Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Milan Institute-Bakersfield

The $9,235 in debt here is manageable, but the earnings lag tells a more complicated story. Milan Institute-Bakersfield graduates start at $24,563—about $2,300 below California's median for medical assisting programs and $2,600 below the national benchmark. While the program performs better relative to other California schools (40th percentile) than nationally (27th percentile), it still lands in the bottom half. Compare this to top-performing California programs like Empire College ($40,838) or even nearby community colleges like Cabrillo ($37,279), and you're looking at a $13,000-16,000 annual earnings gap right out of the gate.

The 68% Pell grant rate suggests this program serves students who need affordable training, and the modest debt helps keep that promise. The 0.38 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates owe less than half their first-year salary—better than many certificate programs. Earnings do grow 8% over four years to reach $26,477, though that's still barely keeping pace with California's starting median for this field.

For families prioritizing low debt and quick workforce entry, this works. But if your child can access a community college program or secure admission to a higher-performing school, the earnings difference—roughly $120,000 over a decade at the median—makes that worth serious consideration, even with potentially longer completion times.