Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Herzing University-Orlando

Herzing's medical assisting program costs students $29,500 in debt to earn around $34,000—essentially treading water for the first four years after graduation. While the debt burden is manageable (about 10 months of pre-tax earnings), the complete absence of income growth and below-average starting salaries make this a shaky foundation for career advancement. You're looking at earnings that hover near Florida's median for these programs but fall well short of top performers like Hodges University ($51,000) or even community colleges like Santa Fe ($43,000).

The numbers become particularly concerning when you consider the $60,000 invested in four years of flat earnings versus starting at a community college program that might cost half as much and deliver 20% higher income. At 60% Pell Grant eligibility, many students here are borrowing to attend when lower-cost alternatives exist across Florida. The debt-to-earnings ratio isn't catastrophic, but it's eating up nearly a full year of gross income with no momentum building beneath it.

If your child is set on medical assisting in the Orlando area, push them to compare this carefully against state college options. The robust graduate data here is reliable, but it's reliably showing a program that leaves students earning about what they would elsewhere while carrying above-average debt and zero demonstrated wage progression.