Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at James A. Rhodes State College

With fewer than 30 graduates in this cohort, these numbers deserve caution, but they tell a concerning story. Starting salaries around $30,000 place this program well below both Ohio's state median ($35,365) and the national average ($36,862) for medical assisting programs—ranking in just the 25th percentile statewide. Compare that to Cincinnati State's graduates earning $42,000, and you're looking at a $12,000 annual gap that compounds over time.

The silver lining here is genuinely low debt at $9,929—less than half what typical Ohio graduates in this field carry. That 0.33 debt-to-earnings ratio means students can realistically pay off loans within a year or two of full-time work. The 14% earnings bump to $34,000 by year four shows some growth, though graduates still trail state and national averages significantly.

For families prioritizing minimal debt over maximum earning potential, Rhodes State delivers affordability. But if your child could access programs like Cincinnati State or the Kent State system—where graduates start $10,000+ higher—the long-term financial picture shifts dramatically. Given the small sample size, I'd want to see more consistent data before drawing firm conclusions, but right now the earnings gap is too substantial to ignore, even with the low debt load.