Guide to the Top Medical Assistant Programs in Kansas: Online & Campus
Learn what you need to know to become a medical assistant in Kansas, including information on top online programs, salary and career trends, and why this field is growing rapidly.
Medical assistant programs are great if you’re looking for a career with stability, growth opportunities, and diverse roles within healthcare. Medical assistants collaborate with doctors, healthcare managers, nurses, and other professionals to provide excellent care and ensure the administrative side of healthcare is running smoothly.
Programs can be tailored to your career objectives — medical assistants in Kansas work in a variety of roles and are eligible for numerous leadership opportunities. Plus, the demand for medical assistants in Kansas is four times higher than the average growth rate among all jobs, making it an excellent choice for job security.
Another perk is that medical assistant programs are quick to complete, especially compared to nursing or medical school. Some programs can be completed in 12 months, with online options available.
To help you navigate a medical assistant career in Kansas, our team researched the best online programs in the state and reviewed types of programs, salary ranges and financial aid opportunities. By the end of this guide, you should feel confident in your ability to identify and apply to top medical assistant programs in the state.
Inside Popular Medical Assistant Programs in Kansas
Medical assistant programs can be completed fully online, and there are several excellent online and hybrid programs offered in Kansas. To help guide your search, three stand-out programs are outlined below. Each excels in academic rigor, affordability, and flexibility, making them excellent quality gauges.
Barton Community College
Barton Community’s College medical assistant program offers online classes and the ability to gain experience in person, with both classroom education and an externship. Coursework can be completed online or in a hybrid format, depending on the class. Topics include medical terminology, healthcare laws, and understanding medical histories. Students also learn how to assist with minor surgeries, take blood samples, record vital signs, and administer medications. The curriculum also covers key administrative skills, such as filing insurance claims, handling calls from patients, and how to manage office accounts. The balance of administrative and clinical skills can boost a student’s career prospects after graduating.
To complement classroom learning, students complete an externship in an ambulatory medical setting. This hands-on experience must be completed in-person. While some medical assistant programs award certifications, this program culminates in an associate degree, potentially providing more career opportunities for graduates.
Kansas City Kansas Community College
Kansas City Kansas Community College offers one of the most affordable online programs in the state. This six-month program costs $1,895 and is offered 100% online. The curriculum covers key topics, such as medical terminology, human anatomy, and financial practices for medical centers. While classes balance the clinical and administrative side of work as a medical assistant, the program leans toward the administrative, making it an excellent program for those who want to improve the day-to-day operations of healthcare systems and hospitals. Administrative skills covered include how to file insurance claims, manage patient accounts, and schedule patient appointments. Classes also focus on how to communicate in healthcare settings and effective healthcare management practices. The final course is centered around career preparation, and it provides students the space to reflect on career goals and apply for jobs with the guidance of an instructor.
Wellspring School of Allied Health
Looking for one of the quickest medical assistant programs in Kansas? Consider the degree at Wellspring School of Allied Health. Designed to be completed in 10 months, this program provides hands-on experience from healthcare professionals. The curriculum covers clinical components, such as healthcare terminology, phlebotomy, and fingerstick testing, and also includes coursework on the administrative side, featuring classes on healthcare insurance, recording patient vitals, and medical billing and coding. The program prepares students to not only sit for the certified medical assistant exam, but also for the certified phlebotomy technician exam. This specialized credential can help students stand out on the job market and is ideal for students interested in phlebotomy. Along with offering all courses online, the school provides a flexible class schedule that allows students to attend virtual class sessions two to three days a week, making this degree convenient for those with a full-time job or other responsibilities.
How Much Do Medical Assistants Make in Kansas?
After graduating, medical assistants in Kansas can expect to make between $30,610-$48,570 annually. You can position yourself closer to the 90th percentile through CMA certification, specialized training and experience, and honing your career path by taking leadership opportunities.
Across the salary range, medical assistants in Kansas make less than they do nationwide. While this may be frustrating at first glance, it’s important to remember your salary goes further in Kansas than in other states like nearby Iowa and Nebraska. Medical assistants who live in metropolitan parts of Kansas, like Topeka and Wichita, also have higher earning potential than medical assistants in rural parts of the state.
| Area | 10th Percentile | Mean Annual Wage | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | $33,500 | $43,350 | $56,480 |
| Kansas | $30,610 | $39,020 | $48,570 |
| Lawrence, KS | $31,200 | $38,140 | $41,220 |
| Manhattan, KS | $28,930 | $35,370 | $43,220 |
| Topeka, KS | $35,450 | $39,650 | $42,570 |
| Wichita, KS | $28,500 | $37,040 | $44,420 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2023
Career Outlook for Medical Assistants in Kansas
The medical assistant field is growing nationwide (18.4%), and while the field is growing slightly slower in Kansas, the medical assistant growth rate of 14.2% is much higher than the growth rate for all jobs nationally (3%). As a result, medical assistants in Kansas have job stability and myriad opportunities for promotions and leadership roles within the field.
| Area | New Jobs | Job Growth Rate | Avg. Annual Openings |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 132,600 | 18.4% | 104,400 |
| Kansas | 800 | 14.2% | 780 |
Source: Projections Central, 2020 – 2030
FAQs About Medical Assistant Programs in Kansas
You probably still have questions about becoming a medical assistant in Kansas. Luckily, we have answers. Below, we’ve compiled the most frequently asked questions about medical assistant programs and provided honest answers to each. Continue reading to learn more about how much medical assistant programs cost and what your job may look like after graduation.
