Dentistry: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 67 college programs, at a typical net price.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
What Dentistry pays
Career outlook for Dentistry graduates
The job market for the occupations Dentistry graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health specialties teachers, postsecondary | 289,600 | +17.3% | $105,620 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Dentists, general | 129,800 | +4.1% | $172,790 | Doctoral or professional degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Dentistry vs similar majors
How Dentistry stacks up against the closest fields in Health Professions & Nursing on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Dentistry Health Professions & Nursing · this major | Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | Medicine | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 80 A | 80 A | 80 A | 80 A |
| ROI verdict | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $161,322 | $226,546 | $214,065 | $162,555 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $115,521 | $212,530 | $166,304 | $65,892 |
| ROI vs cost | +591% | +1,129% | +1,565% | +708% |
| Typical debt | $264,530 | $207,643 | $81,076 | $201,913 |
| Colleges offering it | 67 | 33 | 6 | 155 |
Dentistry earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Dentistry
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH | Certificate | $312,452 | $162,749 | +1,979% | Strong return |
| 2 | University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL | Doctoral | $171,066 | — | +1,581% | Strong return |
| 3 | Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO | Certificate | $200,627 | — | +1,495% | Strong return |
| 4 | East Carolina University Greenville, NC | Doctoral | $199,571 | $126,524 | +1,317% | Strong return |
| 5 | University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, CT | Doctoral | $165,479 | $143,655 | +1,157% | Strong return |
| 6 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL | Doctoral | $181,489 | $237,788 | +1,110% | Strong return |
| 7 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC | Doctoral | $187,283 | $214,834 | +1,039% | Strong return |
| 8 | University of Connecticut-Avery Point Groton, CT | Doctoral | $165,479 | $143,655 | +1,020% | Strong return |
| 9 | University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus Hartford, CT | Doctoral | $165,479 | $143,655 | +921% | Strong return |
| 10 | University of Connecticut-Stamford Stamford, CT | Doctoral | $165,479 | $143,655 | +908% | Strong return |
| 11 | University of Mississippi University, MS | Master's | $133,664 | $175,333 | +880% | Strong return |
| 12 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL | Doctoral | $184,203 | $252,399 | +819% | Strong return |
| 13 | University of Missouri-Kansas City Kansas City, MO | Doctoral | $167,251 | $220,937 | +814% | Strong return |
| 14 | Indiana University-Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN | Doctoral | $170,459 | $257,402 | +793% | Strong return |
| 15 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA | Doctoral | $172,732 | $184,220 | +791% | Strong return |
| 16 | University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY | Doctoral | $183,422 | $196,586 | +790% | Strong return |
| 17 | Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH | Doctoral | $171,323 | $207,650 | +771% | Strong return |
| 18 | West Virginia University Morgantown, WV | Doctoral | $158,414 | $189,776 | +761% | Strong return |
| 19 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI | Doctoral | $158,677 | $224,000 | +747% | Strong return |
| 20 | University of Kentucky Lexington, KY | Doctoral | $185,046 | $249,454 | +742% | Strong return |
| 21 | University of Connecticut Storrs, CT | Doctoral | $165,479 | $143,655 | +689% | Strong return |
| 22 | Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY | Doctoral | $180,218 | $268,332 | +682% | Strong return |
| 23 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO | Doctoral | $150,043 | $242,379 | +673% | Strong return |
| 24 | Augusta University Augusta, GA | Doctoral | $150,706 | $232,467 | +656% | Strong return |
| 25 | Texas A&M University-College Station College Station, TX | Doctoral | $155,720 | $170,918 | +650% | Strong return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.