Exam preparation
- CBCS
Penn Foster has the lowest published price in this comparison, and its $1,049 pay-in-full tuition includes a CBCS exam voucher, so the exam is covered upfront. Study is self-paced: students average 14 months, and domestic students have up to 15. The tradeoffs are a single exam route and a higher bill if you pay over time; autopay and mailed payments cost more, and taxes may apply. If you need the CPC instead, compare USCI.
Requirements, costs and sources
Penn Foster requires a high school diploma or GED and a computer with Microsoft Office. Domestic students have up to 15 months to complete the program. If you are 16, confirm with Penn Foster that you can enroll before paying, since its published age requirements differ.
Autopay totals $1,469; mailed monthly payments total $1,569. Taxes may apply. Digital study materials and the CBCS exam voucher are included.
Program and exam voucher · Tuition and entry requirements
Sources checked October 29, 2026.
Purdue Global
Medical Billing/Coding Certificate
- Published price
- $16,324 Tuition for 44 quarter credits. A $345-per-term resource fee generally applies.
- Length
- About 1 year 44 quarter credits
- Classes
- Online coursework Virtual labs and a capstone
- Exam preparation
- CBCS in final term Additional coding-exam preparation included
Purdue Global’s certificate earns 44 quarter credits, includes virtual labs and a capstone, and prepares for CBCS in the final term. It’s also approved through the Professional Certificate Approval Program (PCAP) run by AHIMA, the American Health Information Management Association. That review covers the coding program itself, not just the college. The tradeoff is cost: $16,324 in tuition, plus a $345 resource fee that generally applies each term—several times the price of the exam-prep courses here. Check state availability and how the credits would count toward a degree before applying.
Requirements, costs and sources
Review Purdue’s undergraduate admission and state-availability requirements. The capstone can use a simulated assignment instead of a 40-hour practicum.
Tuition is calculated as 44 quarter credits × $371. Purdue charges a $345 resource fee per term for standard undergraduate programs, with reductions or exemptions for certain military students and Indiana residents. Other charges depend on your enrollment. This certificate has AHIMA program approval.
Program and per-credit tuition · 2026–27 catalog and program approval statement
Sources checked October 29, 2026.
U.S. Career Institute
Medical Coding & Billing Certificate
- Published price
- $1,869 Paid in full. Exam reimbursement comes later.
- Length
- 12 months average As little as 5 months
- Classes
- Self-paced online
- Exam preparation
- CBCS or CPC Choose one; reimbursement up to $425
U.S. Career Institute is self-paced with instructor support, and you choose CBCS or CPC preparation, which helps if you’re still deciding between the two. The exam money works differently from a voucher: you pay the exam fee yourself, then claim up to $425 back after you finish the course and pay tuition in full. Budget for that fee upfront.
Requirements, costs and sources
Age 16+, high school diploma/GED and English fluency.
The payment plan totals $2,269 plus a $29 application fee. Exam reimbursement is capped at $425 for one exam route. AAPC membership is not covered.
Program, tuition and reimbursement terms
Sources checked October 29, 2026.
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Medical Billing and Coding · Professional Education
- Published price
- $3,245 Course materials, CPC exam and one-year membership included.
- Length
- Jan. 30–June 20, 2027
- Classes
- Weekly assignments Optional live Zoom sessions, also recorded
- Exam preparation
- CPC Exam, one retake and one-year membership included
UTC’s course suits CPC students who want instructor feedback without required class meetings. Assignments are due weekly and reviewed by an instructor, and live Zoom sessions are optional and recorded. You don’t need a prerequisite course, though medical terminology and anatomy are recommended, and the $3,245 price covers materials, a CPC exam attempt plus one retake, and a one-year AAPC membership. The tradeoffs: you start with a scheduled session rather than any time, and the course isn’t eligible for federal student aid.
Requirements, costs and sources
University admission and prior work experience are not required. Medical terminology and anatomy are recommended.
Materials, CPC exam, one retake and one-year AAPC membership included. The page lists a January 30–June 20, 2027 session.
Program, fee and upcoming dates · Format and registration FAQ
Sources checked October 29, 2026.
