Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Portland Community College

Portland Community College's allied health program punches significantly above its weight nationally—graduates earn more than 95% of similar programs nationwide—but the picture gets more complicated when you look closer. While $46,000 first-year earnings beats the national median by $19,000, it's actually middle-of-the-pack among Oregon programs, sitting right around the state median. More concerning: earnings slide to $42,000 by year four, suggesting graduates may be starting in clinical or administrative roles that don't offer much advancement.

The debt load of $12,800 is manageable with a 0.28 ratio to first-year earnings, though it's slightly above both state and national medians for this credential. For a certificate program, that's still reasonable—you'd pay off the debt in roughly four months of earnings. The real question is whether this program's placement advantage (getting graduates into those higher-paying first jobs) offsets the apparent career ceiling.

If your child is looking for quick entry into healthcare with solid immediate earnings, this delivers. The first-year income supports a reasonable debt burden and far exceeds what similar programs produce nationally. Just understand this may be a stepping stone rather than a career endpoint—many graduates likely move into roles where advancement requires additional credentials.