Compare accredited programs, costs, and schedules at Scranton-area schools so you can train close to home.
A medical assistant, or clinical medical assistant, is the clinical and administrative backbone of a doctor's office, drawing blood, taking vitals, and managing patient records for roughly $17 to $19 an hour across northeastern Pennsylvania. Regional health systems in Scranton, along with clinics and specialty practices stretching toward Wilkes-Barre and the Poconos, are steadily adding entry level medical assistant roles as primary care visits climb.
Students here aren't limited to one training format. A campus program in Scranton sits alongside hybrid and fully online options from schools within commuting distance, so scheduling around a job or family doesn't have to derail certification plans.
The real tension is matching program length, cost, and accreditation type to your timeline and budget without overpaying for a credential that doesn't move the needle on hiring.
Chasing a bigger posted salary in Philadelphia or New York City can look tempting on paper, but building a medical assistant career in Scranton after choosing one of the best medical assistant schools in Pennsylvania often means keeping more of what you earn after rent, commuting, and everyday costs.
Demand for medical assistants in the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre-Hazleton metro is spread across large health systems and a growing network of outpatient clinics. Geisinger is a major local employer, including Geisinger Commonwealth and the Regional Hospital of Scranton, which is now part of its system, along with numerous primary care and specialty practices across the region. Moses Taylor Hospital, Allied Services, Commonwealth Health facilities, The Wright Center for Community Health, Lehigh Valley Health Network sites, and Wilkes-Barre General Hospital also hire medical assistants for both front-office and clinical roles.
Many Scranton-trained medical assistants also find work in nearby communities without relocating. Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, Carbondale, Dunmore, and the Poconos corridor toward East Stroudsburg all add commute-friendly options in physician groups, urgent care centers, and specialty clinics.
Pennsylvania does not require a state license, so you can legally work as a medical assistant without certification. Certification is voluntary from a legal standpoint, but many Scranton-area employers treat it as a strong preference, and some job postings effectively expect it. Earning the CMA or CCMA can help new graduates stand out, especially at larger systems where hiring teams screen for nationally recognized credentials before interviews.
The most recent published metro-level federal data for Scranton-Wilkes-Barre-Hazleton reports 1,190 employed medical assistants.1 The wage picture is modest at the median, but the range shows room to grow with experience and specialty training:
For perspective, the national median medical assistant salary was $44,200 in 20242, but Scranton's lower housing and day-to-day costs mean a local salary can stretch further than the raw number suggests. For many students, the more useful comparison is not Philadelphia or New York on paper; it is how much of the paycheck stays in pocket after the cost of living.
Both certificate and associate degree pathways in the Scranton area prepare you for CMA or CCMA certification. The right choice usually comes down to how quickly you want to start working and whether you plan to continue toward a bachelor's degree later.
Medical assistant training in the Scranton area is becoming more flexible, but students still need to confirm exact meeting times before enrolling. For most certificate or diploma paths near Scranton, plan on a medical assistant program length of about nine to twelve months. Associate degree programs are longer, typically closer to two years, because they include general education coursework alongside the clinical and administrative medical assisting curriculum.
Fortis Institute Scranton offers a Medical Assisting diploma that runs 36 instructional weeks.1 The program totals 46 quarter credits, 780 contact hours, and 950 total clock hours including homework. That is a compact, career-focused timeline. If you are deciding between a diploma and an associate degree, think about the medical assistant certificate vs degree tradeoffs: do you want to enter the workforce sooner, or do you want the broader credits that an associate degree can provide over roughly two years?
Hybrid delivery is one confirmed option at Fortis Institute Scranton1, meaning some of the work is designed to be completed online while other components are on campus. For students who need evening medical assistant classes or weekend sections, the published catalog does not break out separate day, evening, or weekend cohorts, so call the admissions office to ask about your specific availability. The same applies to Lackawanna College and Johnson College. Their 2026-2027 schedule formats and start dates were not available in the current published materials, so direct contact is the safest way to avoid assumptions.
Fortis Institute Scranton lists multiple start dates throughout the year, which is helpful if you do not want to wait for a traditional fall or spring semester. Published dates for 2026 are January 12, February 23, April 6, May 18, June 29, and August 10.1 Published 2027 dates are January 25, March 8, April 19, June 7, July 19, and August 30.1 The school notes that these dates are subject to change and that not all programs have a start in every term. No single enrollment deadline was provided, so contact Fortis directly to confirm the next available cohort and any application cutoff. For Lackawanna College and Johnson College, check each school's current academic calendar for updated start terms before you apply.
