Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Carrington College-Sacramento

Carrington College-Sacramento's medical assisting graduates start with impressive $61,881 earnings—ranking alongside the state's top programs and well above California's $48,908 median. That initial success places graduates in the 80th percentile statewide and 95th percentile nationally, suggesting strong employer connections or strategic job placement. The $29,755 debt load, while higher than typical for this field, translates to a manageable 0.48 ratio against first-year earnings.

The concern is what happens next: earnings drop 29% to $44,082 by year four. This pattern suggests graduates may be landing higher-paying initial positions—perhaps in specialized clinical settings or administrative roles—that don't translate into long-term career trajectories. Whether this reflects natural market adjustments, credential limitations inherent to associate-level medical assisting, or graduates transitioning to different roles isn't clear from the data alone.

For families weighing this investment, the first-year earnings advantage is real and substantial, but the four-year trajectory suggests this may function better as a stepping stone than a destination career. If your student plans to continue their education or use this as entry into healthcare before pursuing additional credentials, the strong initial placement could be worth the premium debt. If they're expecting steady growth in medical assisting specifically, the earnings decline deserves serious consideration against lower-cost alternatives offering similar four-year outcomes.