Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Valley College-Beckley

Valley College-Beckley's Allied Health certificate leaves graduates earning roughly $6,000 less than the West Virginia median for this program—ranking in just the 25th percentile statewide. At $19,046 one year out, these earnings fall well below what similar programs deliver at other West Virginia campuses, including sister campus Valley College-Martinsburg which posts median earnings of $25,153. Nationally, this program sits in the bottom 5% for earnings outcomes, a significant gap considering graduates across the state face identical debt loads of $9,500.

The debt itself is manageable—representing half of first-year earnings—but the core issue is that those earnings barely exceed minimum wage full-time work. While graduates do see 12% earnings growth by year four, reaching $21,265 still leaves them substantially behind peers who chose similar programs elsewhere in the state. With 62% of students receiving Pell grants, these are likely students who can least afford to settle for below-market outcomes in their field.

For families considering medical assisting programs in West Virginia, this data suggests looking at alternative campuses first. Ross Medical Education Center and Ross College both deliver earnings roughly $6,000 higher annually with the same debt burden—a meaningful difference that compounds over a career. Unless location constraints make Beckley the only viable option, other programs offer better returns on the same investment.