---
title: Is a Dentistry degree worth the debt?
cip: 5104
source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard — Field of Study (2026-06-10 release)
sourceId: src:doe:college-scorecard:field-of-study:2026-06-10
---

# Is a Dentistry degree worth the debt?

Leading with the **Professional**, across **61** colleges (61 of 61 programs report earnings):

- **Median pay, 1 year after completion:** $105,121 ($107,089 at 2 years)
- **Median federal debt:** $252,399 (federal loans only)
- **Debt-to-earnings:** 2.45× a first year's pay
- **Across-college spread (middle 50%):** $80,915–$118,580 — the program you choose moves the number this much.


**How to read this:** these are MEDIANS across college programs, measured **1–2 years after completion** (early career, graduates only) — NOT lifetime earnings, and NOT comparable to a college's 10-years-after-entry figure. They cover **federally-aided completers at programs large enough to report**; small programs are suppressed. A field median is not a prediction of your outcome, not causal (who enters a field differs by field), and **not a "best majors" ranking** — earnings are one dimension of worth. Verify by field at the official College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/).

## By degree level

| Level | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt | Debt/pay | Colleges | Programs reporting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Doctoral | $98,409 | $373,155 | 4.13× | 7 | 7/7 |
| Professional | $105,121 | $252,399 | 2.45× | 61 | 61/61 |

## Where a Professional in this field reports the highest early-career pay

Reflects who enrolls and where, not causal program quality.

| College | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| University of Nebraska Medical Center (NE) | $138,271 | $201,388 |
| Marquette University (WI) | $133,430 | $229,890 |
| Oregon Health & Science University (OR) | $132,916 | $312,308 |
| Western University of Health Sciences (CA) | $132,022 | $421,897 |
| Augusta University (GA) | $131,165 | $232,467 |
| Indiana University-Indianapolis (IN) | $130,179 | $257,402 |
| University of Detroit Mercy (MI) | $127,238 | $366,862 |
| University of Iowa (IA) | $125,938 | $241,115 |
| A T Still University of Health Sciences (MO) | $125,712 | $431,585 |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (MN) | $124,702 | $272,055 |
| University of Missouri-Kansas City (MO) | $124,107 | $220,937 |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (IL) | $123,885 | $252,399 |
| The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (TN) | $122,462 | $250,824 |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus (WA) | $121,620 | $282,467 |
| Creighton University (NE) | $121,422 | $297,323 |

RECORDED College Scorecard figures + one DERIVED ratio (debt-to-earnings). Informs and compares; not advice on what to major in. Each college's full record: `/education/<slug>`.

Structured data: `/education/fields/dentistry.jsonld` · `/education/fields/dentistry.json`