What Chicago's Washington Park plan signals for MA students and how to plan ahead
What does a planned health and science campus in Chicago's Washington Park mean for someone weighing medical assistant training? Roughly 200 entry-level lab jobs, certificate-level entry, and average pay near $49,000 based on UChicago Medicine compensation. Construction is slated for spring 2027, with the lab projected to open in 2029.
The project is a signal about entry-level health jobs, not a medical assistant program. The Malcolm X College South Campus planned there will focus on laboratory assistant and technician pathways, yet venipuncture, specimen handling, and patient documentation overlap directly with MA training.
The practical question is sequencing: which credential earns a paycheck soonest, and which one a nearby employer will actually hire from.
Waiting on a campus that opens in a few years gets you nowhere, but the plan can shape which credentials you pick now. Here is what is actually on the table.
At a community meeting on Oct. 6, 2026, the University of Chicago, UChicago Medicine and City Colleges of Chicago shared plans for an education, health and science campus in Washington Park, as reported by UChicago News.1 It was first announced in March 2024 and is planned along Garfield Boulevard, between the CTA Green Line station and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The plan includes:
Treat the dates as targets. UChicago Medicine says construction is planned for spring 2027 and the lab is projected to open in 2029, pending state and city approvals.3 The lab is still a certificate of need application (Project 26-044) before the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board. The application was declared complete on Oct. 1, 2026, written comments were due Nov. 25, and Board consideration is tentatively set for Dec. 15, 2026.1 The application itself lists completion by April 30, 2030, so the public timeline and the filing don't fully match.2 Nothing in the records shows an approval yet.
Malcolm X College South Campus would house Chicago's first medical laboratory technician program and serve more than 800 students a year once fully operational.2 Training would start with phlebotomy and community health worker programs, and the college would offer medical laboratory assistant training too. Phlebotomy and patient-facing skills overlap with what medical assistants learn. UChicago Medicine already hosts about 65 Malcolm X students a year for internships, practicums and apprenticeships, and hires about 120 graduates annually.4
No medical assistant program has been named for this campus. There is also no confirmed enrollment date, application deadline or tuition. City Colleges expects to submit its building-approval application in 2027.4 Until then, this is a pipeline to watch, not one to count on.
Chicago's planned Malcolm X College South Campus will serve more than 800 students a year once fully operational, but its signature programs are medical laboratory assistant and medical laboratory technician, not medical assistant. That distinction matters. A health and science campus is not automatically an MA program, though it can put training, employers, and credentials within walking distance of each other.
Stacking means each short certificate counts toward the next credential instead of forcing you to start over. You might finish a phlebotomy certificate, take a paid role drawing blood, and return later to add MA coursework or an associate degree with earlier credits applied. It's a practical way to earn while you learn. Transfer rules vary by college, so get any credit agreement in writing.
Before you get excited about a new campus, check the course catalog or call admissions. Ask directly: is there an accredited medical assistant program here, or only adjacent allied health programs like lab technician or phlebotomy? Both paths can lead to solid jobs, but only one is built to prepare you for MA certification exams.
Medical assistant training and clinical laboratory work share practical skills: venipuncture, specimen handling and labeling, patient interaction, and accurate documentation. The table below uses 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics data for the Chicago metro, which is occupational and not tied to any single program, alongside employer-reported averages from UChicago Medicine, which are one employer's figures. National BLS projections show medical assistant employment growing 13% from 2025 to 2035, while clinical laboratory technologists and technicians are projected to grow 3%.
| Role | Average annual pay | 25th percentile | Median annual pay | 75th percentile | Employment / openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Assistant, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro (BLS OEWS 2025) | 47080 | 40690 | 47270 | 50260 | 15640 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technician, certificate level (UChicago Medicine) | 49000 | About 200 new entry-level positions at UChicago Medicine lab (planned, across certificate and associate levels) | |||
| Clinical Laboratory Technician, associate degree (UChicago Medicine) | 71000 |
The fastest way to find a good local medical assistant program is to work outward from the institutions that already hire and train people in your area. Start with a plain search for "[your city] medical assistant program," then treat every result as a lead to verify, not a recommendation.
