12 accredited schools across the San Diego metro area trained 1,203 medical assistants in 2023–24. Here’s how they compare on cost, length and size, plus what the job pays locally.
Updated October 2026 · Data: IPEDS 2023–24, BLS May 2025
Sorted by number of 2023–24 graduates (IPEDS), a proxy for program size and stability.
329 Medical Assistant credentials awarded in 2023–24 at this private for-profit career school. Published tuition and fees plus books and supplies come to $19,900 for a program of about 36 weeks.
This private for-profit two-year college in San Diego County graduated 291 Medical Assistant students in 2023–24. Published tuition and fees plus books and supplies come to $18,733 for a program of about 32 weeks.
Private for-profit career school in Oceanside that reported 138 Medical Assistant graduates in 2023–24. Published tuition and fees plus books and supplies come to $19,900 for a program of about 36 weeks.
Private for-profit two-year college in Chula Vista that reported 137 Medical Assistant graduates in 2023–24. Published tuition and fees plus books and supplies come to $18,454 for a program of about 35 weeks.
Private for-profit two-year college in San Marcos that reported 93 Medical Assistant graduates in 2023–24. Published tuition and fees plus books and supplies come to $18,454 for a program of about 9 months.
This public four-year institution in San Diego County graduated 81 Medical Assistant students in 2023–24. Annual in-district tuition (before fees): $1,104 ($9,072 out of state).
This private for-profit four-year institution in San Diego County graduated 46 Medical Assistant students in 2023–24. Published tuition and fees plus books and supplies come to $18,491 for a program of about 9 months.
38 Medical Assistant credentials awarded in 2023–24 at this private for-profit two-year college. Published tuition and fees plus books and supplies come to $16,130 for a program of about 34 weeks.
Public four-year institution in San Diego that reported 20 Medical Assistant graduates in 2023–24. Annual in-district tuition (before fees): $1,104 ($9,048 out of state).
Public two-year college in Chula Vista that reported 16 Medical Assistant graduates in 2023–24. Annual in-district tuition (before fees): $1,288 ($9,436 out of state).
Public career school in Escondido that reported 11 Medical Assistant graduates in 2023–24.
This private nonprofit career school in San Diego County graduated 3 Medical Assistant students in 2023–24. Published tuition and fees plus books and supplies come to $15,249 for a program of about 8 months.
12 accredited schools in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area graduated 1,203 Medical Assistant students in 2023–24. The largest was UEI College-Chula Vista with 329.
Among schools that published a program price, CET-San Diego in San Diego listed the lowest total: $15,249 for tuition, books and supplies.
Medical Assistants in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro earn a median $49,420 a year ($23.76/hour), per BLS May 2025 data. That compares with $49,660 statewide and $45,690 nationally.
Certificate and diploma programs commonly run about 9 to 12 months; associate degrees take about 2 years.