Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at CET-San Diego

CET-San Diego manages something many career programs don't: it keeps debt remarkably low while delivering above-average starting salaries. At just $6,528 in median debt—among the lowest 5% nationally—graduates enter a field where they're earning $32,056 within a year, well above both the national and California medians for medical assisting programs.

The concerning part is what happens next: earnings actually decline to $30,321 by year four, a 5% drop that suggests limited advancement opportunities in entry-level medical assisting roles. While this program ranks in the 60th percentile within California, the state's top programs—places like Empire College and Bay Area Medical Academy—produce graduates earning $38,000-$41,000. That gap matters, especially as it widens over time while this program's graduates see earnings drift downward.

Still, the debt-to-earnings math works strongly in students' favor here. With a ratio of 0.20, graduates owe less than three months' salary, making this one of the more financially accessible paths into healthcare support work. If your child needs to start working quickly without taking on significant debt, this program delivers on that promise. Just understand they're choosing immediate accessibility over long-term earning potential—the trade-off between getting started affordably versus positioning for higher-paid opportunities down the road.