Best Medical Assistant Schools Near Ottawa, IL (2026)

Ottawa, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering medical assistant programs, with tuition ranging from $4,200 to $16,385 per year for indexed programs. Ottawa has a population of about 18,714. Median household income is $73,011 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning medical assistant-related role is Healthcare Support Worker at a median $48,360 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Medical Assistant Schools to Ottawa

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer medical assistant programs near Ottawa, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Ottawa city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Ottawa. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Illinois Valley Community College

Oglesby, IL 14.3 miles from Ottawa
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
58.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,810
Avg net price $2,232/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,200
Out‑of‑state$16,385
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Joliet Junior College

Joliet, IL 35.9 miles from Ottawa
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
55.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,889
Avg net price $1,672/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,530
Out‑of‑state$13,800
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Waubonsee Community College

Sugar Grove, IL 36.1 miles from Ottawa
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
59.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,788
Avg net price $11,442/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Kishwaukee College

Malta, IL 40.6 miles from Ottawa
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
66.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,657
Avg net price $4,574/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,560
Out‑of‑state$13,680
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

College of DuPage

Glen Ellyn, IL 51.9 miles from Ottawa
  • 2 year
47.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,909
Avg net price $7,401/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 98

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Elgin Community College

Elgin, IL 53.0 miles from Ottawa
  • 2 year
50.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,516
Avg net price $6,026/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Fox College

Tinley Park, IL 56.2 miles from Ottawa
  • 2 year
56.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,539
Avg net price $13,109/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 4

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Moraine Valley Community College

Palos Hills, IL 56.5 miles from Ottawa
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
60.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,892
Avg net price $2,829/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois medical assistant page.


Medical Assistant Wages Near Ottawa

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Illinois, statewide)
Medical Assistant$46,090
Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant$46,670
Healthcare Support Worker$48,360

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Ottawa at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population18,714Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$73,011Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+21.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Ottawa-Area Cities With Medical Assistant Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited medical assistant schools are near Ottawa, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering medical assistant programs near Ottawa. The closest is Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby, IL (14.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Northern Illinois University (40.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying medical assistant roles in Illinois?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying medical assistant-related roles in Illinois are: Healthcare Support Worker ($48,360), Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant ($46,670), Medical Assistant ($46,090). Wages for Ottawa workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Peru instead of Ottawa?

Peru, IL is 15.7 miles from Ottawa and has its own set of local medical assistant programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Ottawa an affordable place to study medical assistant?

Ottawa’s median household income of $73,011 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Ottawa while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Medical Assistant Programs

Other Programs Available in Ottawa

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Ottawa:

Data verified: August 25, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.