Medical Assistant Program at Bates Technical College

✔️ Page Updated: December 26th, 2025 | Current for 2026, learn more about our data 🛈

Bates Technical College offers a CAAHEP-accredited AAS degree in Tacoma with an 86.67% CMA exam passage rate, meeting Washington state requirements for entry into the healthcare field.

This page provides up-to-date program costs, graduation and employment data, accreditation details, contact information, and interactive resources – including Google Reviews, a map, and a campus video – to help you quickly evaluate if this Medical Assisting program is the right fit for you.

CMA AAMA: Medical Assistant Program Overview at BTC

If you are looking to jump into the booming healthcare field right here in Tacoma, Bates Technical College offers a fantastic pathway with its Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree. This rigorous program spans six quarters and requires 102 credits for completion, designed to prepare you for immediate entry-level roles in clinics and physician offices across the Puget Sound region.

Accreditation and Program Focus

The Bates CMA program is highly focused, holding continuing accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) since 2020. A major unique benefit for local professionals in Washington is that this accredited AAS degree meets the state’s requirement for formal medical assisting education, qualifying graduates to sit for the CMA (AAMA) National Exam. Impressively, graduates have achieved a cumulative exam passage rate of 86.67% from 2019 to 2023.

Curriculum and Hands-On Training

The program emphasizes hands-on learning, utilizing a full phlebotomy lab and clinical simulation equipment to mirror real-world training at their Downtown Campus. The hybrid curriculum balances administrative coursework with essential clinical applications, culminating in a critical six-credit Medical Assistant Practicum.

• Administrative Topics: Include Medical Insurance and Reimbursement and Electronic Health Records.

Student Experience and Career Prospects

Bates ensures students get the focused, quality training they need with a small 10:1 student-to-teacher ratio. While the college keeps tuition affordable, students can also access federal aid and scholarships through the Bates Foundation. Career prospects are excellent, leading to positions such as: Certified Medical Assistant, Phlebotomist, EKG technician, or Medical Office Manager.

BTC’s Medical Assistant Program Data

Our Data

Our Medical Assistant Program Data is carefully researched and curated from the following government and higher education organizations.

• CAAHEP (Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs) – CAAHEP is the largest programmatic accreditor for health sciences education and the official medical assisting program accreditor for the National CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam.
• IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) – A comprehensive database of U.S. colleges and universities.
• Peterson’s Database – Includes detailed college information and their Distance Learning Licensed Data Set.
• College Scorecard – A U.S. Department of Education tool offering key statistics on college costs, graduation rates, and student outcomes.
• NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) – The primary federal source for data and analysis on education in the U.S. such as cost of tuition. Our data shows average cost of tuition and fees for Public 2 year institutions per state.
• BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) – May 2024 Occupational Outlook Handbook Medical Assistants Data for Salary and Employment. Our data shows the mean annual salary and the total number of employed MAs per state.

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• View Medical Assistant Schools in Washington