Longview, Washington

Lower Columbia College Medical Assistant Programs

CertificateAssociate degreePublicCAAHEP-accredited

What Medical Assistant Programs Does Lower Columbia College Offer?

Lower Columbia College in Longview, Washington offers 2 medical assisting programs (certificate and associate degree), taught on campus. Medical Assisting Certificate of Proficiency is CAAHEP-accredited, so graduates are eligible for the CMA (AAMA) exam. The lowest-cost option, Medical Assisting Certificate of Proficiency, comes to $11,790 total.

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2 Medical Assistant Programs at Lower Columbia College

Lower Columbia College's Programs Side by Side

ProgramCredentialFormatLengthExternshipCost
Medical Assisting Certificate of Proficiency, Lower Columbia CollegeCertificateOn campus76 credits$11,790published total
Medical Assisting Associate in Applied Science (AAS), Lower Columbia CollegeAssociate degreeOn campus91 credits$12,971published total

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

Medical Assisting Certificate of Proficiency: The Details

Hours or credits
76 credits
Also covers
EKG
Certification
Prepares for national testing and the Washington State MA-C credential
Start dates
Fall
Admission
Cohort of about 24 students admitted each year (application in Spring for September start)
Tuition (school's wording)
Tuition and fees $11,790; books $2,093; student expenses $1,347; total $15,230Source: lowercolumbia.edu, reviewed October 12, 2026.
Published total
$11,790The school's own program total.
Outcomes the school publishes
Five-year exam passage rate 89.74% (2020-2024)Reported for 2020-2024.

Medical Assisting Certificate of Proficiency at Lower Columbia College: full program profileLower Columbia College certificate page on lowercolumbia.edu ↗

Medical Assisting Associate in Applied Science (AAS): The Details

Hours or credits
91 credits
Also covers
EKG
Certification
Prepares for national testing and the Washington State MA-C credential
Start dates
Fall
Tuition (school's wording)
Tuition and fees $12,971; books $2,418; student expenses $1,347; total $16,736Source: lowercolumbia.edu, reviewed October 12, 2026.
Published total
$12,971The school's own program total.
Outcomes the school publishes
Five-year exam passage rate 89.74% (2020-2024)Reported for 2020-2024.

Medical Assisting Associate in Applied Science (AAS) at Lower Columbia College: full program profileLower Columbia College associate degree page on lowercolumbia.edu ↗

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

How Lower Columbia College Compares

  • Medical Assisting Certificate of Proficiency costs $11,790, against a median of $8,930 across 426 priced certificate programs on this site.
  • Medical Assisting Associate in Applied Science (AAS) costs $12,971, against a median of $12,661 across 137 priced associate degree programs on this site.

Medical assistants in Washington earn a median of $59,290 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), against $45,690 nationally.

Work out what Lower Columbia College's certificate costs you after aid

Is Lower Columbia College's Medical Assistant Program Accredited?

Yes. Medical Assisting Certificate of Proficiency is listed by CAAHEP (directory captured October 12, 2026). Accredited by CAAHEP on the recommendation of MAERB (CAAHEP directory, October 12, 2026), so graduates meet the standard education route for the CMA (AAMA) exam.

The accreditor's listing covers Medical Assisting Certificate of Proficiency; Medical Assisting Associate in Applied Science (AAS) is a different credential and isn't covered by it.

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

Medical Assisting Awards at Lower Columbia College

Award levelAwards, 2022-23
Certificates of one to two years9
Associate degrees8

Federal completions data (IPEDS, CIP 51.0801) count 17 medical assisting awards conferred by Lower Columbia College in 2022-23, 592nd 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 Washington

Lower Columbia College Medical Assisting: Common Questions

Is Lower Columbia College's Medical Assistant Program Accredited?

Yes. Medical Assisting Certificate of Proficiency is listed by CAAHEP (directory captured October 12, 2026). Accredited by CAAHEP on the recommendation of MAERB (CAAHEP directory, October 12, 2026), so graduates meet the standard education route for the CMA (AAMA) exam.

How Much Does Lower Columbia College's Medical Assistant Program Cost?

Medical Assisting Certificate of Proficiency: Tuition and fees $11,790; books $2,093; student expenses $1,347; total $15,230. Medical Assisting Associate in Applied Science (AAS): Tuition and fees $12,971; books $2,418; student expenses $1,347; total $16,736.

What Do You Need to Apply to Lower Columbia College?

Medical Assisting Certificate of Proficiency: Cohort of about 24 students admitted each year (application in Spring for September start).

Compare With Programs Like These

Sources

  1. lowercolumbia.edu: Medical Assisting Certificate of Proficiency program page, reviewed October 12, 2026
  2. CAAHEP, accredited medical assisting programs, captured 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, Washington

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