Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Pima Medical Institute-Albuquerque

Pima Medical Institute delivers first-year earnings of nearly $50,000—putting it in the 95th percentile nationally for medical assisting programs. That's impressive distance from the $37,000 national median and even outpaces most New Mexico programs. But here's what complicates the picture: you're paying $27,000 in debt (about $5,000 more than the state median) for earnings that actually decline slightly to $48,000 by year four, and that places the program only at the 60th percentile within New Mexico itself.

The debt load remains manageable with a 0.54 ratio to first-year earnings, which is better than many associate programs. Given that 60% of students here receive Pell grants, this represents a genuine pathway to middle-class earnings for students from lower-income backgrounds. The slight earnings dip over time isn't alarming—it's modest—but the higher debt means you're paying a premium compared to programs like Clovis Community College, which delivers similar outcomes at presumably lower cost.

For families who can afford the higher debt burden and want strong immediate job placement, Pima delivers. But if your child qualifies for a community college program with comparable New Mexico earnings and lower debt, that comparison deserves serious attention before committing to the extra borrowing.