Best Dental Support Professions Programs in the West (2026)
Updated
Regional list from Top Dental Support Professions Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 9 Dental Support Professions programs in the West by median earnings of Dental Support Professions graduates four years after completing, highest first. University of the Pacific leads the list at 1st with median earnings of $86,150 four years after completing.
Across the listed schools, the figure ranges from $86,150 to $62,783, with a median of $75,533.
Public institutions account for 7 of the 9 programs, or 78%. Idaho State University posts the lowest average net price on the page at $12,193.
Northern Arizona University ranks 127th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of the Pacific · Stockton, CA | $86,150 | $25,447 | $17,004 | 71.3% |
| University of the Pacific, a private nonprofit university in Stockton, reports $86,150 in median earnings for its Dental Support Professions graduates four years after completing, with 25 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 2 | University of Hawaii at Manoa · Honolulu, HI | $79,863 | $15,664 | $10,675 | 86.6% |
| Graduates of University of Hawaii at Manoa who borrowed left with a median of $29,690 in federal loans among Dental Support Professions completers, and the school ranks 2nd on this list. | |||||
| 3 | Pacific University · Forest Grove, OR | $78,641 | $35,273 | $23,318 | 89.6% |
| With an admission rate of 90%, Pacific University admits a large share of applicants and shows median earnings of $78,641 for its Dental Support Professions graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Oregon Institute of Technology · Klamath Falls, OR | $78,089 | $15,706 | $9,085 | 95.0% |
| Oregon Institute of Technology reports $78,089 in median earnings for its Dental Support Professions graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $15,706. | |||||
| 5 | Eastern Washington University · Cheney, WA | $75,533 | $13,886 | $9,547 | 90.8% |
| Ranking 5th on this list, Eastern Washington University posts a median of $23,604 in federal debt among Dental Support Professions completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 6 | Northern Arizona University · Flagstaff, AZ | $68,917 | $14,158 | $9,709 | 89.6% |
| Northern Arizona University sits 6th on this page and reports median earnings of $68,917 for its Dental Support Professions graduates four years after completing, drawn from a cohort of 55 graduates. | |||||
| 7 | University of Wyoming · Laramie, WY | $67,927 | $13,599 | $7,977 | 96.9% |
| Admitting 97% of applicants, University of Wyoming shows a median of $7,500 in federal debt among Dental Support Professions completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 8 | University of New Mexico-Main Campus · Albuquerque, NM | $67,561 | $15,489 | $11,938 | 95.2% |
| University of New Mexico-Main Campus reports median earnings of $67,561 for its Dental Support Professions graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $15,489. | |||||
| 9 | Idaho State University · Pocatello, ID | $62,783 | $12,193 | $10,593 | Not reported |
| Idaho State University ranks 9th on this list, with a median of $18,000 in federal debt among Dental Support Professions completers who borrowed. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Dental Support Professions graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the West appear. The figures cover federally aided completers of Dental Support Professions programs who were working and not enrolled four years after completing. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. University of the Pacific leads University of Hawaii at Manoa by $6,287, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom is $23,367.
Job market context in the West
Graduates of Dental Support Professions programs in the West enter a labor market linked to occupations such as Dental Assistants, Dental Hygienists, and Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary. The median annual wage across those occupations is $79,447, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $65,124. Projections for 2024 to 2034 show about 2,950 openings a year for every hundred graduates, with more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 15.7% higher. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses the median earnings of graduates four years after completing, which is a narrower measure than the occupational wage figures shown here.
Related rankings
- Best Colleges in the West
- Best Nursing Colleges in the West by Earnings
- Health Professions Colleges in the West for Social Mobility
- Health Professions Colleges in the West
- Nursing Colleges in the West for Social Mobility
- Physical Therapy Colleges in the West for Social Mobility
- Speech-Language Pathology Colleges in the West for Social Mobility