Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at San Joaquin Valley College-Fresno

This medical assisting program delivers solid but unspectacular results, with the key advantage being very manageable debt relative to earnings. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.38, graduates can realistically pay off their $10,269 in loans on a starting salary of nearly $27,000—a much more comfortable position than many certificate programs create.

The earnings picture tells a mixed story. While the program performs in the 60th percentile within California (meaning it beats 60% of similar programs in the state), graduates earn essentially the same as the state median and slightly below the national average. More concerning is the minimal 3% earnings growth over four years, suggesting this field offers limited advancement opportunities. When you see top California programs producing graduates earning $35,000-$40,000, it's clear there are significantly better options available.

The bottom line: this program won't saddle your child with crushing debt, but it also won't open doors to strong earning potential. Given that 185 schools in California offer this credential, including several that produce graduates earning 30-50% more, this represents a safe but suboptimal choice. If your child is set on medical assisting, exploring programs at community colleges or higher-performing institutions could yield substantially better financial outcomes.