Illinois · Dental Support Services and Allied Professions

Best colleges for Dental Support Services and Allied Professions in Illinois

Ranked by graduate earnings

College of Lake County, Lake Land College and William Rainey Harper College are the top Dental Support Services and Allied Professions programs in Illinois by graduate earnings. College of Lake County leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $63,080, College Scorecard. Midwest Technical Institute - Illinois, Lewis and Clark Community College and Southern Illinois University - Carbondale award the most Dental Support Services and Allied Professions degrees and certificates in Illinois: 74, 62 and 35 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 25 Illinois colleges offer Dental Support Services and Allied Professions and award 615 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
25
offering CIP 51.06
States offered
51
with a program page
Degrees / yr
615
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$54,276
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
11
College Scorecard
Median net price
$20,078
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
49%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Dental Assistants
$48,990
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 10 institutions, 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
1College of Lake County
Grayslake Public · Associate degree
$63,0802237%—$13,000
2Lake Land College
Mattoon Public · Associate degree
$58,8532158%—$13,625
3William Rainey Harper College
Palatine Public · Associate degree
$56,7672348%——
4Lewis and Clark Community College
Godfrey Public · Associate degree
$54,2766244%—$12,000
5Southern Illinois University - Carbondale
Carbondale Public · Bachelor's degree
$53,5593562%—$27,000
6Carl Sandburg College
Galesburg Public · Associate degree
$51,5662950%—$10,374
7Parkland College
Champaign Public · Associate degree
$47,1333432%—$13,625
8First Institute of Travel, Inc.
Crystal Lake Private for-profit · Certificate
$26,7732972%$22,241$9,500
9Midwest Technical Institute - Illinois
Springfield Private for-profit · Certificate
$22,8157469%$28,377$9,500
10Rock Valley College
Rockford Public · Associate degree Small program
$59,5741537%——

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

Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). 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)
1Midwest Technical Institute - Illinois
Springfield Private for-profit
74$22,815
2Lewis and Clark Community College
Godfrey Public
62$54,276
3Southern Illinois University - Carbondale
Carbondale Public
35$53,559
4Parkland College
Champaign Public
34$47,133
5Elgin Community College
Elgin Public
32Not reported
6Illinois Valley Community College
Oglesby Public
32Not reported
7Carl Sandburg College
Galesburg Public
29$51,566
8First Institute of Travel, Inc.
Crystal Lake Private for-profit
29$26,773
9William Rainey Harper College
Palatine Public
23$56,767
10College of Lake County
Grayslake Public
22$63,080
Show the other 15 Illinois colleges offering Dental Support Services and Allied Professions
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Prairie State CollegeChicago HeightsPublic38
College of DuPageGlen EllynPublic28
City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X CollegeChicagoPublic23
Kaskaskia CollegeCentraliaPublic21
Lake Land CollegeMattoonPublic21
Heartland Community CollegeNormalPublic19
Illinois Central CollegeEast PeoriaPublic18
Rock Valley CollegeRockfordPublic15
MDT College of Health SciencesChicagoPrivate for-profit11
Midwestern Career CollegeChicagoPrivate for-profit11
Stautzenberger College - Rockford Career CollegeRockfordPrivate for-profit11
John A Logan CollegeCartervillePublic10
Lewis UniversityRomeovillePrivate not-for-profit8
State Career CollegeGurneePrivate for-profit5
Northwest Suburban CollegeRollng MeadowsPrivate not-for-profit4

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 Illinois

Jobs in Illinois
13,740
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$48,990
median $48,610
Best-paying metro
$50,370
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

Related careers

Dental Assistants
$48,990 avg · 13,740 jobs
Dental Hygienists
$91,820 avg · 8,970 jobs
Dental Laboratory Technicians
$53,070 avg · 2,030 jobs

Common questions

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

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

Midwest Technical Institute - Illinois (74 graduates a year), Lewis and Clark Community College (62 graduates a year) and Southern Illinois University - Carbondale (35 graduates a year) award the most Dental Support Services and Allied Professions degrees and certificates in Illinois, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 25 Illinois colleges offer Dental Support Services and Allied Professions.

What is the best college for Dental Support Services and Allied Professions in Illinois?+

By graduate earnings, College of Lake County leads among Dental Support Services and Allied Professions programs in Illinois, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $63,080, College Scorecard. Lake Land College and William Rainey Harper College follow. By degrees awarded, Midwest Technical Institute - Illinois is the largest, with 74 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).

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

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, College of Lake County tops the list at $63,080. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Dental Assistants earn in Illinois?+

The average annual wage for Dental Assistants in Illinois is $48,990 (median $48,610), across about 13,740 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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