Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Bishop State Community College

Bishop State's allied health program graduates earn about $6,000 less than the typical Alabama graduate in this field—landing in the 40th percentile statewide. When you compare that to top performers like Jefferson State ($47,800) or even nearby George C. Wallace State ($37,300), the gap becomes harder to ignore. At $30,500 in first-year earnings, graduates are starting about $6,300 below the national median for medical assisting programs, which matters when you're trying to pay down nearly $19,000 in student debt.

The debt load here is actually slightly better than both state and national averages, and the 0.61 debt-to-earnings ratio suggests graduates can manage their payments. Still, with 42% of students receiving Pell grants, many families here are counting on quick financial returns. Medical assisting should offer stable employment in Mobile's healthcare market, but the earnings trajectory matters—if income doesn't climb meaningfully in years two through five, that modest starting salary becomes a longer-term limitation.

For families shopping community colleges in Alabama, this program falls in the middle of the pack. It's not a disaster, but it's also not competing with the stronger options available at similar institutions across the state. If your student can commute to Jefferson State or Wallace State instead, the higher earnings potential would justify the extra effort.