Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Edmonds College

For a certificate program that could carry $14,875 in debt—significantly above both the state median of $9,626 and national median of $9,500—the estimated first-year earnings of $37,096 based on comparable Washington programs suggest a manageable but not impressive debt burden. The 0.40 debt-to-earnings ratio means roughly five months of gross income would go toward the loan, which is workable if these earnings materialize. However, medical assisting roles can be particularly sensitive to local employer networks and specific credential types, making school-specific outcomes harder to predict from state averages alone.

Washington's medical assisting programs perform substantially better than the national median ($27,186), and Edmonds appears positioned in the middle of the state's range. Programs at North Seattle College show considerably higher early earnings, suggesting location within the Seattle metro area matters. The question is whether Edmonds's graduates achieve outcomes closer to top performers or lag behind—information the suppressed data can't tell us.

The practical concern here is borrowing nearly $15,000 for a certificate when many allied health programs carry far less debt. If your child can complete this credential with less borrowing—through community college transfer credits, working part-time, or choosing a lower-cost alternative in Washington—that would substantially improve the value proposition. Medical assisting can be a stable entry point into healthcare, but starting with minimal debt makes that pathway far more viable.