Published tuition is the sticker price. Net price is the estimate after grants and scholarships are subtracted. A low published tuition does not always mean a low out-of-pocket cost, and a higher sticker price can become manageable after aid. Use the averages below as affordability benchmarks, not personal quotes, because your actual award depends on the FAFSA, residency, household income, and the year you enroll.
From the programs in this guide: - Sussex County Community College (Newton, NJ): published tuition $5,544 in-state and $9,024 out-of-state; average net price after aid about $7,859. - SUNY Sullivan (Loch Sheldrake, NY): published tuition $6,468 in-state and $12,132 out-of-state; average net price after aid about $8,482. - Lehigh Carbon Community College (Schnecksville, PA): published tuition $5,280 in-state and $13,270 out-of-state; average net price after aid about $9,203. - Luzerne County Community College (Nanticoke, PA): published tuition $6,600 in-state and $16,260 out-of-state; average net price after aid about $9,433. - Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania (Bloomsburg, PA): the Clinical Medical Assistant certificate is advertised at $2,699 total; the university's average net price after aid is about $15,699. The two numbers show why a short certificate should not be compared directly with a college-wide net price. - Penn State Hazleton (Hazleton, PA): published tuition $15,208 in-state and $25,392 out-of-state; average net price after aid about $17,597. - Johnson College (Scranton, PA): the Medical Assistant program lists $6,000 total including the certification fee; the college's average net price after aid is about $19,954.
In Lackawanna County, PA CareerLink is the local intake point for WIOA training funds. WIOA can cover part or all of an approved medical assistant program, but only for programs on Pennsylvania's Eligible Training Provider List, or ETPL. Eligibility generally requires Lackawanna County residency plus a qualifying situation such as unemployment compensation within the last six months, displaced homemaker status, SNAP benefits, or meeting income guidelines. Medical assistant appears as a common approved healthcare category in 2026 state workforce guides, but that does not automatically make every Scranton-area program WIOA-approved. Confirm the exact program at the school you are considering is on the state-approved list and confirm your own eligibility through PA CareerLink Lackawanna County before assuming the funding will apply.
Pell Grant recipient shares at these campuses range from roughly 47% at the two four-year campuses to about 86% at SUNY Sullivan, with most community college and technical programs above 65%. That is a useful affordability signal for lower-income applicants: if you qualify for a Pell Grant, the net price may be much lower than the published tuition. Start with the FAFSA, then ask the school about state grant programs, institutional scholarships, and tuition payment plans. Beyond WIOA, PA CareerLink Lackawanna County maintains a Grant & Special Projects page, but no named medical assistant-specific scholarship for the Scranton area was identified in this review. Treat workforce funding as something to verify through the funding agency, not as an automatic discount.
Accreditation is where a lot of prospective students get tripped up, because two different agencies dominate medical assistant training programs and each opens different doors on certification exam day. In the Scranton area, the programs you will typically encounter fall under one of two frameworks: CAAHEP (Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs) or ABHES (Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools). Both are legitimate, but they are not interchangeable when it comes to which exam you can take.
The Certified Medical Assistant credential from the AAMA, known as the CMA (AAMA), is the strictest of the three major exams. To sit for it, you must graduate from a program accredited by either CAAHEP or ABHES specifically. If you attend a program without one of these two accreditations, that door closes, and you will need to route through a different certification.
The other two common credentials have wider eligibility:
Most Scranton-area medical assistant schools prepare students for at least one of these three exams, and some prepare graduates to sit for multiple.
Hard, program-specific pass rate data is thin for the Scranton market, so treat any comparison carefully. Fortis Institute Scranton publishes an outcomes report showing a 96% certification exam pass rate for its medical assisting diploma (25 of 26 graduates passed) during the 03/01/2022 to 02/28/2023 reporting window.1 For context, the AAMA's overall first-time CMA pass rate was 69% across 4,171 exams administered from July 2024 through April 20252, so a well-prepared cohort can meaningfully outperform the national baseline.
Before enrolling, ask each school directly which accreditation they hold, which exam their curriculum targets, and what their most recent first-time pass rate looks like. If a program cannot answer those three questions clearly, that is useful information in itself.
Clinical externships are where Scranton medical assistant externship training turns into real patient care experience. At Fortis Institute's Scranton campus, the medical assisting program requires an externship1, and students must complete the full schedule outlined by the program before finishing. Externship days often run four to eight hours, five days a week, matching the host site's business hours.1 Across medical assistant programs in the Scranton area, clinical blocks commonly fall in the 160 to 240 hour range, but exact totals vary by school and site, so ask each program about its current requirement.
