Health and Medical Administrative Services at Southern California Health Institute

Southern California Health Institute manages to deliver above-average outcomes while keeping debt exceptionally manageable—earning $31,976 ranks at the 83rd percentile nationally and above the state median of $26,827. At just $9,500 in debt, graduates face a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.30, meaning they owe less than four months of annual salary. For a certificate program serving an almost exclusively Pell-eligible student population (98%), these fundamentals are solid. However, the state rankings reveal this program sits in the middle of the pack within California, at the 60th percentile, and top California programs like Santa Barbara City College produce graduates earning nearly $15,000 more annually.

The comparison with elite state programs matters because those higher earners can pay off similar debt loads much faster. Still, $9,500 is genuinely affordable debt for healthcare administrative work, and this program's graduates earn more than 60% of similar programs statewide—nothing to dismiss. The real question is location and accessibility: if your child can access one of the top-tier programs, the earnings bump justifies the effort. If not, this represents a financially sensible entry point into healthcare administration with debt that won't become crushing.

For families prioritizing affordability and reasonable risk, this program works. Just know stronger options exist in California if geography and admissions allow for them.