Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Blue Cliff College-Lafayette

This program presents significant red flags that should give any parent serious pause. While Blue Cliff College-Lafayette keeps debt relatively manageable at $13,116, the earnings outcomes are deeply concerning—graduates earn just $19,788 in their first year, ranking in the 5th percentile nationally among similar programs. Even within Louisiana's lower-wage environment, this program only reaches the 40th percentile, meaning most other medical assisting programs in the state deliver better results.

The earnings picture tells a stark story when compared to alternatives. Louisiana's median for this field is $22,869, while top-performing programs like Delgado Community College produce graduates earning nearly $30,000—50% more than Blue Cliff students. Even after four years, Blue Cliff graduates average just $22,114, still trailing what many other programs deliver immediately after graduation. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.66 isn't catastrophic, but it's problematic when the earnings are so low to begin with.

Your child would be better served exploring community college options like Delgado or Baton Rouge Community College, which offer the same credential with significantly better employment outcomes. The 74% Pell Grant rate suggests Blue Cliff serves many low-income students, but that doesn't justify settling for bottom-tier results when better alternatives exist within the state.