Before students rotate into a clinic, campus labs usually cover the hands-on skills employers expect, including medical assistant phlebotomy training on training arms, EKG lead placement, injection technique, and vital sign measurement. These simulations build muscle memory and reduce errors before students work with actual patients. At Fortis, students also need current BLS for Healthcare Providers certification2 and may need immunizations or TB screening before placement, a common expectation for clinical sites in the region.
Externship sites in the Scranton and Wilkes-Barre area typically include hospitals, outpatient clinics, physician offices, and urgent care centers. Specific site assignments depend on each school's current affiliation agreements and preceptor availability, so a program's externship coordinator is the best source for an up-to-date list. For Lackawanna College and Johnson College, current externship hour minimums and named clinical partners are not published in the materials we reviewed, so contact those programs directly for their latest placement details.
Because the region has a mix of large health systems, private practices, and walk-in clinics, students can often be placed close to home or work, which makes commuting more manageable.
Local externships do more than satisfy a graduation requirement. They let supervisors see your work ethic, clinical competence, and patient communication before anyone has to make a hiring decision. Many Scranton-area medical assistant graduates receive job leads or even direct offers from the practices where they train. While no school can promise employment, completing an externship at a local clinic gives you a clear practical advantage over candidates with no clinical references in the area.
Admissions requirements for medical assistant programs in the Scranton area are not one-size-fits-all. Some schools publish detailed checklists, while others keep the process more flexible or require you to contact an admissions advisor directly. Here is what you can expect when applying to medical assistant training near Scranton.
Fortis Institute Scranton offers the most detailed public admissions path among the programs reviewed, and its requirements point to a structured, selective process rather than open enrollment. To apply, you will need:
Fortis does not list a required drug screening or prerequisite coursework in the available materials. Medical assistant students may be required to obtain immunizations, so plan for that step early.
For Lackawanna College and Johnson College, standard admissions requirements such as diploma or GED status, GPA, entrance testing, background checks, drug screening, and immunization policies could not be confirmed from publicly available information as of August 2026. That does not mean those schools have no requirements, only that the details are not published in a simple checklist. If you are considering either program, call or email the admissions office and ask for a current application requirements sheet. This is especially important if you are on a tight application timeline.
Even when the initial application is simple, clinical rotations often bring additional requirements. Fortis requires a background check before starting, and immunization records may be requested. Some clinical sites ask for up-to-date vaccines, a negative tuberculosis test, or CPR certification, but these specifics vary by site and are not always listed in the school catalog. Ask the program coordinator which health and safety documents you will need before your first externship. Gathering these records early can prevent a last-minute delay.
Overall, the best move for Scranton applicants is to confirm three things up front: your entrance exam requirement, any health or background screening, and whether the program uses open enrollment or selective admissions. For Fortis, the application checklist is straightforward. For other area schools, a direct phone call is the fastest way to get a complete answer.
If you're holding down a job or caring for family, a program with only daytime lectures can force an impossible choice. Confirm the schedule format before you apply, since some Scranton-area programs run strictly 8-to-4.
The CMA (AAMA) exam requires graduating from a CAAHEP or ABHES accredited program. If any Pennsylvania employer on your list prefers CMA, accreditation type matters. If CCMA works for your goals, your program options open up significantly.
A 9-month certificate gets you into a clinic quickly but caps at entry-level roles. A 2-year associate costs more upfront and delays your paycheck, but the transferable credits make nursing or healthcare administration a realistic next step.
Classroom location is only half the picture. Externships get assigned to partner clinics that may be 20 or 30 miles from campus, so ask each program where recent students were placed before you commit.
Below are the top medical assistant programs serving Scranton students, ranked by IPEDS completion data, accreditation status, and program fit. The list starts with the campus option in Scranton and expands to nearby Pennsylvania campuses and commuter-friendly programs in neighboring counties. Use the program details to compare degree level, cost, schedule, and hands-on training before you apply.
Scranton, PA · $20,000/yr
Best for: Local working adults needing evening classes
Johnson College is the Scranton campus option on this list, offering a campus-based Medical Assisting certificate with evening classes. The program is advertised at $6,000 total and prepares students for the CCMA exam through phlebotomy, venipuncture, and clinical office training. Institution-wide, graduates see median earnings around $55,194 and the college reports a 54.7% graduation rate, with net price after aid near $19,954. This is the most direct choice for local learners who want to stay in Scranton.
