Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at CET-Watsonville

CET-Watsonville manages to outperform 83% of allied health programs nationally while keeping debt remarkably low—graduates carry just $6,528, less than half the $9,500 national median. Among California's 185 programs, this places in the 60th percentile for earnings, which means students are doing better than most in-state alternatives while paying significantly less to get there. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.20 is exceptional in healthcare training, where students often accumulate far more debt for similar outcomes.

The earnings picture does show a slight dip from year one to year four, dropping about $1,700. This isn't unusual in medical assisting, where entry-level positions sometimes offer limited advancement without additional certifications. Still, starting at $32,056 beats both the state and national medians by roughly $5,000—a meaningful difference that compounds year after year.

For families focused on immediate workforce entry without financial burden, this program delivers. You're getting above-average earning potential in California's competitive healthcare market while avoiding the debt trap that plagues many certificate programs. The low cost means your child can actually build savings early in their career rather than spending years paying down loans.