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Grad school ยท Health professions

Dental schools (DDS, DMD): earnings and debt by school

58 colleges award professional doctorates in dentistry. Graduates of the typical program earned $132,190 a year after finishing, and those who borrowed left with a median of $289,671 in federal loans taken at the school.

Professional doctorate programs58
Graduates in 2023-246,127
Typical median debt$289,671
Typical earnings 1 yr after$132,190
Typical earnings 4 yrs after$174,512
Earnings to debt0.5x

Official field: Dentistry. Admission figures such as LSAT, MCAT or GRE scores are not part of this federal data, so check each school.

Degree levelProgramsTypical earnings 1 yr afterTypical median debt
Professional doctorate58$132,190$289,671
Doctoral2$84,806n/a

Is it worth it? Debt vs first-year pay

Each dot is one professional doctorate program. Dots above the dashed line have graduates earning more in their first year than the program's median debt.

$0k$0k$45k$125k$91k$250k$136k$375k$182k$500kdebt = 1 year of payWest Virginia University: earnings $128,910, debt $231,740University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: earnings $139,945, debt $224,422Ohio State University-Main Campus: earnings $133,274, debt $250,316Virginia Commonwealth University: earnings $135,700, debt $374,248Augusta University: earnings $164,868, debt $237,878University of Washington-Seattle Campus: earnings $140,490, debt $338,873University of Connecticut: earnings $88,262, debt $196,161Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans: earnings $130,613, debt $268,092East Carolina University: earnings $172,986, debt $157,395University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus: earnings $101,616, debt $239,213University of Kentucky: earnings $140,241, debt $274,405University of Minnesota-Twin Cities: earnings $162,520, debt $305,333Indiana University-Indianapolis: earnings $161,657, debt $289,671Marquette University: earnings $144,876, debt $298,731Temple University: earnings $118,731, debt $302,418Columbia University in the City of New York: earnings $81,345, debt $380,644Creighton University: earnings $143,831, debt $363,814Boston University: earnings $137,454, debt $279,829The University of Tennessee Health Science Center: earnings $144,758, debt $270,499University of Michigan-Ann Arbor: earnings $142,911, debt $252,611University of Florida: earnings $120,615, debt $241,613Oregon Health & Science University: earnings $142,221, debt $291,524Tufts University: earnings $134,910, debt $440,270University of Detroit Mercy: earnings $147,397, debt $391,533University of Missouri-Kansas City: earnings $149,265, debt $236,232University of Iowa: earnings $167,810, debt $284,163University of Louisville: earnings $145,043, debt $351,798Medical University of South Carolina: earnings $126,624, debt $375,212University of Nevada-Las Vegas: earnings $132,190, debt $340,881University of Oklahoma-Health Sciences Center: earnings $143,349, debt $304,684University of Nebraska Medical Center: earnings $138,928, debt $280,945University of Maryland Baltimore: earnings $92,509, debt $325,137Case Western Reserve University: earnings $105,219, debt $422,899Howard University: earnings $86,090, debt $302,911University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus: earnings $146,880, debt $267,726University of Alabama at Birmingham: earnings $151,072, debt $227,882New York University: earnings $81,228, debt $429,140Stony Brook University: earnings $77,801, debt $291,645Rutgers University-New Brunswick: earnings $100,097, debt $308,646The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio: earnings $131,503, debt $215,416University of the Pacific: earnings $119,019, debt $443,363Texas A&M University-College Station: earnings $129,828, debt $196,806University of Utah: earnings $109,408, debt $279,129Harvard University: earnings $80,505, debt $232,651Loma Linda University: earnings $113,952, debt $400,941The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston: earnings $118,796, debt $184,223University of Southern California: earnings $93,656, debt $476,329University of Illinois Chicago: earnings $129,773, debt $366,048University of California-Los Angeles: earnings $82,449, debt $267,316Touro University: earnings $80,517, debt $418,293Median federal debtMedian earnings 1 year after
Earnings above median debt Debt above first-year earnings

Professional doctorate programs in dentistry

Highest first-year earnings

East Carolina University$172,986
University of Iowa$167,810
Augusta University$164,868
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities$162,520
Indiana University-Indianapolis$161,657
University of Alabama at Birmingham$151,072
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville$149,639
University of Missouri-Kansas City$149,265

