Ridgecrest, California

Cerro Coso Community College Medical Assistant Programs

CertificateAssociate degreePublic

What Medical Assistant Programs Does Cerro Coso Community College Offer?

Cerro Coso Community College in Ridgecrest, California offers 2 medical assisting programs (certificate and associate degree). The lowest-cost option, Clinical Medical Assisting Certificate of Achievement, comes to about $943 (estimated). Programs run 32 weeks and 64 weeks.

2 Medical Assistant Programs at Cerro Coso Community College

Cerro Coso Community College's Programs Side by Side

ProgramCredentialFormatLengthExternshipCost
Clinical Medical Assisting Certificate of Achievement, Cerro Coso Community CollegeCertificate32 weeksIncluded$943estimated: $46/credit × 20.5
Medical Assisting AS Degree, Cerro Coso Community CollegeAssociate degree64 weeksIncluded$2,760estimated: $46/credit × 60

Blank cells: the school's pages don't give that figure.

Clinical Medical Assisting Certificate of Achievement: The Details

Length
2 semesters
Hours or credits
20.5 units
Externship
Clinical Medical Assistant Externship (1.5 units)
Also covers
pharmacology
Certification
Prepares students for the State Exam for Medical Assistants (CCBMA)
Tuition (school's wording)
$46 per unit for California residents ($943 for 20.5 units) plus about $1,230 for books and supplies; nonresidents $389 per unitSource: cerrocoso.edu, reviewed October 12, 2026.
Estimated cost
$943Estimated: $46/credit × 20.5, before fees.

Medical Assisting AS Degree: The Details

Length
4 semesters
Hours or credits
60 units
Externship
Administrative and clinical externships (1.5 units each)
Also covers
pharmacology; medical billing and coding
Certification
Prepares students for the State Exam for Medical Assistants (CCBMA)
Tuition (school's wording)
$46 per unit for California residents; nonresidents $389 per unitSource: cerrocoso.edu, reviewed October 12, 2026.
Estimated cost
$2,760Estimated: $46/credit × 60, before fees.

From Cerro Coso Community College's own program, admissions and tuition pages, reviewed October 12, 2026. Tuition changes each year; confirm fees with the school.

How Cerro Coso Community College Compares

  • Clinical Medical Assisting Certificate of Achievement costs an estimated $943, against a median of $8,930 across 426 priced certificate programs on this site.
  • Clinical Medical Assisting Certificate of Achievement runs 32 weeks; the median for certificate programs is 39 weeks.
  • Medical Assisting AS Degree costs an estimated $2,760, against a median of $12,661 across 137 priced associate degree programs on this site.
  • Medical Assisting AS Degree runs 64 weeks; the median for associate degree programs is 78 weeks.

Medical assistants in California earn a median of $49,660 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), against $45,690 nationally.

Work out what Cerro Coso Community College's certificate costs you after aid

Is Cerro Coso Community College's Medical Assistant Program Accredited?

Cerro Coso Community College's medical assisting programs aren't on the CAAHEP or ABHES lists captured October 12, 2026. Graduates can still sit the RMA (AMT), CCMA (NHA) or NCMA (NCCT) exams, which accept other education routes. Accredited medical assistant programs.

What CAAHEP or ABHES accreditation means for the CMA (AAMA)

Medical Assisting Awards at Cerro Coso Community College

Award levelAwards, 2022-23
Certificates of one to two years25
Associate degrees5

Federal completions data (IPEDS, CIP 51.0801) count 30 medical assisting awards conferred by Cerro Coso Community College in 2022-23, 386th of 951 schools on this site. These are credentials awarded, not graduates or job outcomes, and chains report each campus separately.

More Medical Assistant Schools in California

Cerro Coso Community College Medical Assisting: Common Questions

Is Cerro Coso Community College's Medical Assistant Program Accredited?

Cerro Coso Community College's medical assisting programs aren't on the CAAHEP or ABHES lists captured October 12, 2026. Graduates can still sit the RMA (AMT), CCMA (NHA) or NCMA (NCCT) exams, which accept other education routes. Accredited medical assistant programs.

How Much Does Cerro Coso Community College's Medical Assistant Program Cost?

Clinical Medical Assisting Certificate of Achievement: $46 per unit for California residents ($943 for 20.5 units) plus about $1,230 for books and supplies; nonresidents $389 per unit, about $943 for the program (estimated). Medical Assisting AS Degree: $46 per unit for California residents; nonresidents $389 per unit, about $2,760 for the program (estimated).

How Long Is Cerro Coso Community College's Medical Assistant Program?

Clinical Medical Assisting Certificate of Achievement: 2 semesters (20.5 units). Medical Assisting AS Degree: 4 semesters (60 units).

Does Cerro Coso Community College Include an Externship?

Yes. Clinical Medical Assisting Certificate of Achievement: Clinical Medical Assistant Externship (1.5 units). Medical Assisting AS Degree: Administrative and clinical externships (1.5 units each).

Compare With Programs Like These

Sources

  1. cerrocoso.edu: Clinical Medical Assisting Certificate of Achievement program page, reviewed October 12, 2026
  2. cerrocoso.edu: Medical Assisting AS Degree program page, reviewed October 12, 2026
  3. U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS completions 2022-23, CIP 51.0801 (medical/clinical assistant)
  4. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Medical Assistants, California

Every program on this site was checked on the school's own website in October 2026. Accreditation comes only from the CAAHEP and ABHES directories (captured October 12, 2026), never from a school's own wording, and school size from U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS) completions. Sponsored listings are labeled as ads and never change which programs we list or how we rank them. How we verify programs