Health and Medical Administrative Services at Healthcare Career College

Healthcare Career College's medical administrative program produces modest but manageable outcomes for a student population that's 90% Pell-eligible. Graduates earn $27,414 in their first year—ranking in the 60th percentile among California programs—while carrying relatively low debt of $9,500. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.35 means students can realistically expect to pay off their loans, though the earnings themselves fall well short of what top California programs deliver (Santa Barbara City College graduates earn $47,000).

The real limitation here is the ceiling. At roughly $27,000 annually, graduates are earning just above minimum wage for full-time work in California's expensive economy. While this beats the state median for the program by about $600, it's half what the strongest programs achieve. For families already stretched financially—and 90% of students here qualify for Pell grants—these earnings may not provide enough upward mobility to justify even the modest debt load.

If your child is targeting medical administration and can access higher-performing California programs, the earnings gap is significant enough to make that effort worthwhile. If this is the most accessible option and your family needs a quick credential with minimal debt, the program delivers on affordability. Just recognize that $27,000 in California requires a tight budget and likely won't provide financial independence without additional career progression. The small sample size (under 30 graduates) also means individual results could vary considerably from these medians.