Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Dalton State College

Dalton State's graduates in this program earn nearly $59,000 their first year out—that's 46% above the national median and substantially higher than every other Georgia program except Athens and Albany Technical. Among 27 Georgia schools offering this program, it ranks in the 80th percentile for earnings while keeping debt roughly $8,000 below the state median. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.29 means graduates can expect to pay off their loans in just over three months of gross income.

The numbers look impressive, but there's an important caveat: this data reflects fewer than 30 graduates, which means a few high earners could skew the results significantly. That said, the pattern is consistent with what we'd expect from a program serving a high-need population (half of students receive Pell grants) in a region with strong healthcare demand. Medical assisting roles in smaller Georgia cities often pay competitively while offering lower living costs than Atlanta.

For parents concerned about return on investment, this program appears to deliver strong value if the earnings hold up with larger cohorts. The modest debt load combined with immediate earning potential makes it a relatively low-risk path to stable employment. Just be aware that small sample sizes mean these outcomes might not be typical for every graduate.