Health and Medical Administrative Services at National Career Education

National Career Education's health and medical administrative services certificate delivers stronger-than-average earnings with remarkably low debt. First-year graduates earn $29,313—outpacing both California's median ($26,827) and the national median ($27,783) for this program. Among California's 155 schools offering this credential, that places it in the 60th percentile.

The real advantage here is debt management. At $7,600, graduates owe about 20% less than the state median and roughly $3,000 less than the national benchmark. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.26 means most graduates can realistically pay off this certificate in under a year while covering living expenses. That's a meaningful difference from programs where students carry $10,000+ in debt for similar starting salaries. Four years out, earnings climb to $35,485—solid growth that suggests the credential opens doors to advancement, not just entry-level positions.

The tradeoff: this isn't a pathway to the $40,000+ starting salaries that a handful of California schools achieve in this field. But for a certificate program serving a significant population of Pell Grant recipients (39%), this represents accessible training with manageable financial risk and clear earnings outcomes above the norm.