Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Northcentral Technical College

Northcentral Technical College's allied health program presents a puzzle: graduates earn well above the national median but fall short of what's typical in Wisconsin. At $31,154 first-year, earnings beat the national benchmark by 15%, yet they trail the state median by about $3,300. Among Wisconsin's 22 programs, this ranks only in the 40th percentile—meaning most comparable in-state options deliver stronger outcomes. The debt load of $10,268 is manageable with a reasonable 0.33 ratio to first-year earnings, though nearby programs like Blackhawk and Western Technical consistently produce graduates earning $5,000-6,000 more annually.

The backwards trajectory here deserves attention: earnings actually drop 9% between year one and year four, sliding to $28,246. While some medical assisting roles see wage compression as workers max out their earning potential without additional credentials, this decline is steeper than you'd hope to see. The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift with a different cohort, but the pattern warrants scrutiny.

If your child is considering medical assisting in Wisconsin, compare this program directly to the higher-performing technical colleges in the state. The debt is reasonable enough that this isn't a financial disaster, but when in-state alternatives consistently deliver $8,000+ more in annual earnings, those differences compound significantly over a career.