| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Private for-profit career college; campus-based, with most programs hybrid (theory online, labs on campus) |
| Campus | 1, in Salinas, CA |
| Credentials | Certificates, diplomas and associate of applied science (AAS) degrees |
| Programs | 17, mostly healthcare and veterinary |
| Typical length | 4 weeks (Advanced Phlebotomy) or 6 weeks (Nursing Assistant) to 108-123 weeks (Ultrasound Technician AAS) |
| Accreditation | ACCET (institutional); approved to operate by California’s BPPE |
| Federal aid | Yes, except the phlebotomy courses |
| Founded / owner | 1983; owned by Legacy Education (NYSE American: LGCY) since January 2019 |
| Students | 576 enrolled on 30 June 2026 |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
A Salinas career college owned by Legacy Education
Central Coast College is a private for-profit career college in Salinas, California, founded in 1983. Since January 2019 it has been owned by Legacy Education Inc., which is listed on NYSE American (LGCY) and also owns three other career colleges. The college trains people for healthcare and veterinary jobs through 17 certificate, diploma and associate degree programs, from a six-week nursing assistant course to imaging degrees of 108 to 123 weeks. It had 576 students on 30 June 2026.
Most programs are hybrid: theory is taught online, and labs are held on campus. The online part is approved for California residents only. Vocational Nursing and phlebotomy are taught in person, and the Nursing Assistant page says the same, although the catalog lists that course as hybrid. Legacy Education has announced a second campus in Houston, Texas, which is not yet open.
17 programs, from nursing assistant to MRI
Every program is taught at the Salinas campus. The table gives the college’s 2026-27 cost per program, a single figure that includes tuition, fees, books and supplies. Diploma and degree programs include an externship or clinical placement.
| Program | Credential | Length | Delivery | Externship / clinical | Prepares for | 2026-27 cost (tuition, fees, books) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vocational Nursing | Diploma | 1,530 hrs; 61 wks full-time, 84 part-time | In person | 680 clinical hrs | NCLEX-PN (LVN licence) | $36,370 (full-time) |
| Nursing Assistant | Certificate | 164 hrs; 6 wks | In person | 104 clinical hrs | California CNA exam | about $3,255 (2024 price) |
| Medical Assisting | Diploma | 755 hrs; 46 wks | Hybrid | 175 hrs | None named | $19,920 |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | Diploma | 680 hrs; 48 wks | Hybrid | 140 hrs | None named | $19,920 |
| Phlebotomy Technician | Certificate | 96 hrs; 12 wks | In person | 40 clinical hrs | California phlebotomy certification | $4,400 (2024 price) |
| Advanced Phlebotomy | Certificate | 28 hrs; 4 wks | In person | – | None named | $2,040 (2024 price) |
| Dental Assisting | Diploma | 780 hrs; 34 wks day, 42 evening | Hybrid | 160 hrs | None named | $19,920 |
| Pharmacy Technician | Certificate | 336 hrs; 18 wks | Hybrid | 120 hrs | PTCB CPhT | $5,445 |
| Sterile Processing Technician | Certificate | 686 hrs | Hybrid | – | None named | $15,833 |
| Surgical Technology | AAS | 1,670 hrs; 62 wks | Hybrid | 560 hrs | NCCT TS-C | $36,370 |
| Veterinary Assistant | Diploma | 696 hrs; 38 wks | Hybrid | 150 hrs | None | $19,920 |
| Veterinary Technology | AAS | 1,419 hrs; 84 wks | Hybrid | 300 hrs | VTNE, California RVT | $41,417 |
| Ultrasound Technician | Diploma | 2,180 hrs | Not stated | – | None named | $53,250 |
| Ultrasound Technician | AAS | 2,660 hrs; 108 wks day, 123 evening | Hybrid | 960 clinical hrs | None named | $60,894 |
| Cardiac Sonography | AAS | 1,670 hrs | Hybrid | – | None named | $60,894 |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging | AAS | 2,460 hrs; 115 wks | Hybrid | 960 hrs | None named | $61,773 |
| Computer Specialist: Accounting | Diploma | 680 hrs; 48 wks | Hybrid | 110 hrs | None named | $19,920 |
Vocational Nursing is approved by the California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians, Veterinary Technology is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association, and the nursing assistant and phlebotomy courses are approved by the California Department of Public Health. Surgical Technology is seeking programmatic accreditation from ABHES, with a decision expected around February 2027. The college claims no CAAHEP or JRC-DMS accreditation for its ultrasound and cardiac sonography programs, no JRCERT or ARMRIT accreditation for MRI and no ASHP accreditation for Pharmacy Technician.
