Average Dental School Debt

Last Updated: September 16, 2023
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Fact Checked

Report Highlights. The average dental school debt peaked in 2020 at $318,500 but has decreased to $286,000 since then.

  • The average dental school graduate owes $286,000 in student loan debt.
  • University of Puerto Rico and Augusta University have the cheapest dental school programs for residents totaling $120,291 and $140,845 for the entire program, respectively.
  • The East Carolina University has the cheapest program for non-residents totaling $146,623 for the entire program.
  • 65% of dental school graduates took out loans to pay for dental school. 

Related reports include Average Medical School Debt | Average Student Loan Debt | Student Loan Debt by State | Student Loan Debt by Year | Student Loan Debt by Race       

Average dental school debt 11172022 on Education Data Initiative

Rising Costs of Dental School

Since the 1980s, state governments have been cutting back financial support for dental school budgets. As a result, dental schools have steadily passed on the expenses to the student by increasing the tuition rate.

  • The average dental school graduate owes $286,200 in student loan debt.
  • From 2004 to 2011, dental schools raised tuition and fees every year by 5% to 10%.
  • The average amount of dental school debt has risen by $83,621 since 1996.
Dental School Debt Timeline
(In 2022 Adjusted Dollars)
Year Average Debt Change
1996

$29,005.01

NA
1997

$38,087.45

$9,082.44
1998

$52,491.46

$14,404.01
1999

$40,167.76 

-$12,323.70
2000

$45,326.66

$5,158.90
2001

$49,603.65

$4,276.99
2002

$43,666.69

-$5,936.96
2003

$55,867.26

$12,200.57
2004

$70,695.17

$14,827.91
2005

$71,144.09

$448.92
2006

$80,731.41

$9,587.32
2007

$79,257.42

-$1,473.99
2008

$46,017.30

-$33,240.12
2009

$51,079.53

$5,062.23
2010

$43,875.71

-$7,203.82
2011

$49,513.44

$5,637.73
2012

$50,195.28

$681.84
2013

$60,263.39

$10,068.11
2014

$61,230.72

$967.33
2015

$45,605.06

-$15,625.66
2016

$42,195.15

-$3,409.91
2017

$64,619.09

$22,423.94
2018

$42,867.80

-$21,751.29
2019

$42,523.88

-$343.92

Dental Schools

There are 68 accredited dental schools in the United States. 66 of those schools are represented in the American Dental Association annual education report. The two missing schools have yet to start enrollment.

  • The University of the Pacific program is only 3 years long.
  • The University of Puerto Rico has the cheapest program at $120,291, but only for residents.
  • Augusta University has the cheapest program in the mainland United States totaling $140,845 for the entire program.
  • East Carolina University has the cheapest program for non-residents totaling $146,623 for the entire program.
  • Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry has the most expensive program for residents at $424,169.
  • Ohio State University has the most expensive program for non-residents at $453,204.
School Total Costs
Dental School Total Costs – Resident Total Costs – Non-Resident
University of Puerto Rico

