Medical Billing and Coding Specialist Programs, Compared
Independent, evidence-backed reviews of 9 medical billing and coding specialist training programs — what each costs, the credential it prepares you for, and who it actually fits.
AAPC
CPC Certification Prep
Best for working coders who already know the field. Worst for career-changers expecting a guided path to a coding job.
Career Step
Medical Coding and Billing Professional
We don't recommend Career Step. In 2024 the FTC fined it $43.5 million for lying to students about jobs and employer partnerships.
Herzing University
Diploma in Insurance Billing and Coding Specialist
A real accredited college diploma — but overbuilt and over-priced if you only need to pass the CBCS exam.
Penn Foster
Medical Billing and Coding Diploma
The cheapest accredited path — but you'll still need AAPC's CPC prep on top to land coding jobs.
Penn Foster
Medical Coding Professional Career Diploma
The CPC track that skips the apprenticeship year — if you're okay being an early cohort.
The University of Texas at San Antonio — Professional and Continuing Education (PaCE)
Certified Medical Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS) Training
A structured, live-instructor CBCS cohort from a public university — strong on paper, but young and unproven by any independent student voice.
U.S. Career Institute
Medical Billing and Coding Specialist Certificate
The cheapest self-paced way to prep for the CBCS exam — but treat it as a starting point, not a job pipeline, and read the payment contract before you sign.
UNC Charlotte — School of Professional Studies (Continuing Education)
Medical Coding Specialist Certificate (MCO101)
A credible live-instructor CPC-prep cohort from a public R1 university — only if you want classroom structure and accept that you'll pay the exam yourself and still graduate a CPC-A.
University of Central Missouri — Workforce and Professional Education
Medical Billing and Coding Professional with Remote Worker Certificate
A real public-university CPC-A cohort for Kansas City working adults who can commute to Lee's Summit — only if a scholarship makes the price work and you accept you'll still graduate a CPC-A.