Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Sullivan University

Sullivan University's medical assisting program reports exceptional early earnings—$34,352 places it in the 95th percentile nationally and 80th percentile among Kentucky programs. That's $7,000 above the state median and notably ahead of most competitors. The debt load of $14,958 is higher than typical for certificate programs, but the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.44 means graduates earn more than double what they borrowed in their first year, making this manageable for most students.

The significant caveat: with fewer than 30 graduates in the data, these numbers could shift dramatically year to year. More concerning is the earnings drop to $32,067 by year four—a 7% decline that's unusual for healthcare programs. This could reflect graduates leaving the field, transitioning to part-time work, or simply the volatility of a small sample. Medical assisting roles typically don't see major salary progression, so the first-year earnings matter most here.

For families confident their student will complete the program and work full-time immediately after graduation, this looks like a solid short-term investment in Kentucky's healthcare job market. The debt is reasonable and the initial earnings are strong. Just understand you're betting on that first-year number holding up, and the limited data means there's more uncertainty than with larger programs.