Costa Mesa, California

Orange Coast College Medical Assistant Programs

CertificateAssociate degreePublic

What Medical Assistant Programs Does Orange Coast College Offer?

Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California offers 2 medical assisting programs (certificate and associate degree). The lowest-cost option, Medical Assisting CCMA Eligible Program, Certificate of Achievement, comes to about $1,472 (estimated). Programs run 32 weeks and 48 weeks.

2 Medical Assistant Programs at Orange Coast College

Orange Coast College's Programs Side by Side

ProgramCredentialFormatLengthExternshipCost
Medical Assisting CCMA Eligible Program, Certificate of Achievement, Orange Coast CollegeCertificate32 weeks160 hours$1,472estimated: $46/credit × 32
Medical Assisting CCMA Eligible Program, Associate in Science Degree, Orange Coast CollegeAssociate degree48 weeks160 hours$46per credit, 2026-27

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

Medical Assisting CCMA Eligible Program, Certificate of Achievement: The Details

Length
Two semesters
Hours or credits
32 units
Externship
160-hour on-the-job experience in a medical office or clinic
Certification
Eligible to sit for the California Certifying Board of Medical Assistants (CCBMA) examination
Tuition (school's wording)
$46 per unit enrollment fee for California residents; nonresidents add $428 per unit tuition and a $28 per unit capital outlay fee (effective Summer 2026)2026-27. Source: catalog.cccd.edu, reviewed October 12, 2026.
Estimated cost
$1,472Estimated: $46/credit × 32, before fees.

Medical Assisting CCMA Eligible Program, Associate in Science Degree: The Details

Length
Three semesters
Externship
160-hour on-the-job experience
Certification
Eligible to sit for the CCBMA examination
Tuition (school's wording)
$46 per unit enrollment fee for California residents; nonresidents add $428 per unit tuition and a $28 per unit capital outlay fee (effective Summer 2026)2026-27. Source: catalog.cccd.edu, reviewed October 12, 2026.

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

How Orange Coast College Compares

  • Medical Assisting CCMA Eligible Program, Certificate of Achievement costs an estimated $1,472, against a median of $8,930 across 426 priced certificate programs on this site.
  • Medical Assisting CCMA Eligible Program, Certificate of Achievement runs 32 weeks; the median for certificate programs is 39 weeks.
  • Medical Assisting CCMA Eligible Program, Associate in Science Degree runs 48 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 Orange Coast College's certificate costs you after aid

Is Orange Coast College's Medical Assistant Program Accredited?

Orange Coast 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 Orange Coast College

Award levelAwards, 2022-23
Associate degrees1

Federal completions data (IPEDS, CIP 51.0801) count 1 medical assisting award conferred by Orange Coast College in 2022-23, 937th 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

Orange Coast College Medical Assisting: Common Questions

Is Orange Coast College's Medical Assistant Program Accredited?

Orange Coast 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 Orange Coast College's Medical Assistant Program Cost?

Medical Assisting CCMA Eligible Program, Certificate of Achievement: $46 per unit enrollment fee for California residents; nonresidents add $428 per unit tuition and a $28 per unit capital outlay fee (effective Summer 2026) (2026-27), about $1,472 for the program (estimated). Medical Assisting CCMA Eligible Program, Associate in Science Degree: $46 per unit enrollment fee for California residents; nonresidents add $428 per unit tuition and a $28 per unit capital outlay fee (effective Summer 2026) (2026-27).

How Long Is Orange Coast College's Medical Assistant Program?

Medical Assisting CCMA Eligible Program, Certificate of Achievement: Two semesters (32 units). Medical Assisting CCMA Eligible Program, Associate in Science Degree: Three semesters.

Does Orange Coast College Include an Externship?

Yes. Medical Assisting CCMA Eligible Program, Certificate of Achievement: 160-hour on-the-job experience in a medical office or clinic. Medical Assisting CCMA Eligible Program, Associate in Science Degree: 160-hour on-the-job experience.

Compare With Programs Like These

Sources

  1. catalog.cccd.edu: Medical Assisting CCMA Eligible Program, Certificate of Achievement program page, reviewed October 12, 2026
  2. catalog.cccd.edu: Medical Assisting CCMA Eligible Program, Associate in Science 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