Trade Schools
If you’re a compassionate person who enjoys interacting with people, becoming a medical assistant can be the right career choice for you.
Medical assistants typically have completed a post-secondary program and earned a certification or diploma in the field.
These programs are typically less than one year in length and combine classroom instruction with hands-on training and some also include an externship period in a real healthcare setting.
To help you choose the format that works best for you, on this page we have compiled information about the top medical assistant training programs in Minnesota.
1Anoka Technical College
About the School
Anoka Technical College provides hands-on training programs that prepare students for future careers in a variety of industries.
More than 70 programs are available at the college.
Courses Offered
A Medical Assistant program is featured in the college’s catalog and it can lead to an Associate of Applied Science degree or a diploma.
The diploma requires 37 credits and prepares students who can assist medical providers with examinations and treatments, sterilize instruments and supplies, assist with minor surgeries, administer medications, and perform other tasks in a medical office.
The degree program includes the 37-credit diploma and 27 credits of general education and is designed for students who wish to continue advanced healthcare education.
The Anoka Technical College Medical Assistant diploma program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.
Tuition for Fall 2022, Spring 2023, and Summer 2023 for regular residents is $189.75 per credit.
Senior citizens pay $20 per credit.
Contact Information
- Address: 1355 West Highway 10, Anoka, MN 55303
- Phone: (763) 433-1100
- Website: http://www.anokatech.edu
2Prime Time Medical Training
About the School
Prime Time Medical Training is an allied healthcare center and educational consulting firm that aims to meet the educational needs of students who want to pursue healthcare career paths.
Courses Offered
A Clinical Medical Assistant program is available at Prime Time Medical Training.
This program includes 720 clock hours in total and provides theory, lab skills, and clinical externships.
This curriculum includes 160 hours of externship where students attend and practice in a real clinical setting at an externship site contracted by the school.
Students can graduate in 32 weeks by attending classes four times per week for six hours.
Day and evening schedules are available to fit the lifestyle of a working adult.
Tuition for this program is $6,495.
Medical assistant students learn how to perform a variety of tasks, including:
- Taking the patient’s vital signs
- Assisting physicians with exams and procedures
- Administering injections
- Checking patients in and out
- Answering phone calls
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 1342 81st Ave NE Spring Lake Park, Minnesota 55432
- Phone: 952.563.9901 | 888.585.0725
- Website: https://primetimemedtraining.com
3Zandu Health Initiative
About the School
Zandu Health Initiative offers a variety of healthcare courses.
The school has four certified instructors with more than 35 years of combined experience in healthcare-related professions.
The school has an average of 10 students per class.
Zandu Health Initiative is a non-profit organization that offers medical training programs.
The school is licensed by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.
Courses Offered
Zandu Health Initiative specializes in providing training for immigrants.
The classes available at the school include:
- Certified Nursing Assistant Program
- Trained Medication Aide Program
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Program
The school also provides Mantoux screening, blood tests, and chest x-rays for tuberculosis screening for those who seek employment in the healthcare industry.
Contact Information
- Address: 10800 Lyndale Avenue South, Bloomington, MN 55420
- Phone: 952-479-0172
- Website: https://zanduhealthinitiative.org
4Century College
About the School
Century College is a two-year community and technical college located in White Bear Lake, Minnesota.
The college provides a variety of transfer degrees and career programs and serves nearly 16,400 credit and non-credit students each year.
Students can avoid loan debt by applying for financial aid, scholarships, and payment options offered by the school.
The cost for the Fall semester of 2022 and Spring semester of 2023 is $203.49 per credit hour and includes tuition, technology fee, Minnesota State College Student Association Fee, student life fee, athletic fee, parking fee, and health fee.
Courses Offered
The college provides a Medical Assistant program designed to prepare students with the skills needed when assisting physicians or nurses in patient care management.
This program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.
The Medical Assistant curriculum includes courses on topics such as:
- Laboratory Techniques
- Clinical Assisting
- Administrative Procedures for Medical Assistants
- Pharmacology for Medical Assistants
- Medical Assistant Clinical Externship
Contact Information
- Address: 3300 Century Ave N, White Bear Lake, MN 55110
- Phone: 651-779-3300
- Website: https://www.century.edu
5South Central College
About the School
South Central College offers a variety of majors and programs that prepare students for employment in a variety of industries.
Courses Offered
The South Central College catalog includes a Medical Assistant program that prepares students with the skills needed when completing duties such as:
- Greeting patients
- Updating and filing patient medical records
- Filling out insurance forms
- Scheduling appointments
- Arranging admission and laboratory services
The Medical Assistant program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.
The Medical Assistant curriculum includes classes on:
- Medical Terminology
- Anatomy & Physiology
- Electronic Health Records
- Nutrition and Healthy Living
- Medical Assisting Orientation
- Medical Office Procedures
- Laboratory Skills for Medical Assistants
- Clinical Skills
- Radiography Skills for Medical Assistants
- Medical Assistant Internship
- And more
Tuition and fees for this program sum up to $12,300.
Contact Information
- Address: 1225 Third Street SW, Faribault, MN 55021
- Phone: 507-332-5800
- Website: https://southcentral.edu
6Hennepin Technical College
About the School
Hennepin Technical College provides more than 40 programs that prepare students for high-demand careers in a hands-on learning environment.
Students can prepare for careers in accounting, automotive technology, business, dental assisting, HVAC, nursing, medical assisting, and many other careers.
