Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Southeastern College-Columbia

Graduates of this program earn about $3,600 less than the typical medical assisting graduate in South Carolina—a meaningful gap when starting salaries are already modest. At the 40th percentile statewide, this program trails not just community colleges like Spartanburg ($32,200) and Midlands Tech ($31,912), but also Southeastern's own Charleston campus by over $4,000. Nationally, it ranks in just the 25th percentile for earnings among similar programs.

The numbers become more troubling over time. Earnings actually decline to $22,217 by year four—a 9% drop that's unusual for healthcare credentials, which typically offer stable employment. Meanwhile, the $12,187 in debt (close to the state median) means graduates face a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.50, making repayment challenging on already tight budgets. With 73% of students receiving Pell grants, these outcomes hit a particularly vulnerable population.

For families considering medical assisting training in South Carolina, the state's community colleges deliver substantially better returns at similar or lower debt levels. This program's combination of below-average starting pay and declining earnings makes it difficult to justify when stronger alternatives exist nearby.