What the main programs cover
Vocational Nursing
The program combines 576 hours of lecture, 274 hours of skills lab and 680 hours of clinical practice, for 1,530 hours. Full-time students finish in 61 weeks and part-time students in 84; the program is taught in person. Applicants need a high school diploma or GED, an ATI TEAS score of at least 55%, an interview, a physical with immunisations, a background check and a drug screen. Graduates can sit the NCLEX-PN and apply for a California vocational nurse licence. The program started in 2023.
Medical Assisting
The 755-hour, 49.33-quarter-credit diploma splits into 290 hours of lecture, 290 hours of lab and a 175-hour externship, and can be finished in as few as 46 weeks. Lectures are held live online. Labs meet on campus for 3 to 4 hours a day, with morning, afternoon and evening sessions. The program page does not name a certification exam, so students who want a national medical assistant credential should ask which exams the college supports.
Medical Administrative Assistant
This 680-hour, 48-week hybrid diploma, listed in the catalog as Medical Administrative Specialist, trains for front-office work. Courses are Medical Terminology and Anatomy, Medical Office Procedures, Medical Record Keeping, EMR and Computerized Medical Management, Medical Insurance Billing, Introduction to Medical Coding, PC Fundamentals and Career Development, followed by a 140-hour externship. It includes one billing course and an introduction to coding, not a full coding credential. No students were enrolled in it during 2024.
Veterinary Assistant and Veterinary Technology
The Veterinary Assistant diploma is 696 hours over 38 weeks, with a 150-hour externship and first aid and CPR training. It also serves as the first year of the Veterinary Technology AAS, which is 1,419 hours (617 lecture, 502 lab, 300 externship) over 84 weeks. Entry to the AAS needs that first year, a faculty recommendation and a rabies vaccination. Graduates can sit the Veterinary Technician National Exam and California’s exams to become a Registered Veterinary Technician.
Ultrasound Technician
The college offers two versions. The diploma is 2,180 hours (86.66 semester credits). The AAS is 2,660 hours: 1,220 lecture, 480 lab and 960 clinical, taking 108 weeks on the day schedule or 123 weeks in the evening, with general education courses fully online and the rest hybrid. A Cardiac Sonography AAS of 1,670 hours is also listed, though BPPE’s 2024 report shows no students enrolled in it. The program pages do not name a registry exam.
Surgical Technology
The AAS is 1,670 hours (900 lecture, 210 lab, 560 clinical) and 79 semester credits, completed in 62 weeks in a hybrid format. It prepares students for the National Center for Competency Testing’s TS-C exam, not the NBSTSA’s Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) exam. The program is still seeking initial programmatic accreditation from ABHES; the site visit took place in fall 2026, and a decision is expected around February 2027.
What programs cost in 2026-27
The college charges one price per program, with no in-state or out-of-state rates. Its 2026-27 cost of attendance sheet gives each program’s combined tuition, fees, books and supplies: $5,445 for Pharmacy Technician, $15,833 for Sterile Processing, $19,920 for each of Medical Assisting, Medical Administrative Assistant, Computer Specialist: Accounting, Veterinary Assistant and Dental Assisting, $36,370 for full-time Vocational Nursing and for Surgical Technology, $41,417 for Veterinary Technology, $53,250 for the ultrasound diploma, $60,894 for the ultrasound and cardiac sonography degrees and $61,773 for MRI. The same sheet allows $3,547 a month for living costs for students who live away from their parents.
The nursing assistant and phlebotomy courses are not on the 2026-27 sheet. Their most recent published prices are from 2024: about $3,255 for Nursing Assistant, $4,400 for Phlebotomy Technician and $2,040 for Advanced Phlebotomy.
