Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Helms College

Helms College's medical assisting program produces graduates earning $24,214 a year later—about $3,200 below Georgia's median for these programs and in just the 24th percentile nationally. While the debt load of $11,776 is relatively modest with a manageable 0.49 debt-to-earnings ratio, the core issue is that graduates from nearby technical colleges are earning $7,000 to $9,000 more annually in the same field. Southern Crescent Technical College, for instance, sees its graduates earning $33,676, which represents a 39% earnings premium over Helms.

This gap matters immediately and compounds over time. Medical assistants typically start near their career ceiling, so that first-year salary largely determines long-term earning potential. Given that 44% of Helms students receive Pell grants, many come from families where every dollar counts, making the earnings difference particularly consequential.

If your child is set on medical assisting in the Augusta area, compare outcomes carefully across Georgia's technical college system. The debt here won't crush them, but they'll be earning significantly less than peers who chose programs with stronger employer connections or clinical placement networks. Make sure the convenience or timing of Helms genuinely outweighs that $7,000+ annual earnings gap.