Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Seminole State College of Florida

Seminole State's medical assisting program does what it needs to do: gets graduates working quickly at livable wages with manageable debt. With first-year earnings of $36,389 and debt under $17,000, your child would face monthly loan payments around $160—a reasonable burden for someone earning roughly $3,000 monthly before taxes. Among Florida's 43 programs in this field, this one lands at the 60th percentile for earnings while keeping debt well below the state median of $25,626.

The challenge is what happens next. Earnings barely budge between years one and four, growing just 3% to $37,415. This isn't unusual for medical assisting roles, which typically offer limited advancement without additional credentials. Compare this to top-performing programs like Santa Fe College or St. Petersburg College, where graduates earn $42,000+ from the start. The moderate sample size (30-100 graduates) suggests these results are reasonably reliable.

If your child wants steady employment in healthcare support right after community college, this program works—the debt load is light and the job market is accessible. But if they're hoping for meaningful wage growth or career advancement, they should plan on pursuing further education in nursing or another allied health field. Think of this as a stable entry point, not a destination.