Approximately 1.7% of graduates in of Virginia receive medical assisting certificates every year. Thus, Virginia's 29 medical assistant schools put out approximately 3,297 medical assistants each year.

Top Schools

James Madison University, which was ranked 20th nationwide in 2010, is the top-ranked school in Virginia that has a medical assistant program. It is located in Harrisonburg. In 2010, 2 students graduated from James Madison University's medical assistant program. Tuition at James Madison University was $7,860 per year.

The second-ranked school in Virginia that has a medical assistant program is Shenandoah University. Shenandoah University, which was ranked 41st in the country in 2010, is located in Winchester. In 2010, Shenandoah University graduated 31 students from its medical assistant program. The tuition rate at Shenandoah University was $26,080 per year.

Jefferson College of Health Sciences, which is located in Roanoke, is the third-ranked school in Virginia that has a medical assistant program. It received a ranking of 43rd in the country in 2010. 0 students graduated with certificate in medical assistant from Jefferson College of Health Sciences in 2010. Students at Jefferson College of Health Sciences paid $18,810 per year in tuition fees.

Cost

If you are hoping to attend one of Virginia's medical assistant schools, you can expect to pay an average tuition of $12,751 per year, though tuition can range from $45,628 per year to $2,856 per year. In 2010, the following Virginia medical assistant schools had the highest tuition rates:

1. Sanford-Brown College - located in Vienna, students are charged $45,628 per year
2. Centura College - located in Virginia Beach, students are charged $27,147 per year
3. Centura College - located in Newport News, students are charged $27,147 per year

The following Virginia medical assistant schools had the lowest tuition rates:

1. Eastern Shore Community College - located in Melfa, students are charged $2,856 per year
2. Tidewater Community College - located in Norfolk, students are charged $3,212 per year
3. James Madison University - located in Harrisonburg, students are charged $7,860 per year

A medical assistant certificate from a Virginia school... what next?

Most people who graduate from medical assistant school in Virginia go on to work as a medical assistant. In 2010, there were 10,020 medical assistants working in Virginia. In Virginia, the largest numbers of medical assistants work in the following counties:

1. Chesapeake County - 3,270 medical assistants
2. Caroline County - 1,570 medical assistants
3. Botetourt County - 410 medical assistants

Projected Growth

The government projects that by 2018, the number of medical assistants in the state of Virginia will grow to 13,130. This would require a 34% growth in the profession.

Salary

On average, medical assistants earn $29,880 per year. However, Virginia medical assistants earned anywhere in the range from as less than $16,610 per year to more than $57,020 per year in 2010. On average a medical assistant earns the most in the following Virginia counties:

1. Frederick County - $33,610 per year
2. Albemarle County - $32,690 per year
3. Caroline County - $30,480 per year

The Virginia counties with the lowest average salary for medical assistants are:

1. Buchanan County - $22,990 per year
2. Brunswick County - $23,830 per year
3. Accomack County - $26,100 per year

More Information

For more data regarding a career in medical assisting in Virginia and to compare salaries with various related fields such as physical therapy assisting or medical assisting, take a look at the graphs and charts below.