Choose the credential before the course
Pull up a few job listings you’d actually apply to and note the credentials and experience they ask for. Then look for a course that prepares for that credential. Finishing a school’s certificate is one step; passing a certification exam is a separate one, with its own rules set by the organization that awards it.
- CPC — Certified Professional Coder: AAPC’s credential for coding professional services, including physician-office work. New coders may earn CPC-A, the apprentice designation, until they meet AAPC’s experience requirements.
- CBCS — Certified Billing and Coding Specialist: The National Healthcareer Association’s (NHA) credential covering billing and coding.
- CCA — Certified Coding Associate: The American Health Information Management Association’s (AHIMA) early-career coding credential. AHIMA requires a high school diploma and recommends coding training or experience.
- CCS-P — Certified Coding Specialist, Physician-based: AHIMA’s physician-based coding credential. Review AHIMA’s recommended preparation before choosing it as your first exam.
Credential requirements: AAPC · NHA CBCS · AHIMA CCA · AHIMA CCS-P.
Compare the cost through exam day
Compare what each option costs through your first exam attempt, not just the advertised price. Required books, prerequisite courses, exam fees and membership can all add to the bill. How the exam is paid matters too: an included voucher is already covered, while reimbursement means you pay first and claim the money back later.
Three examples show how the totals shift. Penn Foster’s $1,049 pay-in-full price becomes $1,469 with autopay, before any taxes. U.S. Career Institute reimburses one exam route only after you finish and pay tuition in full. And for a beginner at AAPC, the instructor-led price leaves out prerequisite training, which AAPC lists at $1,695 for members or $2,459.95 for nonmembers.
If you need financial aid
Northwood’s coding diploma is listed as financial-aid eligible. UTC’s professional-education course isn’t eligible for federal student aid, though UTC’s funding page says some students may be considered for federal workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), depending on eligibility. For anything else, ask whether the specific program qualifies, not just whether the school offers aid. A monthly payment plan spreads the bill out but doesn’t shrink it, and as Penn Foster’s numbers show, it can raise the total.
What accreditation tells you
When a school calls a program “accredited,” check what that claim covers. Institutional accreditation applies to the school. AHIMA’s Professional Certificate Approval Program (PCAP) evaluates a specific coding program’s curriculum, instruction and faculty.
If you want a course that has undergone that coding-specific review, Purdue Global’s certificate is one option in this comparison: AHIMA identifies it as PCAP-approved. That is different from simply preparing students to take an AHIMA exam. Match the course to the credential you want, then check the school’s accreditation and any program approval separately.
When college credits matter
If your immediate goal is an exam, compare focused training first. If you may pursue a degree later, ask which credits count toward that degree and get the answer from the college that would accept them.
Northwood publishes a path from its coding diploma into its Health Information Technology associate degree. Purdue’s certificate awards 44 quarter credits, while Northwood lists 29 college credits; schools count credits differently, so don’t compare those two numbers directly or assume another college will accept either. Elsewhere, don’t read too much into labels: a university’s name on a continuing-education course, or the word “certificate,” doesn’t tell you whether a program carries transferable college credit.
Before you enroll
Before paying, settle the open question for each program on your shortlist. For any program, also ask where you’ll take the exam and how refunds and retakes work.
- AAPC: Do you need the prerequisite course?
- MedCerts: How long does access last, and what does an extension cost?
- Northwood: Which exam does the coursework line up with, and what is your residency rate?
- Penn Foster: Will you pay in full or over time?
- Purdue Global: How many terms of resource fees will you pay?
- U.S. Career Institute: Can you cover the exam fee before reimbursement?
- UTC: Does the listed session fit your calendar?
Compare programs in your state
A school in your state may offer live classes, local funding or a course fee worth comparing with national providers. Our Texas program guide compares UT San Antonio’s live evening course, which requires an in-person exam in San Antonio, with Stephen F. Austin’s online course and its choice of exam packages. Our North Carolina program guide covers UNC Charlotte’s live evening coding course and Forsyth Tech’s four-course CPC sequence.