The closest campus is not always the most workable one. Confirm whether classes run evenings or weekends, how long the transit ride really takes, and where the clinical externship sites are located. Then check each school against the accreditor lists, such as CAAHEP and ABHES, before you spend an application fee.
A short call or email saves weeks. Try this:
"Hi, I'm interested in your medical assistant program. Which cohort starts next, and is there a waitlist? Also, does the program include an externship, and is it accredited?"
Write down the answers, the date, and the name of the person you spoke with. If one school gives vague replies about start dates or accreditation, that tells you something. Compare responses across two or three schools before committing.
In Illinois, certificate and diploma programs commonly run about 9 to 12 months and about 24 to 39 credits. Associate degrees run about two years and 60 to 68.5 credits. Individual schools vary. Malcolm X College's CAAHEP-accredited Advanced Certificate is 31 credits over three full-time semesters. St. Augustine College's diploma is 37 credits over 44 weeks. Southwestern Illinois College's certificate takes 10 months, while its associate degree is 68.5 credits.
Externship requirements are not uniform. Reported hours range from 80 to 225 in 2026. Examples include 160 hours at St. Augustine and 180 hours at Illinois Central College. Many externships run on weekday daytime schedules, so if you work, ask early about arranging time off. Check the practicum hours with each school before you count on a finish date.
You usually don't need prior healthcare experience. Programs teach the basics of both sides of the job: vitals, injections, and phlebotomy on the clinical side, plus scheduling, records, and billing on the administrative side.
It depends on the credential. For the CMA (AAMA), you generally need to graduate from a CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited program. Some other credentials, such as the RMA and CCMA, have been open to candidates with qualifying work experience or military training, though rules change. Confirm the current eligibility with each certifying body. Even where an alternate route exists, many employers still prefer graduates of accredited programs.
Part-time and evening formats stretch the timeline. Malcolm X's certificate, for example, runs four part-time semesters instead of three full-time. That trade-off may be worth it if you need to keep earning while you train.
Two programmatic accreditors matter for medical assistant training: CAAHEP, which works with MAERB to set the standards, and ABHES, whose medical assisting criteria include at least 720 clock hours, with 160 of those in clinical training. Accreditation attaches to the program, not the college. A school's general or national accreditation tells you nothing about whether its medical assisting program qualifies you for the CMA (AAMA) exam.
Look up the exact program, campus, and current status in CAAHEP's or ABHES's official directory. Confirm the listing names Medical Assisting at the campus you will actually attend. Words like "state-approved," "eligible for federal aid," and "nationally accredited" are not substitutes for a directory entry.
Request the program's certification pass rate and graduation rate in writing, including the years each figure covers. Verbal reassurances age badly.
A program at a brand-new health and science campus may hold pending or initial accreditation rather than full status. That matters because CMA (AAMA) eligibility requires graduation from a CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited medical assisting program, and AAMA's current rules control. Ask when the program expects its next review and what happens to a cohort that finishes before a decision. CCMA and CMAA through NHA generally do not require accredited-program graduation, which gives you a fallback, but check NHA's current handbook for its own rules.
Certification choices depend on where you train and where you plan to work. The four credentials below differ mainly by certifying body, eligibility route, and published pass rates, which vary by year and cohort. Look for employer preference in your area and choose the exam you can sit for now rather than the one with the highest reported pass rate.
| Credential | Certifying Body | Eligibility Route | Reported Pass Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CMA (AAMA) | American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) | Graduate or student of a CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited medical assisting program; previously certified; qualifying educator; or AAMA Alternative Pathway. | 69% (July 2024 to April 2025, 2,680 first-time administrations) | AAMA's CMA credential, especially for graduates or students of accredited programs. |
| RMA (AMT) | American Medical Technologists (AMT) | Graduate within past 4 years or scheduled to graduate from an accredited program with 720 instructional hours including 160 externship hours; hybrid education/work experience route; or 3 years of medical assistant employment within past 7 years. Must pass AMT RMA exam. | 71% (2025, 8,223 sittings) | AMT's Registered Medical Assistant credential via education, hybrid training, or recent work experience. |
| CCMA (NHA) | National Healthcareer Association (NHA) | High school diploma, GED, or equivalent (or scheduled within 18 months) plus completion of a medical assisting training or education program within last 5 years, or 1 year supervised medical assisting experience within last 3 years, or 2 years within last 5 years. | 81.73% (2025, 98,609 exams administered) | NHA's clinical medical assistant certification through recent training or supervised medical assisting experience. |
| NHA Medical Assistant Exam | National Healthcareer Association (NHA) | High school diploma, GED, or equivalent (or expected completion within 18 months) plus recent medical assisting education or qualifying supervised work experience. | Not published | Candidates pursuing NHA's medical assisting certification; the available official eligibility page identifies the CCMA credential. |
A short certificate at a community college and a longer associate degree can both lead to a clinical job, but they price very differently. We could not find reliable 2026 totals for City Colleges of Chicago or other Chicago-area schools, so treat any figure here as an example, not an average.
