Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Linn-Benton Community College

Based on comparable allied health programs in Oregon, this certificate suggests first-year earnings around $37,000 against estimated debt of $12,930—a manageable 0.35 debt-to-earnings ratio that falls well within the "safe" zone financial advisors typically recommend. That said, the estimates here are derived from seven similar programs across Oregon, not Linn-Benton's actual graduates, so there's inherent uncertainty about what your child's cohort will actually experience. The debt figure sits slightly above Oregon's typical $11,167 for this credential, though still reasonable for a quick-completion program.

The state context matters here. Oregon's allied health programs consistently outperform the national picture—the state median of $37,349 beats the national figure of $27,186 by nearly $10,000. That suggests Oregon's healthcare market supports stronger entry wages for medical assistants and similar roles. Still, peer programs with reported data show a wide range: Portland Community College graduates earn nearly $46,000 while others cluster in the mid-to-high $30,000s. Without knowing where Linn-Benton actually falls in this distribution, you're working with educated guesses rather than track record.

The practical takeaway: the estimated numbers suggest manageable debt for respectable entry-level healthcare earnings, but push the college's career services office for actual placement rates and starting wages for recent graduates. Those concrete outcomes will tell you far more than statewide estimates can.