$120,291

$316,291
Texas A&M University

$146,544

$189,744
University of Alabama

$147,975

$306,527
Augusta University

$140,845

$290,033
University of Mississippi

$174,921

$174,921
The University of Texas at Houston

$168,916

$232,114
University of Oklahoma

$189,738

$ 353,842
UT Health San Antonio

$141,693

$184,893
East Carolina University

$146,623

$146,623
University of Kentucky

$177,447

$343,495
University of Louisville

$184,584

$342,048
University of Connecticut

$205,655

$360,879
University of Missouri, Kansas City

$212,148

$375,238
Southern Illinois University

$185,631

$185,631
LSU Health Sciences Center

$198,672

$313,584
University of Michigan

$226,726

$ 297,589
Indiana University

$222,449

$429,245
University of Colorado

$212,056

$313,268
University of Tennessee College of Dentistry

$200,532

$365,369
University of Nebraska Medical Center

$210,329

$373,520
University of Utah

$207,908

$359,328
Howard University

$ 223,345

$223,345
University of Florida

$188,648

$294,568
West Virginia University

$198,589

$372,928
University of North Carolina

$224,722

$377,597
Ohio State University

$230,366

$453,204
University of Minnesota

$239,569

$403,920
Stony Brook University

$225,313

$329,513
University of Iowa

$249,639

$350,193
Rutgers School of Dental Medicine

$254,938

$392,110
Marquette University

$251,830

$286,470
University of Pittsburgh

$292,608

$333,720
Oregon Health & Science University

$253,556

$366,000
University at Buffalo

$238,037

$344,757
University of California, San Francisco

$247,508

$308,766
University of Maryland

$ 259,786

$388,134
Virginia Commonwealth University

$231,217

$363,133
University of California, Los Angeles

$265,259

$309,799
University of Nevada, Las Vegas

$260,439

$406,174
LECOM College of Dental Medicine

$275,747

$275,747
Medical University of South Carolina

$266,092

$399,417
Temple University

$287,537

$318,889
University of Washington

$277,467

$414,031
Meharry Medical College

$278,439

$278,439
University of Illinois, Chicago

$289,476

$446,171
Touro College of Dental Medicine

$314,800

$314,800
Harvard University

$337,991

$337,991
Nova Southeastern University

$337,864

$341,164
University of New England

$335,296

$335,296
Creighton University

$337,965

$337,965
Case Western Reserve University

$375,444

$375,444
Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health

$212,148

$355,530
University of Detroit Mercy

$363,666

$363,666
Boston University

$373,290

$373,290
Western University of Health Sciences

$370,055

$370,055
Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health

$369,646

$379,616
Columbia University

$405,398

$405,398
Roseman University of Health Sciences

$384,068

$384,068
Tufts University

$407,218

$407,218
New York University

$407,218

$409,341
University of Pennsylvania

$380,706

$380,706
Loma Linda University

$383,128

$383,128
University of the Pacific

$407,577

$407,577
Midwestern University – AZ

$414,172

$414,172
Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC

$424,169

$424,169
Midwestern University – IL

$424,420

$424,420

Paying For Dental School

The American Dental Education Association surveyed the graduating class of 2019. In their survey, they found that the majority of respondents funded their education through student loans.

  • For 44.6% of respondents, student loans covered 91% to 100% of their dental school expenses.
  • Part-time employment only managed to cover 1% to 10% of dental school expenses for 81.3% of respondents.
  • For 58.3% of respondents, grants and scholarships covered 1% to 10% of dental school expenses.
  • Savings or earned income from a spouse accounted for 1% to 10% of dental school expenses for 65% of respondents.
  • For 32.2% of respondents, gifts and financial support from others covered only 1% to 10% of dental school expenses.

Average dental school debt 11172022 on Education Data Initiative

Types of Loans

Federal Stafford loans, Federal PLUS loans, and Health Professional Student Loans (HPSL) remain the most popular loans among dental school students. The Stafford loans are direct, unsubsidized loans available for a majority of majors. Federal PLUS loans are usually taken out by parents or graduate students and used in conjunction with other federal loans. HPSL loans are eligible for students in a healthcare profession with demonstrated financial need.

  • More than 70% of dental school graduates had a federally backed student loan.
  • Standard loans have a repayment period of 10 years, for dental school loans, this may be extended to 25 or 30 years given the size of dental school debt.
  • At the end of the repayment term, if there are still payments left on the debt, federal student loans can be forgiven at this time.
Loan Categories
Loan Type Percent of Graduates with the Loan

Federal Student Loans

65%

Family and friend’s support

20%

Grants and scholarships

10%

Personal savings

4%

Part-time employment

1%

Other sources

0.5%

State Loan Programs

1%

Paying Back Loans

Studies found that dentists with higher education debt were more likely to enter into private practice over government service, teaching, or advanced education. Increased loan debts made it less likely for dentists to enter specialist fields.

  • 18.7% of graduated respondents stated that their level of debt would influence their primary professional activity.
  • The majority of Whites, Hispanics, African-Americans, Asians, and other races stated that they planned to pay off their loans with an aggressive repayment plan – overpaying on the most expensive loan whenever possible.
  • The 2nd favorite option among all races was to minimize monthly payments – to protect income and help with monthly cash flow.
  • 33% of American Indians and Alaskan Natives favored using a service commitment program  like the National Health Service Corps or the military to pay off their debt. 
  • Graduates who favor a monthly repayment plan strategy must be aware if their payments are only covering the interest rate and not the principal amount.

Page 3 on Education Data Initiative

Debt by Race/Ethnicity

The vast majority of respondents to the ADEA survey were white. American Indians, Alaskan Natives, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders accounted for less than 1% of survey respondents.

  • 35.8% of non-resident aliens graduated with no debt, the largest majority for non-resident aliens.
  • 21.3% of Asians graduated with no debt, the largest majority of Asians.
  • 15.8% of Whites graduated with no debt, the largest majority of Whites.
  • Among the respondents in the two or more race category, 21.1% of them graduated with no debt – the largest majority for them.
  • 10% of Asians owed between $200,000-$250,000.
  • 18.7% of Black or African-Americans owed between $200,000-$250,000.
  • 9.0% of Hispanics/Latinos were indebted in the range of $200,000-$250,000.
  • 13.1% of Whites/Caucasians were indebted between $200,000-$250,000.
  • Among the respondents in two or more race categories, 5.6% of them owed roughly $200,000-$250,000.
  • Among the nonresident aliens and those who did not report their race/ethnicity, 17% were indebted in the range of $200,000-$250,000.

Sources

  1. American Dental Education Association (ADEA): 
    1. Latest report: Seniors 2022 Summary Report
    2. 2019 Graduating Class Tables Report: Latest Debt by race data
  2. U.S. Bureau Of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook Dentists
  3. National Center for Biotechnology Information, American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education: Analysis of Educational Debt and Income Among Pharmacists and Other Health Professionals x
  4. Wiley Online Library, Journal of Dental Education: “Advancing Dental Education in the 21st Century”, Current State of Dental Education Executive Summary
  5. American Dental Association, Health Policy Institute: Education
  6. Doctor of Dental Surgery | University of the Pacific.