How long does it take to become a medical assistant in Kansas?
To become a medical assistant in Kansas, you need to graduate from an accredited program. While this is the only requirement, taking the medical assistant certification exam can help you stand out, particularly when applying for roles with higher salaries.
How much do medical assistants make in Kansas?
Medical assistants in Kansas make an average wage of $39,020 a year. Their duties can be varied and include reporting lab results to patients, working alongside doctors, and reading medical diagnoses and patient charts. Since medical assistants are integral to most healthcare organizations, they experience job stability and the opportunity for promotion, which often comes with a larger salary.
How much does it cost to become a medical assistant in Kansas?
Investing in your education can be expensive, with some medical assistant programs costing upwards of $10,000. Fortunately, there are many affordable medical assistant programs in Kansas. Two of the most competitively priced are Kansas City Kansas Community College ($1,895 total) and Barton Community College (about $5,060 total).
What do I need to know about accreditation for medical assistant programs in Kansas?
Without accreditation, employers will not recognize your medical assistant training. Before applying to programs, check that the school as a whole is accredited. You also want to consider if the medical assistant program is recognized by an accrediting body, such as Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools.
What is the fastest medical assistant program in Kansas?
While there are some claims that medical assistant programs can be completed in six weeks, we didn’t find any of those programs in Kansas. On average, most programs in the state take one to two years to complete, though some are faster. At the Wellspring School of Allied Health, for example, students can graduate in as little as 10 months.
What is the scope of practice for a medical assistant in Kansas?
Medical assistants collaborate with doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals to provide excellent care. What you might not know about their scope of practice is that medical assistants can specialize, take on leadership opportunities in hospitals, and are in an excellent position to advance their career.
Resources for Kansas Medical Assistant Students
As you complete your medical assistant degree, there are a plethora of resources available to help you succeed academically, financially, and professionally. To help, we compiled a list of 10 free resources. Each helps in at least one of these three areas, and some offer valuable career insights and connections.
- American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)
To hone your career as a medical assistant, you’ll need to continuously network and find continuing education opportunities throughout your career. AAMA is an organization that makes both easier. This association offers networking, career training, and more, and their services are available in Kansas. - Kansas City CNAs and CMAs
If you live on the border of Missouri and Kansas, you may find this group for CNAs and CMAs in Kansas City useful. This Facebook group was designed to help CNAs and medical assistants in the area network, find new job opportunities, and ask questions to fellow medical professionals in their area. - The Kansas Board of Regents
This statewide board manages many educational programs, including outlining what the curriculum of different program types should look like. One such program is medical assisting. As you look at programs, you can refer to the Board of Regents criteria of a top-ranked medical assistant program in Kansas. - Kansas Licensed Medical Providers
Kansas’s state government outlines medical providers who must be credentialed in the state and the credentialing requirements for each provider type. While medical assistants don’t need a formal license or certification in the state, this government resource is great to reference throughout your healthcare career. - Medical Assistant Financial Aid Resources
Financial aid is a great way to offset the cost of your medical assistant program. However, many grants, scholarships, and fellowships can be competitive. To help boost your chances of success, we curated a list of degree-specific financial aid resources. - Medical Assistant Network
This Facebook group offers a trove of resources for medical assistants in Kansas and beyond. Posts include links to apply for open traveling CMA jobs, information on how to find a CMA career after graduating, and more. Students can also ask questions and receive guidance from other group members. - Student Resources for Medical Assistants
Many of the other resources on this list are specific to Kansas. For more general resources, check out EduMed’s medical assistant student resource guide. This list includes nationwide networking opportunities, exercises on how to plan your career, and more. - r/MedicalAssistant
Reddit features a trove of experiences, opinions, and information from other medical assistants. The site features a thread specific to medical assistants. Recent posts cover topics like how to pass the CMA exam, defining what is out of scope for a medical assistant, and how to change to a higher payer or less stressful CMA role. - Immunization guide for medical assistants
Medical assistants often help with immunization administration and should be up to date on immunization requirements for different patient populations. This resource from the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research is great for anyone looking to boost their preventative health skills. - National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
For many, a medical assistant program is the first step in their healthcare career. To ensure your career is set up for success, check out the free resources, training programs, and events from the NHA. The organization even has resources specifically designed for current students.
