Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Fortis Institute-Cookeville

Fortis Institute-Cookeville's medical assisting program does something unusual: it outperforms most Tennessee programs while falling short of the national average. Graduates earn about $25,900 initially, which places them above 60% of similar programs in the state but only in the 38th percentile nationally. The $9,500 in typical debt is manageable at just 37% of first-year earnings, though the modest salary means even this reasonable debt load will take several years to clear.

The real concern is what happens after graduation. Earnings actually drop slightly by year four rather than increasing, suggesting medical assistants at this level may hit a ceiling quickly. Compare this to top Tennessee performers like South College ($28,600) or Allied Health Careers Institute ($26,245)—both offering noticeably better starting positions in the same job market. Given that nearly three-quarters of students here receive Pell grants, many are likely counting on steady income growth that this program hasn't historically delivered.

If your child is set on medical assisting in Tennessee and needs an affordable entry point, this program won't bury them in debt. But they'll be starting from the middle of the pack in a field where wages stagnate early. Those few thousand dollars in additional first-year earnings at competing programs could compound into a meaningful difference over a career.