Daytona State College (DSC), a public state college in Volusia County, offers one medical assisting program at its Daytona Beach campus:
- Medical Assisting Certificate (1,300 contact hours)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Cost | Est. Duration | Contact Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Assisting Certificate | ~$4,878 (Florida resident) | 3 semesters (36 weeks) | 1,300 |
The cost adds up the items in DSC’s 2025-26 catalog: tuition and fees, lab fees, books, uniforms, supplies, background screening, and one CMA exam fee. DSC does not publish a single total. Duration is the catalog’s stated full-time length.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| School type | Public state college (Florida College System) |
| Campus | Daytona Beach Campus |
| Format | On campus |
| Programmatic accreditation | CAAHEP, on MAERB recommendation (stated by DSC) |
| Institutional accreditation | SACSCOC |
| Exams named | CMA (AAMA) and RMA (AMT) |
| Externship | 240 hours |
| Admission | Limited access; points-based selection once a year |
| CMA pass rate | 76% (2020 to 2024) |
Medical Assisting Certificate
The certificate costs about $4,878 for Florida residents and takes three semesters, or 36 weeks, full time. See the official program page.
Certificate Curriculum
Structure. The program (number 102301) totals 1,300 contact hours, or 43.33 vocational credits. Coursework pairs lecture with lab in each subject before the externship.
- MEA0005 Introduction to Medical Assisting: 120.9 hours
- MEA0230C Medical Terminology for Medical Assisting and Lab: 120 hours
- MEA0231C Anatomy and Physiology for Medical Assisting and Lab: 180 hours
- MEA0242C Pharmacology for Medical Assisting and Lab: 120 hours
- MEA0204C Clinical Procedures for Medical Assisting and Lab: 150 hours
- MEA0256C Laboratory Procedures for Medical Assisting: 189 hours
- MEA0310C Clerical Procedures for Medical Assisting and Lab: 120 hours
- MEA0334C Coding for Medical Assisting and Lab: 60 hours
- MEA0801 Externship for Medical Assisting: 240 hours
Distinctive elements. At 1,300 hours, the program runs 400 hours longer than the 900-hour certificates at most Florida technical colleges. The extra time goes to separate anatomy, pharmacology, and coding courses and a longer externship.
You Should Know
- The longer program adds a third semester. Students who want to finish fast may prefer a 900-hour certificate, which also prepares graduates for the CMA when it is CAAHEP-accredited.
Certificate Externship
- 240 hours in MEA0801, 80 hours above the 160-hour CAAHEP minimum
- Sites include physician offices, ambulatory care centers, and multi-physician clinics
- Whether DSC places students is not stated; pay is not stated
Certificate Admissions
This is a limited access program. Applicants must:
- Hold a standard high school diploma or GED
- Be at least 18 years old
- Hold a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher
- Submit a physical exam with required immunizations and a negative TB test
- Pass an FDLE and FBI background check and a drug screen
- Hold BLS for Healthcare Providers certification (AHA or Red Cross)
- Submit a School of Health Careers application and meet with an advisor
You Should Know
- Selection uses a points system and happens once a year, so missing the application window delays entry by a full year.
- DSC does not publish the application deadline on the program page. Contact the program advisor for the current window.
Tuition
DSC charges $82.24 per vocational credit, including fees, for Florida residents in 2026-27. The program’s 43.33 vocational credits come to about $3,563.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tuition and fees (in-state) | $3,563.00 |
| Textbooks (estimate) | $415.00 |
| Lab fees | $305.30 |
| Uniforms | $230.00 |
| CMA exam fee | $125.00 |
| FDLE and FBI background screening | $90.00 |
| Laboratory supplies | $60.00 |
| Access fee | $55.46 |
| Assessment fee | $34.00 |
| Total (est.) | ~$4,877.76 |
- Financial aid is available. Program cost items come from DSC’s 2025-26 catalog, while the per-credit rate comes from the 2026-27 schedule.
Be aware that:
- Non-resident cost is an estimated $15,600. DSC’s out-of-state rate is $328.96 per vocational credit, or about $14,254 for the program, plus the same other costs.
- The total excludes the physical exam, immunizations, drug screen, and BLS course, which DSC requires but does not price.
Outcomes
| Measure | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| CMA exam pass rate | 76% | DSC program page, 2020 to 2024 |
| Graduate satisfaction | 100% | DSC program page, 5-year period |
| Employer satisfaction | 93% to 95% | DSC program page (two figures given) |
| Job placement | Not published | DSC program page |
A 76% CMA pass rate means about one in four graduates who sat for the exam did not pass. DSC’s page gives slightly different periods and employer satisfaction figures in two sections.
Why Choose This Medical Assistant Program?
DSC fits a Volusia or Flagler County resident who wants confirmed CAAHEP accreditation and a longer, more thorough program.
Confirmed accreditation. DSC states its CAAHEP accreditation on the program page and links to CAAHEP and the AAMA, unlike several Florida programs that leave it unstated.
Depth. Separate courses in anatomy, pharmacology, and coding, plus a 240-hour externship, go beyond the 900-hour state framework.
Cost. At about $4,878, DSC costs about the same as Orange Technical College ($4,826) for 400 more hours, and less than Manatee Technical College ($6,791). It costs a small fraction of Keiser University, which also has a CAAHEP-accredited program in Daytona Beach (about $43,900).
Drawbacks. One selection a year, a third semester, and a 76% CMA pass rate.
Accreditation
Daytona State College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. The medical assisting certificate at the Daytona Beach Campus is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) on the recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB). Graduates are eligible for the CMA (AAMA) exam. The RMA (AMT) is also open to graduates of accredited programs at regionally accredited schools.