Both prepare you for the same CMAA exam from the NHA. Preppy costs $901 less and gives you an Auburn University certificate; MedCerts issues its own and takes three more weeks.
The winner
Preppy wins four of the six categories we scored.
Get Your Preppy Discount Code
Reveal the code and open Preppy — it applies at checkout on either payment option.
CMAA exam fee is not included in Preppy tuition — budget for it separately.
OnlineDegree.com may earn a commission when you enroll through our links. That never changes our data or which providers we cover.
The Verdict on Medical Administrative Assistant Training
Six categories decide which medical administrative assistant program is the better buy. Preppy takes four, MedCerts takes one, and the four Preppy wins are the ones that determine whether your certificate turns into a job.
Final score across the six medical administrative assistant program categories above.
-
Your medical administrative assistant certificate comes from a university
Preppy’s Medical Administrative Assistant program is delivered with Auburn University, Office of Professional and Continuing Education, an accredited nonprofit. Your Certificate of Completion carries the institution’s name — a credential you frame, and one that lets you tell a hiring manager you trained through a university.
MedCerts issues its own certificate for its medical administrative assistant program. It is a well-known training company, but that credential is only ever worth what its name means to the person reading your résumé.
-
Externship placement, not a reading list
Neither the CMAA nor this role strictly requires clinical hours, but experience is what separates two otherwise identical résumés. Preppy runs an Externship Match Program into its healthcare employer network; MedCerts includes no placement at all.
You choose between externship placement and direct job placement assistance — one or the other, included either way.
-
Self-paced medical administrative assistant training, no weekly hour expectation
You cover scheduling, insurance verification, medical records handling, HIPAA compliance and front-office billing on your own clock. Preppy’s program is 100% self-paced across about 4 months with a full year of access; MedCerts’ 15 weeks assumes 15 to 20 hours every week — a commitment to plan your life around.
Most people training for medical administrative assistant work already have a job. If you can give it twenty hours one week and four the next, self-paced is the difference between finishing and quitting.
-
MedCerts covers your CMAA exam fee. Preppy doesn't.
Every MedCerts exam is paid for inside tuition. With Preppy you register and pay the NHA directly. The NHA lists that application at $134. Even with it added, Preppy comes in about $767 lower.
-
MedCerts packages this differently
MedCerts does not use the name “Medical Administrative Assistant.” Its equivalent is HI 1200, “Medical Front Office Administration Specialist.”
Preppy wins the medical administrative assistant package, not just the price
It would be easy to read this as a price comparison. It isn’t. Preppy is cheaper — $1,599 against $2,500 — but the reason it wins the medical administrative assistant comparison is what that buys alongside the coursework: a certificate issued by an accredited nonprofit university, a match into its clinical employer network, a schedule that bends around a working week, and a refund window if you change your mind.
This is the cleanest apples-to-apples page in the set: identical credential, identical certifying body, $901 apart.
Where MedCerts earns its price: it pays for your CMAA exam, and its Career Center stays open to you for a year after you finish.
What each Medical Administrative Assistant program actually costs
Published tuition, with exam fees accounted for, so both columns mean the same thing.
Photo: student studying online
The comparison
MedCerts charges one flat $2,500 with every exam fee inside it. Preppy charges $1,599 and bills the CMAA separately.
Neither qualifies for federal financial aid. Both offer interest-free monthly plans — Preppy at $299 × 6.
The OnlineDegree.com reader discount is applied by Preppy at checkout and is not counted here, so the real gap on a medical administrative assistant program is wider than the figure on the right.
Total to certified
- MedCerts tuition (exams included)
- $2,500
- Preppy tuition, paid in full
- $1,599
- CMAA exam fee, paid to the NHA
- + $134
- Preppy total
- $1,733
- You could save choosing Preppy
- $767
Published tuition as of October 2026. The NHA lists the CMAA exam application at $134; MedCerts includes exam fees in tuition and Preppy does not. Excludes scrubs and any background check a clinical site requires.
Key facts about becoming a Medical Administrative Assistant
Photo: medical administrative assistant at work
After adding the CMAA exam fee to Preppy’s side to match MedCerts’ all-in price.
Fully self-paced. MedCerts estimates 15 weeks at 15–20 hrs/week.
Students find their own site. Preppy matches you into its employer network.
Cancel within 30 days for a full refund.
- Preppy’s certificate is issued by Auburn University, Office of Professional and Continuing Education, an accredited nonprofit institution. MedCerts issues its own credential.
- Neither program requires prior healthcare experience. A high school diploma or GED is the only admission requirement at both.
- The NHA lists the CMAA exam application at $134. MedCerts includes it in tuition; Preppy does not.
- MedCerts does not use the name “Medical Administrative Assistant.” Its equivalent is HI 1200, “Medical Front Office Administration Specialist.”
Facts verified October 6, 2026 against the sources at the bottom of this page.
