This is the one program where Stepful costs less — $1,448 against Preppy's $1,599. The $151 question is what you give up: an Auburn University certificate, a self-paced schedule, externship placement, and more than half your refund window.
The winner
Preppy wins four of the seven categories we scored.
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The Verdict on Medical Administrative Assistant Training
Seven categories decide which medical administrative assistant program is the better buy. Preppy takes four, Stepful takes two, and the four Preppy wins are the ones that determine whether your certificate turns into a job.
Final score across the seven medical administrative assistant program categories above.
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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 institution. 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.
Stepful issues its own certificate. It is a licensed training provider with employer relationships of its own, but that certificate is only ever worth what the name "Stepful" means to the person reading your résumé.
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Preppy publishes its price. Stepful does not.
Preppy lists $1,599 on the program page, before you give anyone your phone number. Stepful's marketing pages say tuition varies with the grants you qualify for and quote no number at all.
The $1,448 on this page is not a guess: it is Stepful's own figure, from the Stepful School Catalog, Volume 4 (July 2026) — a disclosure document a school has to publish.
We had to read a regulatory filing to find out what a course costs. You would have had to book a call.
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Externship placement, which Stepful does not offer here
Preppy runs an Externship Match Program into its healthcare employer network, and every student chooses between externship placement and direct job placement assistance — one or the other, included either way.
Stepful's medical administrative assistant program has no externship component. For a front-office role that is defensible, but it does mean the only thing on your résumé when you finish is the course itself.
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Self-paced medical administrative assistant training, with no fixed class nights
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.
Stepful teaches four live online classes a week on a fixed cohort schedule, and its medical administrative assistant program runs 3 months (12 weeks). If you work shifts, or have children, or your week is not the same twice, that is the whole decision — a class you cannot attend is a course you do not finish.
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Thirty days to change your mind, not fourteen
Preppy gives you 30 days. Stepful's catalog says a student who cancels before instruction begins, or during the first two weeks of class, gets their money back minus the registration fee — and that fee stops being refundable after three days.
So the real comparison is 30 days against 14, with Stepful keeping $49 either way. Two weeks into a live cohort course is not long to work out whether the schedule is survivable.
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Lower published tuition
This is the one program in the set where Stepful is the cheaper option: $1,448 all in against Preppy's $1,599. It is also the shortest — 12 weeks against about four months. If the only thing you want is a CMAA at the lowest price, Stepful is that.
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Live instructor-led classes
Four live classes a week with an instructor and a cohort. For a front-office course that is mostly procedure and terminology, some people need someone to ask.
Preppy wins the medical administrative assistant package while losing on price
Stepful is $151 cheaper on this program and finishes a month sooner. Preppy still wins the comparison, and the reason is everything around the coursework: a certificate issued by Auburn University OPCE, externship placement that Stepful's admin program does not offer, a schedule that bends around a working week, and twice the refund window.
What each Medical Administrative Assistant program actually costs
The one program in this set where Stepful costs less, and what the difference buys.
Photo: student studying online
The comparison
Stepful charges $1,448 — $1,399 tuition plus a $49 registration fee — which is $151 less than Preppy's $1,599. On this program, Stepful is the cheaper option.
Neither qualifies for federal financial aid. Preppy offers an interest-free monthly plan at $299 × 6.
The OnlineDegree.com reader discount is applied by Preppy at checkout and is not counted here.
Total to certified
- Stepful tuition
- $1,399
- Stepful registration fee
- + $49
- Stepful total
- $1,448
- Preppy tuition, paid in full
- $1,599
- Stepful costs less by
- $151
Stepful tuition and the $49 registration fee are from the Stepful School Catalog, Volume 4 (July 2026); Stepful waives the registration fee for students who pay upfront, and it is not refundable after three days. Preppy tuition is published on its program page. Neither program includes the CMAA exam fee; the NHA lists it at $134, and it is the same exam either way, so it does not change the gap. Excludes scrubs and any background check a clinical site requires.
Key facts about becoming a Medical Administrative Assistant
Photo: medical administrative assistant at work
What that buys: a university certificate, self-paced study, externship placement and more than double the refund window.
Stepful gives fourteen days from the start of class, less a non-refundable registration fee.
Stepful runs 3 months (12 weeks) with four live classes a week.
Both programs prepare you for the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant from the NHA.
- Preppy's certificate is issued by Auburn University, Office of Professional and Continuing Education, an accredited nonprofit institution. Stepful issues its own credential.
- Stepful does not publish tuition on its medical administrative assistant page. The $1,448 used here is Stepful's own figure from the Stepful School Catalog, Volume 4 (July 2026).
- Both programs prepare you for the same credential: the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) from the NHA. Neither includes the exam fee.
- Preppy is 100% self-paced. Stepful teaches four live online classes a week on a fixed cohort schedule, so you need the same hours free every week.
- Neither program requires prior healthcare experience. Preppy asks for a high school diploma or GED; Stepful does not publish its admission requirements for this program.
Facts verified October 6, 2026 against the sources at the bottom of this page.
