Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at New York School for Medical and Dental Assistants

The New York School for Medical and Dental Assistants produces solidly middle-of-the-pack outcomes for students entering medical assisting—earnings hover around $29,000 with minimal growth over four years. Among New York's 32 programs in this field, it sits right at the median, meaning roughly half of competitors deliver better results. The debt picture looks reasonable at first glance ($8,245), but the 85th percentile ranking nationally reveals this is actually on the higher end for certificate programs that typically carry lower debt loads.

The real concern is the comparison to top New York programs. Schools like Mildred Elley and Westchester consistently place graduates into jobs paying $35,000+—about $6,000 more annually than this program delivers. Over a career, that gap compounds significantly. With 89% of students receiving Pell grants, the student body here is overwhelmingly low-income, making every dollar of that earnings difference meaningful for financial stability.

For families considering this program, the math is straightforward: you're paying slightly above-average debt for average outcomes in a field where better options clearly exist in-state. Unless geographic constraints make other programs inaccessible, the top-performing schools offer substantially better return on investment for what is likely a similar time commitment and educational experience.