Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Community College of Rhode Island

Community College of Rhode Island's allied health program sits squarely in the middle of the pack nationally, but trails its only in-state competitor by a meaningful margin. First-year graduates earn $37,087—just above the national median but about $1,700 less than Rhode Island's state average and roughly $3,500 behind New England Institute of Technology. For a parent weighing options within Rhode Island, that gap matters, though CCRI's lower debt load ($18,986 versus the state median of $19,576) partially offsets the earnings difference.

The financial picture is manageable but not particularly compelling. Graduates carry debt equal to about half their starting salary, which represents a reasonable burden, and earnings grow 19% over four years to nearly $44,000. However, even at that four-year mark, graduates still earn less than what the typical Rhode Island allied health grad makes right out of school. Given that 43% of CCRI students receive Pell grants, many families are choosing this program for affordability rather than earning potential.

If your child is committed to staying in Rhode Island and wants the lowest possible debt in allied health, CCRI delivers that. But if maximizing earnings is the priority, the modest premium for New England Institute of Technology might be worth exploring, especially since both programs lead to similar careers in the same state job market.