Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Loma Linda University

Loma Linda's allied health program punches well above the national field—graduates earn 63% more than the typical medical assistant nationwide—but the picture gets more complex when you compare locally. While these earnings place the program in the 95th percentile nationally, it lands in the 60th percentile among California programs, where medical assistants generally command higher salaries across the board.

The financial fundamentals work in students' favor: $16,500 in debt converts to a 0.27 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning graduates owe less than three months' salary. That's manageable by any standard, though notably better than the typical medical assisting program. Earnings hold steady at around $60,000 through year four, which is solid for an associate-level health credential. The stability matters more than dramatic growth here—these are reliable, middle-class wages immediately after graduation.

For California families, this represents a strong option but not necessarily the top value. Several comparable programs produce similar or slightly higher earnings with roughly the same debt load. What distinguishes Loma Linda is its institutional reputation in healthcare—the university's hospital system provides clinical training environments that may open doors beyond what salary data alone suggests. If your child wants allied health credentials from a respected medical university rather than a career college, the modest premium you're paying delivers that credential at a reasonable cost.