Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Mt Hood Community College

Mt Hood's Allied Health program sits squarely at Oregon's median for both earnings and debt, which tells you something important: this is about what you should expect from a community college medical assistant program in this state. At $40,948 in first-year earnings, graduates earn roughly $4,000 more than the national median, reflecting Oregon's higher cost of living and better wage floors in healthcare support roles.

The debt load of $20,292 translates to about half of first-year earnings—a manageable ratio that most graduates can handle. With monthly payments around $200-250 on standard repayment, this represents about 6-7% of gross monthly income, well within reasonable bounds. Lane Community College does edge out Mt Hood by about $1,200 annually, but the difference isn't dramatic enough to justify significant relocation or inconvenience if Mt Hood is more accessible.

The moderate sample size means these figures reflect real graduate outcomes, not outliers. For families in the Portland metro area, this program offers a straightforward path to stable healthcare employment without crushing debt. Medical assistants face solid job demand in Oregon, and starting near $41,000 with manageable debt positions graduates reasonably well, even if it won't fund a lavish lifestyle. This is the definition of a safe bet—not extraordinary, but reliably adequate.