The clearest Illinois example is Lincoln Land Community College's Clinical Medical Assistant program at $4,490.1 That price includes textbooks and the NHA Certified Clinical Medical Assistant exam (a $165 value), plus 144 classroom hours and a 160-hour externship. Background check, drug screen, and scrubs cost extra. That is one short certificate, not a statewide figure. Associate degrees usually add up to more because you pay for more credits, so get the school's full credit-by-credit estimate. Private career schools often quote one all-in price, so ask exactly what it covers.
Ask each school to itemize:
Fill out the FAFSA. Federal Pell Grants require U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen status and financial need, with a 12-semester lifetime limit.4 Beginning in the 2026-27 academic year, Workforce Pell can cover approved short programs of 8 to 14 weeks (150 to 599 hours), but Illinois approval is not automatic.3 Moraine Valley says its Medical Assistant Certificate qualifies for up to $8,000 in Career Connections tuition assistance.2 Also ask employers about tuition help. Always ask whether a specific program is aid-eligible.
To compare programs, divide total cost by your realistic odds of landing a paid role. Ask each school for its completion and placement rates. A cheaper program with weak placement can cost more than a pricier one that gets you hired.
Medical assistants earn a national median annual wage of $45,690.
Waiting for a campus to open is a gamble. Waiting to start your training is a bigger one. The Washington Park project gives you a timeline to plan around, not a date to bet your income on.
Build your credential in stages rather than holding out for one program. Start with a medical assistant certificate or diploma, take the certification exam, and get hired into a clinical setting where you touch patients daily. That paid experience is the asset. From there, add phlebotomy skills, apply to a medical laboratory technician associate degree, or step into a nursing bridge once the South Campus programs are running. Each layer makes the next one easier to enter and easier to afford.
An MA-to-MLT pathway is not a documented automatic transfer in Illinois. What tends to travel are general education and prerequisite courses: anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, psychology, and English composition. Vocational MA courses and clinical hours usually do not. Malcolm X College's MLT program is an associate in applied science with a one-semester externship, Fall admission only, and applications that generally open in March. The Fall 2027 window runs March 1 to May 14, 2027, with notification by June 7, and requires MATH 118 eligibility plus BIOLOGY 121 and ENGLISH 101 at a C or better. Illinois Central College ran an eight-week Gateway to MLT Careers bridge for 25 adults on a grant, which shows the on-ramp model exists, not that it grants you advanced standing.
Yes, but usually the long way: an LPN program or an ADN or BSN, then a completion path. Dedicated MA-to-RN bridges are rare in 2026, and most marketed ones are standard nursing admission with extra advising. Transfer credit is decided case by case, so get any policy in writing before you enroll.
Enrollment windows for the new South Campus programs have not been announced. Contact Malcolm X College admissions directly and watch for public notices. Construction is planned for spring 2027 and the laboratory for 2029, but both depend on state and city approvals. Treat those years as a horizon, not a contract.
With construction targeted for 2027 and the lab opening around 2029, a CMA earned now brings income while lab training waits. Stacking credentials in that order fits the timeline better than waiting.
Medical assistants spend their shifts with patients, while laboratory staff work largely with specimens. Knowing which one energizes you prevents paying for training in the wrong lane.
A program tied to a campus still under construction may not enroll students for a year or more. If you need to work sooner, pick an accredited option already accepting applicants.
A new health and science campus can create a clearer pathway from medical assistant training into entry level clinical roles, but the timeline and job mix require a realistic look. Here is what to weigh before you commit to training near a planned campus.
