Dental Support Services

Salary data, best schools, and honest ROI assessment

Avg Earnings (4yr)
$60,986
Median Earnings
$68,556
Schools Offering
54
ROI Grade
B+

Earnings Range (4 Years After Graduation)

25th: $62,783Median: $68,55675th: $74,822

Best Schools for Dental Support Services by Earnings

#School4yr Earnings
1University of Southern California
CA · Private
$91,726
2University of the Pacific
CA · Private
$86,150
3West Coast University-Los Angeles
CA · Private
$85,797
4West Coast University-Orange County
CA · Private
$85,797
5MCPHS University
MA · Private
$83,253
6University of Hawaii at Manoa
HI · Public
$79,863
7Pacific University
OR · Private
$78,641
8Virginia Commonwealth University
VA · Public
$78,231
9Oregon Institute of Technology
OR · Public
$78,089
10West Virginia University
WV · Public
$76,662
11University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
MN · Public
$76,078
12Eastern Washington University
WA · Public
$75,533
13University of Bridgeport
CT · Private
$74,822
14University of New England
ME · Private
$74,504
15Midwestern State University
TX · Public
$74,347
16Herzing University-Minneapolis
MN · Private
$73,741
17University of New Haven
CT · Private
$73,231
18Metropolitan State University
MN · Public
$73,027
19Minnesota State University-Mankato
MN · Public
$72,882
20University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
NC · Public
$72,567
21Farmingdale State College
NY · Public
$70,853
22Texas A&M University-College Station
TX · Public
$70,132
23Old Dominion University
VA · Public
$69,732
24Northern Arizona University
AZ · Public
$68,917
25Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
IL · Public
$68,609
26University of South Dakota
SD · Public
$68,556
27Siena Heights University
MI · Private
$68,392
28University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus
OK · Public
$68,018
29University of Wyoming
WY · Public
$67,927
30University of New Mexico-Main Campus
NM · Public
$67,561
31Indiana University-Northwest
IN · Public
$67,468
32Texas Woman's University
TX · Public
$66,034
33Ohio State University-Main Campus
OH · Public
$65,920
34East Tennessee State University
TN · Public
$65,649
35University of Missouri-Kansas City
MO · Public
$64,838
36Ferris State University
MI · Public
$63,582
37Clayton State University
GA · Public
$63,402
38University of Detroit Mercy
MI · Private
$63,364
39Idaho State University
ID · Public
$62,783
40University of Louisville
KY · Public
$62,595
41Youngstown State University
OH · Public
$62,099
42University of Louisiana at Monroe
LA · Public
$62,089
43Vermont State University
VT · Public
$61,991
44Wichita State University
KS · Public
$61,982
45West Liberty University
WV · Public
$61,801
46Augusta University
GA · Public
$61,584
47Indiana University-South Bend
IN · Public
$61,436
48University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
PA · Public
$60,778
49University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
MI · Public
$59,402
50Western Kentucky University
KY · Public
$57,958

School-by-school analysis: Dental Support Services

Editorial breakdowns of how dental support services graduates fare at the top-earning programs in our dataset.

West Coast University-Los Angeles
CA · Private · $85,797 4yr earnings · $36,134 median debt
69

Dental Support Services earns $73,751 year one and $85,797 at year four with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.490 (ROI grade C+). No graduate count is available in Scorecard data. The C+ grade reflects a higher debt load relative to earnings in dental hygiene and dental assisting fields. This is a smaller program track at WCU that sits in the same for-profit cost structure as nursing without the same earnings premium.

West Coast University-Orange County
CA · Private · $85,797 4yr earnings · $36,134 median debt
83

Dental Support Services (70 graduates) earns $73,751 year-one and $85,797 four-year with $36,134 median debt and a 0.490 debt-to-earnings ratio (ROI grade C+). Dental hygiene in Southern California commands strong wages -- $73,751 year-one is competitive nationally. The C+ reflects the higher-than-average debt load for a healthcare program at this price point. Students should compare WCU's dental hygiene debt against community college dental hygiene programs in California, which can deliver similar credentials at a fraction of the cost.

Pacific University
OR · Private · $78,641 4yr earnings · $28,375 median debt
52

Dental hygiene is the star of Pacific's undergraduate ROI: 30 graduates, $76,060 in first-year earnings, $78,641 at year four, and a 0.373 debt-to-earnings ratio earning a B grade. This is the program that anchors the school's career-school identity. The hygienist credential leads directly to licensed clinical work with stable earnings, and $28,375 of debt is easily serviced. Students targeting this specific pathway have a coherent value case at Pacific.

Strong Value

Is Dental Support Services Worth It?

The Numbers Support This Major

Dental Support Services delivers above-average financial returns. Average earnings of $60,986 four years out put graduates in a strong position to handle student debt and build wealth. The ROI is solid, though school choice and specialization within the field matter.

This is a more specialized field, offered at 54 schools in our dataset. Fewer options means less room to optimize on cost, so pay close attention to the financial aid packages you receive.

The top school for this major by earnings is University of the Pacific, where graduates earn $86,150 four years out. But averages hide a wide range - where you attend and what you do with the degree matter as much as the major itself.

Earnings data represents median earnings 4 years after graduation for graduates of bachelor's programs, as reported by the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Individual outcomes vary significantly based on career path, location, and other factors.