Side-by-side Medical Administrative Assistant comparison
| Category | Preppy | Stepful |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition, all in | $1,599 or $299 × 6 | $1,448 $1,399 tuition + $49 registration |
| Price published online | Yes on the program page | No only in its school catalog and state filings |
| Length | about 4 months, fully self-paced | 3 months (12 weeks), four live online classes a week on a fixed cohort schedule |
| Certificate issued by | Auburn University OPCE an accredited nonprofit institution | Stepful — no university partner |
| Exam prepared for | CMAA (NHA) | CMAA (NHA) — the same credential |
| Exam fee | Not included $134 to the NHA | Not included |
| Clinical hours | None required for certification | None required |
| Externship placement | Included Externship Match Program; choose externship or job placement | Not offered |
| Job support | Employer job board, résumé support, interview prep, advisors | An 8-week Job Coaching Program |
| Refund policy | 30 days | fourteen days from the start of class less the $49 registration fee |
| Admission requirements | HS diploma or GED | Not published |
| State availability | Nationwide | Stepful notes the CMAA is recognised in 48 of 50 states |
Verified October 6, 2026 against each provider’s own program pages and Stepful’s published school catalog, linked below. Terms change; confirm before you enroll.
How to enroll with Preppy
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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. No fixed class nights to miss.
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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.
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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 Stepful: Medical Administrative Assistant questions
Is Preppy or Stepful better for medical administrative assistant training?
Stepful is cheaper — $1,448 against Preppy's $1,599 — and shorter, at 3 months (12 weeks). Preppy is the better buy for most people anyway: the certificate comes from Auburn University OPCE rather than the training company, it is fully self-paced rather than four live online classes a week on a fixed cohort schedule, it includes externship placement that Stepful's medical administrative assistant program does not, and the refund window is 30 days against 14. Both end at the same CMAA exam, so you are choosing the package, not the credential.
How much does the Stepful medical administrative assistant program cost?
$1,448 — $1,399 tuition plus a $49 registration fee, which Stepful waives if you pay upfront. Stepful does not publish this on its medical administrative assistant page, which says tuition varies with the grants you qualify for. The figure comes from the Stepful School Catalog, Volume 4 (July 2026), and Stepful filed the same tuition with New Jersey's Eligible Training Provider List.
Does Stepful publish its tuition?
Not on its marketing pages. Stepful's program pages say the price varies depending on the grants you qualify for and quote no figure, so you learn the number by applying or booking a call. The tuition is published in the Stepful School Catalog, Volume 4 (July 2026), a disclosure document a licensed school has to produce, and in state training-provider filings. Preppy lists $1,599 on the program page.
Is Stepful cheaper than Preppy for medical administrative assistant training?
Yes, by $151. Stepful is $1,448 all in ($1,399 plus the $49 registration fee); Preppy is $1,599, or $299 × 6. This is the one program in the set where Stepful is the lower price. What the extra $151 buys at Preppy is a certificate issued by Auburn University OPCE, a self-paced schedule, externship placement, and 30 days to change your mind instead of 14.
Is the Stepful medical administrative assistant program self-paced?
No. Stepful teaches four live online classes a week on a fixed cohort schedule, and its medical administrative assistant program runs 3 months (12 weeks). You need the same hours free every week for the length of the course. Preppy's program is 100% self-paced across about 4 months with a full year of access and no weekly hour expectation.
Do Preppy and Stepful prepare you for the same medical administrative assistant certification?
Yes. Both prepare you for the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) from the NHA. The credential is identical whichever program you take, which is why the comparison comes down to price, who issues the certificate, the schedule and the support around it.
What is Stepful's refund policy?
Stepful's catalog states that a student who cancels before instruction begins, or during the first two weeks of class, receives all monies returned minus the registration fee — and that the $49 registration fee is not refundable after three days. Preppy offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Does the Stepful medical administrative assistant program include an externship?
No. Stepful's medical administrative assistant program has no externship component. 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.
How long does each medical administrative assistant program take, Preppy or Stepful?
Stepful's medical administrative assistant program is 3 months (12 weeks) on a fixed schedule of four live classes a week. Preppy's runs about 4 months and is fully self-paced with a full year of access, so motivated students finish faster and people juggling a job can take longer without penalty.
Is Stepful accredited?
Stepful is a licensed training provider, not a university, and the certificate for its medical administrative assistant program is issued by Stepful itself. Preppy's Medical Administrative Assistant program is delivered in partnership with Auburn University, Office of Professional and Continuing Education, an accredited nonprofit institution, which issues the Certificate of Completion. Neither program is a degree.
Is the CMAA exam fee included in Preppy or Stepful tuition?
Neither. You register and pay the NHA directly in both cases. The NHA lists the CMAA at $134.
Does Preppy include job placement for medical administrative assistant graduates?
Preppy includes career support in tuition: a 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. Stepful provides an 8-week Job Coaching Program. 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 Stepful medical administrative assistant program?
Neither qualifies for federal student aid, which 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. Stepful's own pages say its tuition varies with the grants you qualify for, which is why no figure appears on them. Preppy offers an interest-free monthly plan at $299 × 6.
What programs does Stepful not offer?
Stepful's catalog covers medical assistant, dental assistant, medical administrative assistant, patient care technician, pharmacy technician and practical nursing. It does not offer phlebotomy, sterile processing, EKG technician or electronic health records training, medical billing and coding is listed as coming soon, and its surgical technologist program is sold to employer customers rather than individuals. Preppy offers all of those.
Is the Stepful medical administrative assistant program available in every state?
No. Stepful notes the CMAA is recognised in 48 of 50 states. Preppy states no restrictions for this program.
Sources and verification
Checked October 6, 2026. We re-verify monthly.