Rolling Meadows, Illinois

Northwest Suburban College Medical Assistant Programs

CertificateAssociate degree

What Medical Assistant Programs Does Northwest Suburban College Offer?

Northwest Suburban College in Rolling Meadows, Illinois offers 2 medical assisting programs (certificate and associate degree), taught hybrid and on campus. The lowest-cost option, Medical Assistant Certificate, comes to $11,584 total. Programs run 32 weeks and 80 weeks.

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2 Medical Assistant Programs at Northwest Suburban College

Northwest Suburban College's Programs Side by Side

ProgramCredentialFormatLengthExternshipCost
Medical Assistant Certificate, Northwest Suburban CollegeCertificateHybrid32 weeks160 hours$11,584published total, 2026-27 catalog
Associate of Applied Science in Medical Assisting (AAS-MA), Northwest Suburban CollegeAssociate degreeOn campus80 weeks$6,550per term, 2026-27 catalog

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

Medical Assistant Certificate: The Details

Length
8 months (24 didactic weeks, 32 weeks total)
Hours or credits
720 clock hours
Externship
160 clock hours (8 weeks)
Also covers
phlebotomy (venipuncture); EKG; medical coding and insurance processing
Certification
Eligible to sit for the NHA Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam
Start dates
Every month
Tuition (school's wording)
$11,584 total cost: $11,034 tuition plus enrollment, textbook and other initial fees2026-27 catalog. Source: nwsc.edu, reviewed October 12, 2026.
Published total
$11,584The school's own program total.

Medical Assistant Certificate at Northwest Suburban College: full program profileNorthwest Suburban College certificate page on nwsc.edu ↗

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

Length
5 semesters (within 2 years)
Schedule
Day, evening and weekend
Start dates
Fall; Winter; Summer
Tuition (school's wording)
$6,550 per semester full time (12+ credit hours) or $437 per credit hour part time; estimated total cost of program and attendance $45,3602026-27 catalog. Source: nwsc.edu, reviewed October 12, 2026.

Associate of Applied Science in Medical Assisting (AAS-MA) at Northwest Suburban College: full program profileNorthwest Suburban College associate degree page on nwsc.edu ↗

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

How Northwest Suburban College Compares

  • Medical Assistant Certificate costs $11,584, against a median of $8,930 across 426 priced certificate programs on this site.
  • Medical Assistant Certificate runs 32 weeks; the median for certificate programs is 39 weeks.
  • Associate of Applied Science in Medical Assisting (AAS-MA) runs 80 weeks; the median for associate degree programs is 78 weeks.

Medical assistants in Illinois earn a median of $46,090 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), against $45,690 nationally.

Work out what Northwest Suburban College's certificate costs you after aid

Is Northwest Suburban College's Medical Assistant Program Accredited?

Northwest Suburban 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)

More Medical Assistant Schools in Illinois

Northwest Suburban College Medical Assisting: Common Questions

Is Northwest Suburban College's Medical Assistant Program Accredited?

Northwest Suburban 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 Northwest Suburban College's Medical Assistant Program Cost?

Medical Assistant Certificate: $11,584 total cost: $11,034 tuition plus enrollment, textbook and other initial fees (2026-27 catalog). Associate of Applied Science in Medical Assisting (AAS-MA): $6,550 per semester full time (12+ credit hours) or $437 per credit hour part time; estimated total cost of program and attendance $45,360 (2026-27 catalog).

How Long Is Northwest Suburban College's Medical Assistant Program?

Medical Assistant Certificate: 8 months (24 didactic weeks, 32 weeks total) (720 clock hours). Associate of Applied Science in Medical Assisting (AAS-MA): 5 semesters (within 2 years).

Does Northwest Suburban College Include an Externship?

Yes. Medical Assistant Certificate: 160 clock hours (8 weeks).

Which Certification Exams Does Northwest Suburban College Prepare You For?

Medical Assistant Certificate names the CCMA (NHA). CMA (AAMA) eligibility through the standard route requires a CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited program.

Compare With Programs Like These

Sources

  1. nwsc.edu: Medical Assistant Certificate program page, reviewed October 12, 2026
  2. nwsc.edu: Associate of Applied Science in Medical Assisting (AAS-MA) program page, reviewed October 12, 2026
  3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Medical Assistants, Illinois

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