California · Dental Support Services and Allied Professions

Best colleges for Dental Support Services and Allied Professions in California

Ranked by graduate earnings

Cypress College, Pasadena City College and Foothill College award the most Dental Support Services and Allied Professions degrees in California: 100, 86 and 75 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 92 California colleges offer Dental Support Services and Allied Professions and award 4,666 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Dental Support Services and Allied Professions program prepares students for various roles in the healthcare sector, focusing on dental support. This program is ideal for individuals interested in pursuing a career in allied health…

Institutions
92
offering CIP 51.06
States offered
51
with a program page
Degrees / yr
4,666
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$70,541
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
57
College Scorecard
Median net price
$28,838
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
56%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Dental Assistants
$54,710
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 3 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings

Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Foothill College
Los Altos Hills Public · Bachelor's degree
$81,2557556%—$17,285
2West Coast University - Anaheim-Orange County
Anaheim Private for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$73,7517260%$36,879$36,134
3Loma Linda University
Loma Linda Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree Small program
$67,15916——$25,000

Top 10 certificate and associate programs

Shorter credentials, ranked separately so they are not compared with four-year degrees. Ranked by median earnings one year after completion (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Chabot College
Hayward Public · Associate degree
$85,1752047%——
2Carrington College - Sacramento
Sacramento Private for-profit · Associate degree
$70,54120451%$38,203$9,151
3San Joaquin Valley College - Ontario
Ontario Private for-profit · Associate degree
$67,9166064%$26,900$20,000
4Southwestern College
Chula Vista Public · Associate degree
$67,7332935%—$10,500
5Cerritos College
Norwalk Public · Certificate
$34,1756631%——
6Unitek College
Fremont Private for-profit · Certificate
$31,4255173%$27,021$9,039
7Concorde Career College - San Diego
San Diego Private for-profit · Certificate
$29,68713676%$25,970$9,500
8Carrington College - San Leandro Campus
San Leandro Private for-profit · Certificate
$28,0605759%$33,894$9,151
9Milan Institute - Visalia
Visalia Private for-profit · Certificate
$27,3942751%$30,328$8,919
10Pima Medical Institute - San Marcos
San Marcos Private for-profit · Certificate
$27,3014571%$31,880$8,509

Colleges awarding the most Dental Support Services and Allied Professions degrees in California

Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1Cypress College
Cypress Public
100Not reported
2Pasadena City College
Pasadena Public
86Not reported
3Foothill College
Los Altos Hills Public
75$81,255
4West Coast University - Anaheim-Orange County
Anaheim Private for-profit
72$73,751
5Oxnard College
Oxnard Public
50Not reported
6Moreno Valley College
Moreno Valley Public
50Not reported
7Diablo Valley College
Pleasant Hill Public
48Not reported
8San Jose City College
San Jose Public
47Not reported
9Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa Public
41Not reported
10Citrus College
Glendora Public
40Not reported
Show the other 82 California colleges offering Dental Support Services and Allied Professions
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Carrington College - SacramentoSacramentoPrivate for-profit204
West Los Angeles CollegeCulver CityPublic194
Concorde Career College - San BernardinoSan BernardinoPrivate for-profit174
High Desert Medical CollegeLancasterPrivate for-profit152
Carrington College - San JoseSan JosePrivate for-profit148
Concorde Career College - Garden GroveGarden GrovePrivate for-profit137
Concorde Career College - San DiegoSan DiegoPrivate for-profit136
UEI College - RiversideRiversidePrivate for-profit131
UEI College - Chula VistaChula VistaPrivate for-profit112
UEI College - Huntington ParkHuntington ParkPrivate for-profit102
UEI College - FresnoFresnoPrivate for-profit98
American Career College - Los AngelesLos AngelesPrivate for-profit97
UEI College - SacramentoSacramentoPrivate for-profit97
San Joaquin Valley College - VisaliaVisaliaPrivate for-profit93
UEI College - StocktonStocktonPrivate for-profit91
UEI College - OntarioOntarioPrivate for-profit85
American Career College - AnaheimAnaheimPrivate for-profit83
UEI College - GardenaGardenaPrivate for-profit78
American Career College - OntarioOntarioPrivate for-profit77
UEI College - BakersfieldBakersfieldPrivate for-profit73
Cerritos CollegeNorwalkPublic66
UEI College - OceansideOceansidePrivate for-profit64
UEI College - ResedaResedaPrivate for-profit61
San Joaquin Valley College - OntarioOntarioPrivate for-profit60
Carrington College - San Leandro CampusSan LeandroPrivate for-profit57
UEI College - Garden GroveGarden GrovePrivate for-profit55
Fresno City CollegeFresnoPublic53
Unitek CollegeFremontPrivate for-profit51
UEI College - West CovinaWest CovinaPrivate for-profit49
San Joaquin Valley College - HesperiaHesperiaPrivate for-profit47
Carrington College - Pleasant Hill CampusPleasant HillPrivate for-profit45
Carrington College - StocktonStocktonPrivate for-profit45
Pima Medical Institute - San MarcosSan MarcosPrivate for-profit45
Pima Medical Institute - Chula VistaChula VistaPrivate for-profit43
San Joaquin Valley College - TemeculaTemeculaPrivate for-profit41
San Diego Mesa CollegeSan DiegoPublic37
Downey Adult SchoolDowneyPublic37
Sacramento City CollegeSacramentoPublic35
Allan Hancock CollegeSanta MariaPublic33
Palomar CollegeSan MarcosPublic33
North-West College - RiversideRiversidePrivate for-profit31
San Joaquin Valley College - FresnoFresnoPrivate for-profit30
Southwestern CollegeChula VistaPublic29
College of AlamedaAlamedaPublic28
Milan Institute - Palm DesertPalm DesertPrivate for-profit28
Milan Institute - VisaliaVisaliaPrivate for-profit27
San Joaquin Valley College - BakersfieldBakersfieldPrivate for-profit27
Lake Tahoe Community CollegeSouth Lake TahoePublic26
University of the PacificStocktonPrivate not-for-profit25
Concorde Career College - North HollywoodNorth HollywoodPrivate for-profit25
National Career CollegePanorama CityPrivate for-profit25
College of the RedwoodsEurekaPublic24
Reedley CollegeReedleyPublic23
College of MarinKentfieldPublic22
North-West College - PomonaPomonaPrivate for-profit21
Chabot CollegeHaywardPublic20
College of San MateoSan MateoPublic20
Cabrillo CollegeAptosPublic19
North-West College - West CovinaWest CovinaPrivate for-profit19
Orange Coast CollegeCosta MesaPublic19
Contra Costa Medical Career CollegeAntiochPrivate for-profit19
Gurnick Academy of Medical ArtsSan JosePrivate for-profit18
Taft CollegeTaftPublic17
Chaffey CollegeRancho CucamongaPublic16
Loma Linda UniversityLoma LindaPrivate not-for-profit16
Butte County Regional Occupational ProgramChicoPublic16
City College of San FranciscoSan FranciscoPublic15
Hacienda La Puente Adult EducationLa PuentePublic15
Stellar Career CollegeModestoPrivate for-profit14
Career Care InstituteLancasterPrivate for-profit14
North-West College - Van NuysVan NuysPrivate for-profit12
Healthcare Career CollegeParamountPrivate for-profit12
Riverside County Office of Education-School of Career EducationRiversidePublic12
North-West College - AnaheimAnaheimPrivate for-profit10
Los Angeles City CollegeLos AngelesPublic9
Mt. Diablo Adult Education-Mt. Diablo USDConcordPublic8
Milan Institute - MercedMercedPrivate for-profit7
North-West College - GlendaleGlendalePrivate for-profit5
American College of Healthcare and TechnologyRiversidePrivate for-profit5
Monterey Peninsula CollegeMontereyPublic4
Shasta CollegeReddingPublic3
ABC Adult SchoolCerritosPublic3

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Dental Assistants (SOC 31-9091).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+6.4%
Faster than average
Openings / yr (US)
~52,900
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$47,300
typically Postsecondary nondegree award

Top skills

Active ListeningSpeakingReading ComprehensionMonitoringActive LearningCritical Thinking

What Dental Assistants earn in California

Jobs in California
56,220
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$54,710
median $50,110
Best-paying metro
$71,150
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

Related careers

Dental Assistants
$54,710 avg · 56,220 jobs
Dental Hygienists
$128,110 avg · 24,500 jobs
Dental Laboratory Technicians
$53,210 avg · 4,480 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Dental Support Services and Allied Professions programs in California.

Which California colleges award the most Dental Support Services and Allied Professions degrees?+

Cypress College (100 graduates a year), Pasadena City College (86 graduates a year) and Foothill College (75 graduates a year) award the most Dental Support Services and Allied Professions degrees in California, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 92 California colleges offer Dental Support Services and Allied Professions.

Which Dental Support Services and Allied Professions program in California has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Foothill College tops the list at $81,255. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Dental Assistants earn in California?+

The average annual wage for Dental Assistants in California is $54,710 (median $50,110), across about 56,220 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Dental Support Services and Allied Professions program?+

The Dental Support Services and Allied Professions program prepares students for various roles in the healthcare sector, focusing on dental support. This program is ideal for individuals interested in pursuing a career in allied health…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop active listening, speaking, reading comprehension, monitoring, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Dental Assistants?+

The national job outlook is about +6.4% growth with around 52,900 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Postsecondary nondegree award is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

Dental Support Services and Allied Professions in other statesHawaiiNew HampshireOklahomaWashingtonWyomingIdahoMassachusettsDelaware

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

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