Side-by-side Medical Administrative Assistant comparison
| Category | Preppy | MedCerts |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $1,599 or $299 × 6 | $2,500 |
| Length | about 4 months, fully self-paced | 15 weeks at 15–20 hrs/week |
| Certificate issued by | Auburn University OPCE accredited nonprofit institution | MedCerts — no university partner |
| Exam prepared for | CMAA (NHA) | CMAA (NHA) |
| Exam fee | Not included $134 to the NHA | Included |
| Clinical hours required | None required for certification | None required |
| Externship placement | Included Externship Match Program; choose externship or job placement | Not included |
| Job support | More complete Employer job board, résumé support, interview prep, advisors — plus externship placement | Career Center and coaches for 1 year — but no externship placement |
| Refund policy | 30 days | See enrollment agreement |
| Admission requirements | HS diploma or GED | HS diploma or GED |
| State availability | Nationwide | Nationwide |
Verified October 6, 2026 against each provider’s own program and FAQ pages, linked below. Terms change; confirm before you enroll.
How to enroll with Preppy
-
1Reveal your code and open Preppy
The code applies at checkout on either payment option. No application, no prerequisites, no sales call.
—— Code copied · Preppy opened in a new tab -
2Work the medical administrative assistant coursework at your pace
Self-paced across about 4 months, with a full year of access if you need it.
-
3Register for the CMAA and sit it
You book directly with the NHA, not through your program. Take the practice exams until you’re consistently passing, then schedule. $134, paid separately.
-
4Do your externship, then apply
Clear your balance and finish the program, and Preppy’s Externship Match Program connects you with sites in its employer network. Sites hire their own externs often enough to ask directly.
Preppy vs MedCerts: Medical Administrative Assistant questions
Is Preppy or MedCerts better for medical administrative assistant training?
Preppy, for most people training as a medical administrative assistant. It costs $1,599 against MedCerts’ $2,500, issues a Certificate of Completion from Auburn University OPCE rather than a company-issued credential, and includes externship placement support. MedCerts covers your CMAA exam fee, which Preppy does not, so that is the trade-off.
Is Preppy cheaper than MedCerts for medical administrative assistant training?
Yes. Preppy’s Medical Administrative Assistant program is $1,599 paid in full, or $299 × 6. MedCerts is $2,500. That is $901 less on published tuition. MedCerts includes the exam fee and Preppy does not, so add that to Preppy’s side. The NHA lists the CMAA exam application at $134.
Does the MedCerts medical administrative assistant program include an externship?
No. MedCerts does not include an externship. Preppy runs an Externship Match Program that connects students with opportunities inside its healthcare employer network, and every student chooses between externship placement and job placement assistance at no extra cost.
Do Preppy and MedCerts prepare you for the same medical administrative assistant certification?
Both prepare you for the CMAA from the NHA.
Is the CMAA exam fee included in Preppy or MedCerts medical administrative assistant tuition?
MedCerts includes all exam fees inside its $2,500 tuition. Preppy does not — you register and pay the certifying body directly. The NHA lists the CMAA exam application at $134.
How long does each medical administrative assistant program take, Preppy or MedCerts?
MedCerts estimates 15 weeks for its medical administrative assistant program at 15 to 20 hours a week. Preppy’s program runs about 4 months and is fully self-paced with no weekly hour expectation, so motivated students finish faster and people juggling a job can take longer without penalty.
Which medical administrative assistant program is faster, Preppy or MedCerts?
Preppy, in practice. MedCerts’ 15-week estimate assumes 15 to 20 hours of coursework every week. Preppy is self-paced across about 4 months with a full year of access, so you set the pace in both directions.
Is the MedCerts medical administrative assistant program accredited?
MedCerts is not a university and does not issue a university credential; it is a training provider whose programs prepare students for third-party certification exams. Preppy’s Medical Administrative Assistant program is delivered in partnership with Auburn University, Office of Professional and Continuing Education, which issues the Certificate of Completion.
Does Preppy include job placement for medical administrative assistant graduates?
Preppy includes career support in tuition: a career platform where healthcare employers post medical administrative assistant roles, résumé feedback, interview preparation and course advisors. Students also choose between externship placement support and direct job placement assistance. Employment is not guaranteed by either provider.
Is Preppy's medical administrative assistant program legit?
Preppy is a StraighterLine company that partners with accredited nonprofit universities to deliver its certification training. The Medical Administrative Assistant program is offered with Auburn University OPCE and prepares students for the CMAA exam. It carries a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Can you get financial aid for the Preppy or MedCerts medical administrative assistant program?
Neither medical administrative assistant program qualifies for federal student aid, since that generally requires an accredited degree or certificate program. What often does apply to both: WIOA workforce grants, MyCAA for military spouses, and employer tuition reimbursement. Both offer interest-free monthly plans, which beats a private loan for a program this size.
What certification do you need to work as a medical administrative assistant?
No state licences medical administrative assistants in the way nurses are licensed, but employers expect a national certification. The Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) from the NHA is the credential these programs target.
Are there cheaper alternatives to MedCerts for medical administrative assistant training?
Yes. For medical administrative assistant training, Preppy at $1,599 is the lowest-priced option we have found that pairs a certificate issued by an accredited nonprofit university with externship and career support. Cheaper medical administrative assistant programs exist, but they issue their own certificate and leave clinical hours to you.
Sources and verification
Checked October 6, 2026. We re-verify monthly.