Dental Assistant Programs in the United States

Dental assisting programs, including radiography and DANB exam preparation.

The United States has 589 schools with dental assistant programs in this directory: 328 public and 261 private. Together they graduated 15,499 students from these programs in the latest federal count.

Published program tuition runs from $1,150 to $33,160, with a median of $16,979 across the 194 programs that report a program price.

Graduates earned a median of $31,781 one year after finishing, where the Department of Education reports earnings for the program.

The largest programs by graduates are at United Education Institute-Morrow, Carrington College-Sacramento and NUC University.

Dental Assistant Programs by state

• Alabama11
• Alaska3
• Arizona16
• Arkansas3
• California86
• Colorado12
• Connecticut4
• Florida42
• Georgia18
• Idaho4
• Illinois13
• Indiana12
• Iowa9
• Kentucky5
• Louisiana11
• Maryland6
• Massachusetts8
• Michigan23
• Minnesota13
• Mississippi6
• Missouri8
• Nebraska4
• Nevada8
• New Jersey14
• New Mexico8
• New York12
• North Carolina20
• Ohio37
• Oklahoma8
• Oregon11
• Pennsylvania18
• Puerto Rico7
• South Carolina10
• South Dakota3
• Tennessee19
• Texas35
• Utah5
• Virginia11
• Washington15
• West Virginia6
• Wisconsin14

Largest dental assistant programs

Other states

States with fewer than 3 listings in this category are shown here instead of on their own page.

Delaware

Hawaii

Kansas

Maine

Montana

New Hampshire

North Dakota

Rhode Island

Common questions

How much does dental assistant training cost in the United States?

The median published tuition is $16,979 (range $1,150 to $33,160, 194 programs reporting). The lowest listed prices are at State Career College ($1,150), Lorain County Joint Vocational School District ($1,475) and Charles H McCann Technical School ($1,790). Public community and technical colleges often charge less but report tuition per year rather than per program, so check each school's net price calculator.

How long does dental assistant school take?

Programs that report a length take a median of 9 months to finish (3 to 18 months). Certificates are shorter; associate degrees usually take about two years.

How much do dental assistant graduates earn?

Across 353 programs with reported outcomes, the median graduate earned $31,781 one year after finishing (U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard). Earnings vary by program and local labor market.

Are there public dental assistant programs in the United States?

Yes. 328 public schools offer it, including University of Alabama at Birmingham, Coastal Alabama Community College, Gadsden State Community College, George C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville and John C Calhoun State Community College.

Data: U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2024-25 and College Scorecard (October 2026 release). How this directory is built.