Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Iowa Central Community College

Before you celebrate the impressive national ranking, understand what you're really comparing: Iowa Central's $34,317 first-year earnings puts this program in the 95th percentile nationally, but that's largely because medical assisting pays poorly across most of the country. The more relevant benchmark is Iowa, where this program sits squarely in the middle of the pack at the 60th percentile—solid but not exceptional. Two other Iowa community colleges deliver notably higher earnings (Des Moines Area at $38,511 and Southeastern at $36,202), though the small sample size here means a few graduates' outcomes could swing these numbers significantly.

The financial picture is straightforward: $15,621 in debt against $34,317 in first-year earnings gives you a manageable 0.46 ratio, meaning your child would owe roughly half their first year's salary. That's reasonable for a quick-turnaround certificate program that gets students into the workforce fast. The debt level is actually quite low by national standards (5th percentile), which matters when earnings in this field cap out relatively early.

For a student targeting medical assisting work in Iowa and looking at nearby options, Iowa Central delivers acceptable value—you're getting slightly above the state median earnings without excessive debt. Just recognize this is a credential designed for immediate employment at modest wages, not a path to high earnings growth.