Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at American National University

This program carries significantly more debt than nearly every comparable allied health program in the country—$30,717 versus a national median of $19,825—while graduates earn well below both Virginia and national benchmarks. At first-year earnings of $29,483, this ranks in just the 20th percentile nationally and 25th percentile among Virginia programs. More troubling, earnings actually decline to $26,975 by year four, suggesting limited career advancement. Top performers in Virginia like Radford University and Eastern Virginia Career College show graduates earning $48,000+, nearly double what students here can expect.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.04 means graduates owe more than an entire year's salary—a difficult burden for medical assistants earning under $30,000. With 71% of students receiving Pell grants, many families here are taking on substantial debt for outcomes that trail the Virginia median by over $11,000 annually. That gap compounds to more than $44,000 in lost earnings over four years compared to the typical Virginia program.

For parents considering this investment, the numbers point clearly toward exploring alternatives. Several Virginia schools deliver allied health graduates into careers earning 60-80% more with comparable or lower debt. Unless there are compelling geographic or scheduling constraints, this program's combination of above-average debt and below-average earnings makes it hard to recommend financially.