Nanticoke, PA · $9,000/yr
Best for: Associate degree seekers wanting structured science courses
Luzerne County Community College in nearby Nanticoke offers an associate-level Medical Assistant program with selective admission. The institution reports a net price after aid near $9,433 and an overall graduation rate around 22.7%, with median earnings near $40,437 for former students overall. The program's competitive entry process and in-person science coursework make it a fit for students willing to commit to a structured health science pathway.
Hazleton, PA · $18,000/yr (net price)
Best for: University-minded adults wanting evening clinical preparation
Penn State Hazleton offers a campus-based Clinical Medical Assisting certificate with evening sessions on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Students complete 140 classroom hours and can add an optional 160-hour clinical experience, with preparation for the NHA CCMA exam and pathways toward CMA, LPN, or RN training. This university-affiliated continuing education option sits roughly 30 miles south of Scranton; the institution reports a net price after aid near $17,597, an overall graduation rate around 26.2%, and median earnings near $63,435 for former students overall.
Schnecksville, PA · $9,000/yr (net price)
Lehigh Carbon Community College in Schnecksville offers a campus-based Medical Assistant Certificate with courses in medical terminology, clinical procedures, and medical office technology. Students train in the Health Care Patient Simulation Center, and the college reports a net price after aid near $9,203 and an overall graduation rate around 30.3%. This is a practical choice for Lehigh Valley-area commuters who want a certificate with hands-on simulation training.
Bloomsburg, PA · $16,000/yr
Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania offers a hybrid Clinical Medical Assistant certificate that combines 150 hours of face-to-face instruction with evening and Saturday scheduling. The $2,699 program includes an optional 160-hour clinical externship and preparation for the NHA CCMA exam. The institution reports a net price after aid near $15,699, an overall graduation rate around 54.5%, and median earnings near $52,416 for former students overall.
Newton, NJ · $6,000 – $9,000/yr
Sussex County Community College in Newton, New Jersey offers a CAAHEP-accredited Medical Assistant Certificate with 36 credits of combined administrative and clinical training. The program reports a 100% CMA exam passage rate over five years and is located within commuting range for some Scranton-area students willing to cross into New Jersey. Institution-wide, net price after aid is near $7,859, the graduation rate is around 37%, and median earnings are near $44,664.
Loch Sheldrake, NY · $8,000/yr
SUNY Sullivan in Loch Sheldrake, New York offers both an associate degree and a certificate option in medical assisting, with campus-based courses and clinical externships. The AAS track runs 62-64 credits, while the certificate track is 34 credits, and both cover administrative, clinical, and electronic health record skills. The institution reports a net price after aid near $8,482, an overall graduation rate around 33.2%, and median earnings near $38,354 for former students overall.
Choosing a medical assistant program in Scranton comes with practical questions about timelines, accreditation, scheduling, and certification. Here are straightforward answers to the questions local students ask most often.
In the Scranton area, medical assistant training typically takes about 18 weeks to 12 months depending on the program and credential track. Johnson College has an 18-week certificate at its Scranton campus.1 Nearby options range from 7 months at Bidwell Training Center2 to 12 months at Northampton Community College3 and Schuylkill Technology Center.4 Lincoln Tech's Allentown campus, one of the medical assistant schools in Allentown, PA, runs about 37 weeks.5
As of this guide, no medical assistant program within about 60 miles of Scranton is confirmed as CAAHEP-accredited. That does not mean local programs are not reputable, but students who specifically need CAAHEP accreditation should contact programs directly to ask about current status. Lackawanna College, for example, prepares students for the NHA CCMA exam rather than offering confirmed CAAHEP accreditation.7
Some programs serving the Scranton area offer flexible scheduling. Northampton Community College provides part-time options3, and Lincoln Tech's Allentown campus has day, afternoon, and evening sessions5. Weekend classes are not confirmed for most programs near Scranton, so ask about the current schedule before enrolling.
No. Pennsylvania does not require state licensure or a specific certification to work as a medical assistant.6 However, many Scranton-area employers prefer or require medical assistant certification such as CCMA or CMA, so completing a training program and passing a national exam can improve your job prospects in the Scranton area.
The CMA credential is issued by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), while the CCMA is issued by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA). Both are national certifications, but they have different exams and eligibility paths. Lackawanna College, for example, prepares students for the NHA CCMA7, so local students may encounter that pathway more often.