The college takes federal student aid, including Pell Grants, Direct Loans and federal work-study, and is approved for VA education benefits, Cal Grant and WIOA training funds. The phlebotomy courses are not eligible for federal aid.
Admission and schedules
Applicants need a high school diploma or GED, plus each program’s own requirements. Vocational Nursing has the most steps (TEAS score, interview, health and background checks). Phlebotomy Technician requires six months of documented healthcare work experience, and Advanced Phlebotomy requires state-approved work experience. Veterinary Technology admits students who have finished the first year of an AVMA program.
Medical Assisting labs run in morning, afternoon or evening sessions, and Dental Assisting and the ultrasound programs have day and evening tracks of different lengths. Start dates are not published on the program pages, so ask admissions.
Accreditation and results
Central Coast College is institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training (ACCET) through April 2030, according to Legacy Education’s annual report for the year ended 30 June 2026, and is approved to operate by California’s Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE). The same report says the Department of Education has sent the college six borrower-defense applications since March 2026, which the college disputes.
| Measure | Result | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| Vocational Nursing, first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate | 100% (9 testers) | 2024, California BVNPT |
| Vocational Nursing, first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate | 92% (12 testers) | 2025, California BVNPT |
| Veterinary Technology, VTNE pass rate | 75% (4 testers) | 2023, college disclosure |
| Veterinary Technology, VTNE pass rate | 25% (4 testers) | 2024, college disclosure |
| Nursing Assistant, state CNA exam | 96.12% (103 testers) | 2024, BPPE annual report |
| Phlebotomy, state certification exam | 83.33% (6 testers) | 2024, BPPE annual report |
| Medical Assisting, on-time completion | 57% | 2024, BPPE annual report |
| Medical Assisting, employed in the field | 70% of available graduates | 2024, BPPE annual report |
The NCLEX-PN rates are published by the California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians.
The exam, completion and placement figures for the other programs come from the college’s 2024 BPPE annual report. Completion counts students who finished within the normal program length, and placement counts graduates employed in the field out of those available for work. Testing groups are small, especially in veterinary technology, so one or two results move the rates a lot.
Before you enroll
- There is no RN program. Vocational Nursing leads to an LVN licence, so plan on a separate RN program if that is your goal.
- The ultrasound diploma and the ultrasound, cardiac sonography and MRI degrees cost $53,250 to $61,773, and the college claims no CAAHEP, JRC-DMS, JRCERT or ARMRIT accreditation for them. Ask which registry exams graduates qualify for before you enroll.
- Surgical Technology is still awaiting ABHES accreditation and prepares for the TS-C, not the CST exam.
- Only one of four Veterinary Technology testers passed the national VTNE in 2024 (college disclosure).
- BPPE’s 2024 report shows no students enrolled that year in several listed programs, including MRI, Cardiac Sonography, Surgical Technology, Dental Assisting, Pharmacy Technician, Sterile Processing and Medical Administrative Assistant. Ask how often each one starts.
One campus on North Main Street
The campus is at 1450 N Main Street, Salinas, CA 93906; the college announced its move there, within Salinas, in March 2022. It is the college’s only location.
Externships, no housing
Every diploma and degree program includes an externship or clinical placement, from 110 hours in Computer Specialist: Accounting to 960 hours in the ultrasound and MRI degrees. The college does not offer housing.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Nursing
- Vocational Nursing (LVN)
- Nursing Assistant
Medical and Allied Health
- Medical Assisting
- Medical Administrative Assistant
- Phlebotomy Technician
- Advanced Phlebotomy
- Pharmacy Technician
- Sterile Processing Technician
- Surgical Technology (AAS)
- Dental Assisting
Imaging
- Ultrasound Technician (diploma)
- Ultrasound Technician (AAS)
- Cardiac Sonography (AAS)
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (AAS)
Veterinary
- Veterinary Assistant
- Veterinary Technology (AAS)
Business
- Computer Specialist: Accounting
Campus Locations
Salinas, CA 1450 N Main Street, Salinas, CA 93906