Best programs to become an orthodontist
BLS lists a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry-level education for orthodontists. The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Orthodontics/Orthodontology (IPEDS completions).
1 college program at 40 schools trains orthodontists, graduating 332 people a year (IPEDS completions). The job pays a median of $289,140 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About orthodontists
Examine, diagnose, and treat dental malocclusions and oral cavity anomalies. Design and fabricate appliances to realign teeth and jaws to produce and maintain normal function and to improve appearance.
Best programs to study to become an orthodontist
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 51.0508 | 332 | 100.0% | 40 | $195,650 | — |
Top 40 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacksonville University Jacksonville, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 30 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 51% | $25,813 | 57% |
| 2 | University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY Public · 1 feeder program | 19 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 75% | — | 74% |
| 3 | University of Detroit Mercy Detroit, MI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 19 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 67% | $16,109 | 75% |
| 4 | Boston University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 17 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 89% | $21,956 | 11% |
| 5 | Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 14 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 96% | $15,315 | 4% |
| 6 | The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Houston, TX Public · 1 feeder program | 14 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | — | — | — |
| 7 | Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 13 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 80% | $24,886 | 75% |
| 8 | Loma Linda University Loma Linda, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 12 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | — | — | — |
| 9 | Temple University Philadelphia, PA Public · 1 feeder program | 12 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 75% | — | 80% |
| 10 | University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 11 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 97% | $22,055 | 5% |
| 11 | Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 10 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 87% | $27,976 | 37% |
| 12 | Roseman University of Health Sciences Henderson, NV Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 10 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | — | — | — |
| 13 | University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL Public · 1 feeder program | 9 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 62% | — | 77% |
| 14 | Oregon Health & Science University Portland, OR Public · 1 feeder program | 8 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | — | — | — |
| 15 | Seton Hill University Greensburg, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 8 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 67% | $19,887 | 80% |
| 16 | University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV Public · 1 feeder program | 8 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 51% | — | 96% |
| 17 | University of the Pacific Stockton, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 8 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 69% | $23,964 | 71% |
| 18 | Tufts University Medford, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 7 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 94% | $23,570 | 11% |
| 19 | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI Public · 1 feeder program | 7 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 93% | — | 16% |
| 20 | A T Still University of Health Sciences Kirksville, MO Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 6 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | — | — | — |
| 21 | Howard University Washington, DC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 6 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 70% | $48,194 | 41% |
| 22 | Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 6 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 63% | $31,672 | 73% |
| 23 | Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX Public · 1 feeder program | 6 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 84% | — | 57% |
| 24 | University of Louisville Louisville, KY Public · 1 feeder program | 6 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 61% | — | 79% |
| 25 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN Public · 1 feeder program | 6 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 85% | — | 80% |
| 26 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 6 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 92% | $26,873 | 10% |
| 27 | Marquette University Milwaukee, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 5 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 83% | $25,376 | 81% |
| 28 | The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio San Antonio, TX Public · 1 feeder program | 5 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | — | — | — |
| 29 | University of Iowa Iowa City, IA Public · 1 feeder program | 5 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 75% | — | 84% |
| 30 | University of Oklahoma - Health Sciences Center Oklahoma City, OK Public · 1 feeder program | 5 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | — | — | — |
| 31 | University of Puerto Rico - Medical Sciences San Juan, PR Public · 1 feeder program | 5 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | — | — | — |
| 32 | University of Rochester Rochester, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 5 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 85% | $25,874 | 40% |
| 33 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA Public · 1 feeder program | 5 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 85% | — | 39% |
| 34 | Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ Public · 1 feeder program | 4 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 84% | — | 58% |
| 35 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL Public · 1 feeder program | 4 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 57% | — | 97% |
| 36 | Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY Public · 1 feeder program | 3 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 76% | — | 49% |
| 37 | University of Missouri - Kansas City Kansas City, MO Public · 1 feeder program | 3 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 55% | — | 72% |
| 38 | University of Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE Public · 1 feeder program | 3 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | — | — | — |
| 39 | Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science Rochester, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 1 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | — | — | 39% |
| 40 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA Public · 1 feeder program | 1 | Orthodontics/Orthodontology | 85% | — | 58% |
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
What orthodontists earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Yorkmoderate | $172,980 | 130 | 0.35× | 4 | 41 |
| Floridalimited | — | 450 | 1.13× | 2 | 36 |
| Pennsylvaniamoderate | $311,180 | — | — | 4 | 32 |
| Michiganlimited | $357,090 | 140 | 0.78× | 2 | 26 |
| Texasmoderate | — | 1,070 | 1.90× | 3 | 25 |
| Missourimoderate | $332,630 | — | — | 3 | 22 |
| Illinoislimited | $343,100 | — | — | 2 | 13 |
| Ohiolimited | $219,300 | 250 | 1.13× | 1 | 10 |
| Oklahomalimited | — | 30 | 0.46× | 1 | 5 |
| Washingtonlimited | $290,430 | 290 | 2.03× | 1 | 5 |
| Wisconsinlimited | $212,860 | 90 | 0.77× | 1 | 5 |
| Nebraskalimited | — | — | — | 1 | 3 |
Skills and knowledge
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Diagnose teeth and jaw or other dental-facial abnormalities.
- Examine patients to assess abnormalities of jaw development, tooth position, and other dental-facial structures.
- Study diagnostic records, such as medical or dental histories, plaster models of the teeth, photos of a patient's face and teeth, and X-rays, to develop patient treatment plans.
- Fit dental appliances in patients' mouths to alter the position and relationship of teeth and jaws or to realign teeth.
- Adjust dental appliances to produce and maintain normal function.
- Provide patients with proposed treatment plans and cost estimates.
- Advise patients to comply with treatment plans.
- Prepare diagnostic and treatment records.
Skills
- Monitoring4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Active Learning3.8
- Science3.4
- Writing3.4
Knowledge areas
- Medicine and Dentistry5.0
- Customer and Personal Service4.3
- English Language3.7
- Biology3.7
- Computers and Electronics3.3
- Mathematics3.2
Abilities
- Problem Sensitivity4.1
- Near Vision4.0
- Arm-Hand Steadiness4.0
- Deductive Reasoning4.0
- Finger Dexterity4.0
- Inductive Reasoning4.0
Core activities
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.4
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.3
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.3
- Developing and Building Teams4.2
- Documenting/Recording Information4.1
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.1
How to get in
How to become an orthodontist
- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
- On-the-job training
- Internship/residency
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 2 majors mapped to Orthodontists1 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 51.0508Orthodontics/Orthodontology
- 60.0105Orthodontics Residency Program(no graduates reported)
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become an orthodontist?+
BLS lists a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry-level education for orthodontists. The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Orthodontics/Orthodontology (IPEDS completions).
Which college majors lead to becoming an orthodontist?+
The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Orthodontics/Orthodontology (IPEDS completions). In all, the NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 1 program to this job, which graduates about 332 people a year.
How much do orthodontists earn?+
The median is $289,140 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $99,850 at the 10th percentile to $416,000 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for orthodontists growing?+
BLS projects a +4.4% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 200 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
40 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 1 program that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do orthodontists work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Orthodontist, Orthodontic Dentist, Orthodontics Doctor, Orthodontic Specialist among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 29-1023.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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