Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Porter & Chester Institute of Hamden

Porter & Chester Institute's medical assisting program earns graduates $34,069 in their first year—well above both the national median ($27,186) and Connecticut's median ($31,098) for similar programs. The 95th percentile national ranking sounds impressive, but context matters: Connecticut is an expensive state to live in, and this program only reaches the 60th percentile among Connecticut medical assisting programs. At $9,500 in debt with a 0.28 debt-to-earnings ratio, the financial burden is manageable enough that most graduates can handle repayment.

The troubling pattern here is the backward trajectory. Earnings drop to $31,872 by year four—a 6% decline that suggests limited growth potential in these roles. With nearly 60% of students receiving Pell grants, this serves a population that needs programs to deliver upward mobility, not stagnation. The small sample size (under 30 graduates) also means these numbers could swing significantly year to year.

For an affordable certificate program, this works if your child needs quick entry into healthcare and understands the earnings ceiling. But if they're capable of pursuing an associate degree in nursing or a similar healthcare field with better advancement prospects, that's likely the smarter path—even if it takes longer and costs more upfront.