Lake Land College, a public community college in Mattoon, offers one medical assistant credential in a hybrid format built for working adults:
- Medical Assistant Certificate, CRT.MAP (36 credits)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Cost | Est. Duration | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Assistant Certificate | ~$6,800 (in-district, est.) | ~1 year (fall, spring, summer) | 36 |
The estimate applies Lake Land’s 2026-27 in-district rate of $159 per credit hour, including fees, to 36 credits ($5,724), then adds about $1,000 for course fees, books, supplies, screenings, and the NHA exam. Lake Land publishes a cost estimate in its application checklist; confirm the current version with the program.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| School type | Public community college (District 517) |
| Campus | Mattoon |
| Format | Hybrid: classes online with two evening labs each week |
| Programmatic accreditation | CAAHEP, on MAERB recommendation (since March 2021) |
| Institutional accreditation | Higher Learning Commission (HLC) |
| Exam eligibility | CCMA (NHA) taken in the program; CMA (AAMA) eligible |
| Start term | Fall only; apply by June 1 or until seats fill |
| Exam pass rate | 100%, every year 2020 to 2023 |
| Job placement | 92.31%, cumulative 2020 to 2023 |
Medical Assistant Certificate
The certificate costs about $6,800 in-district and runs one year from a fall start. See the official program page.
Certificate Curriculum
Structure. Fall and spring carry the administrative, clinical, and laboratory coursework. The summer term holds only MAP 090 Medical Assistant Externship (3 credits), for 36 credits in total.
Distinctive elements. Lecture content is online, and hands-on skills are taught in two evening labs a week. That design lets students keep daytime jobs until the externship.
You Should Know
- Students sit for the NHA’s CCMA exam through the program. CAAHEP accreditation also makes graduates eligible for the CMA (AAMA), which they would schedule separately.
Certificate Externship
- MAP 090 carries 3 credits in the summer term; CAAHEP requires at least 160 unpaid hours
- Externship sites are typically daytime physician offices, so plan for weekday availability that summer
Certificate Admissions
Medical assistant is a special-admission program. Applicants need:
- Admission to Lake Land under the CRT.MAP.TRK program code
- A completed Medical Assistant Application
- Placement in 2 of 3 areas (English, reading, math) through ACT, SAT, Lake Land’s test, a B high school average, or college credit
- Ability to meet the program’s technical requirements and functional abilities
You Should Know
- Students who place into a reading course must take it before or alongside the medical assisting courses.
- Seats fill on a rolling basis after June 1, so apply in the spring.
Tuition
Lake Land raised 2026-27 in-district tuition by $5 per credit hour and held fees at $35 per credit hour, for a total of $159.
| Residency | Tuition and Fees per Credit | Certificate (36 credits) |
|---|---|---|
| In-district (2026-27) | $159.00 | $5,724 |
| Out-of-district (2025-26 tuition + fees) | $302.02 | $10,873 |
| Out-of-state (2025-26 tuition + fees) | $519.05 | $18,686 |
- Course fees, books, uniforms, background check, and the NHA exam add an estimated $1,000.
Be aware that:
- Out-of-district and out-of-state rows use 2025-26 rates; 2026-27 increases for those groups were not published on the pages reviewed.
Outcomes
| Year | Exam Pass Rate | Job Placement |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 100% | 100% |
| 2022 | 100% | 90.62% |
| 2021 | 100% | 87.5% |
| 2020 | 100% | 92.86% |
| Cumulative | 100% | 92.31% |
Source: Lake Land College program page. The exam pass rate refers to the NHA CCMA, taken on the first attempt. Placement stayed near or above 90% each year. Lake Land had not posted 2024 results on the pages reviewed.
Why Choose This Medical Assistant Program?
Lake Land fits an east-central Illinois adult who needs to keep a day job while training.
Schedule fit. Online coursework plus two evening labs a week is one of the more work-friendly formats among Illinois CAAHEP programs.
Results. Every graduate from 2020 to 2023 passed the CCMA on the first try, and placement averaged 92%.
Drawbacks. There is only one fall start a year, and the summer externship requires daytime availability.
Accreditation
Lake Land College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The Medical Assistant program received accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) in March 2021 on the recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB). Graduates take the CCMA (NHA) through the program and are eligible for the CMA (AAMA).