Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Southwest School of Business and Technical Careers-San Antonio

At under $20,000 in first-year earnings, this program produces income below the poverty line for a single adult—and that's with $7,500 in debt to service. While Southwest's students carry less debt than most medical assisting programs, they're also earning $5,500 less than the Texas median and about $8,000 less than the national median. Among Texas medical assisting programs, this ranks in just the 25th percentile for earnings, meaning three-quarters of similar programs in the state deliver better results.

The comparison to other San Antonio and Houston options is particularly stark. Pima Medical Institute's San Antonio campus—in the same city—reports graduates earning $31,915, roughly 67% more than Southwest graduates. Even large community college systems like Lone Star and Houston Community College show graduates earning over $33,000. The 11% earnings growth over four years barely keeps pace with inflation and doesn't meaningfully change the value picture.

For a family considering this program, the math is troubling: first-year earnings won't cover basic living expenses in San Antonio (median rent alone exceeds $1,000/month), and better alternatives exist at similar price points. The institution serves predominantly low-income students (95% receive Pell grants), which makes the outcome gap even more concerning. Unless there are exceptional circumstances around scheduling flexibility or location access, other Texas medical assisting programs offer substantially better pathways to financial stability.