Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at North-West College-West Covina

North-West College-West Covina's medical assisting program delivers solid early-career results but comes with a concerning pattern: graduates actually earn less four years out than they do in their first year. While the initial $30,358 salary ranks well nationally (71st percentile) and beats both national and California medians by over $3,000, earnings slip to $29,979 by year four—a troubling 1% decline when most careers show growth.

The debt picture offers some relief at $9,500, which matches both national and state medians and creates a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.31. Among California's 185 programs, this ranks solidly in the 60th percentile for earnings, though it falls well short of top performers like Empire College ($40,838) and Bay Area Medical Academy ($38,505). The program serves a predominantly Pell Grant population (62%), suggesting it provides accessible training for students from lower-income backgrounds.

For parents, this represents a low-risk entry into healthcare with reasonable debt levels, but the earnings decline raises questions about long-term career advancement opportunities. The program gets graduates employed quickly at decent starting wages, but families should understand that medical assisting may offer limited upward mobility without additional training or certification.