CollegeGraduates (2023-24)Earnings 1 yr afterEarnings 4 yrs afterMedian debt
West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, WV44$128,910$202,520$231,740
University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC91$139,945$198,570$224,422
University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY119n/a$198,110$188,774
Ohio State University-Main CampusColumbus, OH121$133,274$198,071$250,316
Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, VA105$135,700$197,507$374,248
Augusta UniversityAugusta, GA91$164,868$196,587$237,878
University of Washington-Seattle CampusSeattle, WA74$140,490$193,009$338,873
University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT50$88,262$190,797$196,161
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New OrleansNew Orleans, LA79$130,613$189,321$268,092
East Carolina UniversityGreenville, NC51$172,986$187,926$157,395
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, PA87$101,616$187,912$239,213
University of KentuckyLexington, KY65$140,241$185,878$274,405
University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesMinneapolis, MN122$162,520$185,225$305,333
Southern Illinois University EdwardsvilleEdwardsville, IL55$149,639$184,815n/a
Indiana University-IndianapolisIndianapolis, IN113$161,657$183,985$289,671
Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WI105$144,876$183,642$298,731
Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA149$118,731$183,560$302,418
Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York, NY97$81,345$182,326$380,644
Creighton UniversityOmaha, NE116$143,831$181,068$363,814
Boston UniversityBoston, MA214$137,454$180,633$279,829
The University of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphis, TN92$144,758$179,129$270,499
University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, MI129$142,911$176,961$252,611
University of FloridaGainesville, FL91$120,615$176,959$241,613
Oregon Health & Science UniversityPortland, OR68$142,221$176,188$291,524
Tufts UniversityMedford, MA233$134,910$175,048$440,270
University of Detroit MercyDetroit, MI142$147,397$173,975$391,533
University of Missouri-Kansas CityKansas City, MO107$149,265$173,323$236,232
University of IowaIowa City, IA77$167,810$172,943$284,163
University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY121$145,043$172,704$351,798
Medical University of South CarolinaCharleston, SC76$126,624$172,695$375,212
University of Nevada-Las VegasLas Vegas, NV88$132,190$170,437$340,881
University of Oklahoma-Health Sciences CenterOklahoma City, OK68$143,349$170,339$304,684
University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmaha, NE55$138,928$168,581$280,945
University of Maryland BaltimoreBaltimore, MD129$92,509$166,213$325,137
Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, OH79$105,219$164,638$422,899
Howard UniversityWashington, DC72$86,090$164,425$302,911
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical CampusDenver, CO120$146,880$162,753$267,726
University of Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, AL86$151,072$162,018$227,882
New York UniversityNew York, NY377$81,228$161,495$429,140
Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY43$77,801$160,639$291,645
Rutgers University-New BrunswickNew Brunswick, NJ130$100,097$159,660$308,646
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San AntonioSan Antonio, TX107$131,503$156,247$215,416
University of the PacificStockton, CA174$119,019$156,198$443,363
Texas A&M University-College StationCollege Station, TX104$129,828$155,946$196,806
University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT51$109,408$153,714$279,129
Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA33$80,505$151,692$232,651
Loma Linda UniversityLoma Linda, CA128$113,952$149,878$400,941
University of Puerto Rico-Medical SciencesSan Juan, PR59n/a$145,120n/a
The University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonHouston, TX102$118,796$136,742$184,223
University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA172$93,656$123,341$476,329
University of Illinois ChicagoChicago, IL121$129,773n/a$366,048
University of California-Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA114$82,449n/a$267,316
Touro UniversityNew York, NY117$80,517n/a$418,293
Nova Southeastern UniversityFort Lauderdale, FL130n/an/an/a
Roseman University of Health SciencesHenderson, NV99n/an/an/a
University of MississippiUniversity, MS41n/an/an/a
University of New EnglandBiddeford, ME63n/an/an/a
University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA181n/an/an/a

Doctoral programs in dentistry

CollegeGraduates (2023-24)Earnings 1 yr afterEarnings 4 yrs afterMedian debt
University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA6$84,806$173,344n/a
Medical University of South CarolinaCharleston, SC0n/an/an/a

Frequently asked questions

How much do dentistry graduates earn?

Graduates of the typical professional doctorate program earned a median of $132,190 one year after finishing, in 2024 dollars.

How much debt do dentistry graduate students take on?

The typical program's graduates who borrowed left with a median of $289,671 in federal loans taken at that school. Undergraduate loans are not included.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field of study file, data release of October 15, 2026. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working, not enrolled. One-year figures: graduates of 2020-21 and 2021-22, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Four-year figures: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. More on the data.