The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Courses Offered
The college provides a Medical Assistant program that aims to prepare competent entry-level Medical Assistants in cognitive, psychomotor, and affective learning domains.
This program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.
The following awards and certifications are available at the college:
- Medical Assistant- an Associate of Applied Science program
- Medical Assistant Diploma
- Medical Assistant Specialist A.A.S.
- Medical Assistant Specialist Diploma
- Medical Assistant Specialist Occupational Certificate
Medical assisting students take classes on topics such as:
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Medical Terminology
- Medical Assistant Administrative
- Lab
- Clinical Procedures
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 9000 Brooklyn Boulevard, Brooklyn Park, MN 55445
- Phone: 952-995-1300
- Website: https://hennepintech.edu
7Allied Medical Training
About the School
Allied Medical Training helps students become emergency care professionals at their own pace by completing classes remotely.
Online courses and accelerated skill training programs are available at the school.
Allied Medical Training is institutionally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Prehospital Continuing Education.
Courses Offered
The following programs are available at the school:
Emergency Medical Technician- a program that prepares students with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to handle life-threatening emergencies
Emergency Medical Responder- an entry-level certification program for prospective firefighters and police officers
The EMT program includes online learning for more than 100 hours and a skills lab that lasts more than 40 hours.
Tuition for the first part is $795 while the second part costs $1,350.
Students have to complete both parts to become eligible for EMT certification.
Fully self-paced online recertification courses are also available at the school.
Contact Information
- Address: 7405 Bush Lake Road, Edina, MN 55439
- Phone: 888-518-3378
- Website: https://alliedmedtraining.com
8University of Minnesota Morris
About the School
The University of Minnesota Morris offers a Physician Assistant program that prepares students for careers practicing medicine under the supervision of a physician.
Physician’s assistants who complete this program may work in fields such as cardiovascular surgery, orthopedics, emergency medicine, internal medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics, and gynecology.
Although their roles vary depending on the employer and the field of expertise, the physician’s assistant job description usually includes the following tasks:
- Taking medical histories
- Conducting physical exams
- Diagnosing and treating illness
- Ordering and interpreting tests
- Counseling on preventive healthcare
- Assisting with surgery
- Writing prescriptions- in most states physician’s assistants are also qualified to write prescriptions
Morris campus provides access to digital and technological resources, including courses delivered via interactive distance technology.
Contact Information
- Address: 600 East 4th Street, Morris, Minnesota 56267
- Phone: (888)-866-3382
- Website: https://morris.umn.edu
9Pine Technical and Community College
About the School
Pine Technical and Community College offer training programs for students who want to start a career, learn new skills, or complete general education courses transferable to another college or university.
A variety of accredited, state, and nationally renowned programs are available at the college.
The approximate tuition for the 2022-2023 year is $12,804 for Minnesota residents.
Total costs vary depending on students’ fees, coursework, living arrangements, and spending choices.
The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Courses Offered
The school provides Nursing Assistant and Medication Aide Certificate programs, among many other courses.
These credentials provide students with a path to continue their education in one of the school’s healthcare programs or enter directly the workforce as Certified Nurse’s Assistant and/or Trained Medication Aide.
Among many other skills, students learn how to:
- Assist an individual with daily living tasks
- Identify the psycho-social needs of patients
- Integrate infection control procedures and safety practices
- Demonstrate safe procedures in administering medication
- Identify specific drug classifications, their action, and side effects
- And more
A Physician Assistant program is also available at the school and educates students as generalists with a foundation in primary care.
Contact Information
- Address: 900 4th St SE, Pine City, MN 55063
- Phone: 320.629.5100
- Website: https://pine.edu
10Minnesota West Community & Technical College
About the School
Minnesota West Community & Technical College is a member of Minnesota State, which consists of 30 colleges, seven universities, and 54 campuses.
The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Tuition without fees is $194.94 per credit for the fall/spring semester of 2022/2023.
Additional fees bring the total per-credit cost to $216.14.
Courses Offered
The college’s catalog includes a Medical Assistant Diploma program available at its Luverne campus.
To qualify for enrollment, applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Possess a high school diploma or GED
- Before participating in the clinical practicum, students must submit health information and evidence of CPR/First aid certification
Students must complete all required programs and courses with a grade of C or better in order to graduate.
Graduates are eligible to take the American Association of Medical Assistants Certification Exam.
The Medical Assisting curriculum includes classes on topics such as:
- Medical Office Procedures
- Medical Terminology
- Body Structure & Function
- Healthcare & Society
- Clinical Procedures
- Nutrition
- Disease Conditions
- Laboratory Skills
- Pharmacology
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 1593 11th Ave, Granite Falls, MN 56241
- Phone: 800-658-2330
- Website: https://www.mnwest.edu
Regional Salary in Minnesota
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duluth, MN-WI | 620 | $44,090 | $21.2 | $51,400 | $37,130 |
| Mankato-North Mankato, MN | 160 | $44,060 | $21.18 | $55,180 | $35,240 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 7,670 | $48,420 | $23.28 | $56,780 | $38,350 |
| Rochester, MN | 2,290 | $47,840 | $23 | $55,780 | $46,610 |
| St. Cloud, MN | 280 | $41,620 | $20.01 | $47,960 | $32,350 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Final Thoughts
Minnesota is home to some reputable trade schools and community colleges that offer medical assistant training programs that combine theory with laboratory training and clinical externships.
Now that you have read our selection, it’s time to continue the research and choose the program that best meets your needs and career aspirations.
