Health and Medical Administrative Services at Concorde Career College-San Diego

Concorde Career College-San Diego's health administrative certificate produces above-average first-year earnings—beating both the California median ($26,827) and the national median ($27,783)—but then something troubling happens: earnings drop 8% by year four. That's not a plateau; that's a decline, which raises questions about how durable these entry-level medical office positions really are.

The $9,500 debt load is precisely at California's median and below the national average, so at least students aren't over-borrowing for a modest income stream. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.32, graduates could theoretically pay this off within a year if they prioritized it. The program ranks in the 60th percentile among California's 155 similar programs—solidly middle-of-the-pack but nowhere near the top performers like Santa Barbara City College, whose graduates earn $47,000.

For families looking at this program, the central question is whether $29,000 (declining to $27,000) is sufficient income given your local cost of living in San Diego, one of California's most expensive metro areas. The manageable debt is a plus, and more than half of students here receive Pell grants, suggesting the school serves working-class families effectively. Just understand that this certificate appears to open doors to jobs with limited wage growth rather than launching careers with clear advancement trajectories.