Report Highlights. Student borrowers who graduated from dental school in 2025 owed an average of $297,800 in education debt; debt from dental school alone was $280,300.
- 50.9% of recent dental school graduates had education debt.
- Among indebted dental school graduates, 54.0% owed between $10,000 and $49,999.
- The average education debt balance among dental school graduates declined 1.37% over five (5) years.
- 79% of dental school graduates take out loans specifically to pay for dental school.
- The average student used loans to pay for 65% of dental school costs.
*This is the average cost for residents at public institutions.
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
Dental School Debt Statistics
The average dental school debt represents 140% of current federal loan limits.
- 49.1% average growth of education debt balance among public dental school graduates from academic year (AY) 2014-15 to 2024-25.
- 76.2% of 2025 graduates entered dental school with no existing education debt.
- Previous education debt represents 5.88% of dental school debt.
- After adjusting for inflation, the average education debt balance among dental school graduates declined 21.7%.
- The share of dental school students graduating with education debt declined between 2021 and 2025, from 81% to 79%.
| Graduation Year | Average Debt in Current Dollars | Average Debt Adjusted for Inflation |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $280,300 | $280,300 |
| 2024 | $297,800 | $286,381 |
| 2023 | $280,700 | $262,196 |
| 2022 | $280,100 | $251,266 |
| 2021 | $280,000 | $232,590 |
| 2020 | $284,200 | $225,522 |
| 2019 | $272,900 | $213,875 |
| 2018 | $285,910 | $220,081 |
| 2017 | $287,553 | $216,076 |
| 2016 | $261,562 | $192,444 |
| 2015 | $253,530 | $184,200 |
| 2014 | $246,744 | $179,052 |
| 2013 | $240,500 | $171,746 |
| 2012 | $221,596 | $155,960 |
| 2011 | $204,973 | $141,331 |
| 2010 | $196,735 | $131,521 |
| 2009 | $187,827 | $123,545 |
| 2008 | $188,761 | $124,558 |
| 2007 | $173,703 | $110,409 |
| 2006 | $162,715 | $100,539 |
| 2005 | $142,816 | $85,489 |
| 2004 | $136,490 | $79,042 |
| 2003 | $132,660 | $74,828 |
| 2002 | $122,489 | $67,539 |
| 2001 | $116,148 | $63,037 |
| 2000 | $106,779 | $56,364 |
| 1999 | $105,462 | $53,856 |
| 1998 | $97,807 | $48,875 |
| 1997 | $94,253 | $46,382 |
| 1996 | $84,735 | $40,745 |
Dental School Loan Statistics
In addition to federal Stafford and PLUS loans, dental school students may qualify for Health Professional Student Loans (HPSL).
- 82% of 2025 graduates who took out loans to fund dental school utilized federally backed student loans.
- 76% of 2025 dental school graduates with debt took out federal direct Grad PLUS loans; in 2021, 73% used Grad PLUS loans.
- 13% of 2025 dental school graduates with debt used Health Professions Student Loans (HPSL).
Dental School Tuition Statistics
A typical dental program is eight (8) semesters; University of the Pacific’s accelerated program is only 3 years long.
- Dental schools cost an average of $46,865 for first-year, in-state residents at public institutions for AY 2024-25.
- Private dental schools charged an average of $87,078 to their first-year students in AY 2024-25.
- The American Dental Association has accredited 67 dental schools; among them, University of Puerto Rico has the most affordable program (total cost: $118,900 for residents).
- In the continental U.S., Texas A&M University has the most affordable program at $137,796 for residents.
- Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC has the most expensive program at $492,820.
| Dental School | Resident | Non-Resident |
|---|---|---|
| University of Puerto Rico | $118,900 | $186,900 |
| Texas A&M University | $137,796 | $195,396 |
| Augusta University | $142,904 | $296,640 |
| UT Health San Antonio | $159,790 | $204,070 |
| University of Alabama | $162,815 | $337,751 |
| University of Mississippi | $169,270 | $169,270 |
| East Carolina University | $175,780 | $175,780 |
| University of Kentucky | $183,022 | $363,678 |
| University of Tennessee | $186,102 | $221,086 |
| Texas Tech University | $192,926 | $274,582 |
| University of Oklahoma | $195,771 | $366,444 |
| University of Louisville | $196,390 | $368,398 |
| LSU Health Sciences Center | $203,675 | $319,667 |
| University of Texas at Houston | $205,896 | $289,744 |
| University of North Carolina | $210,436 | $344,608 |
| West Virginia University | $218,765 | $411,617 |
| University of Florida | $219,249 | $325,169 |
| Southern Illinois University | $220,179 | $220,179 |
| University of Nebraska Medical Center | $221,500 | $399,935 |
| University of Connecticut | $223,581 | $398,553 |
| Stony Brook University | $224,019 | $334,299 |
| University of Colorado | $229,871 | $331,083 |
| University at Buffalo | $236,617 | $349,497 |
| Howard University | $243,188 | $243,188 |
| Indiana University | $246,061 | $468,101 |
| University of Utah | $248,502 | $413,758 |
| University of Michigan | $257,999 | $339,294 |
| Marquette University | $258,940 | $293,580 |
| Ohio State University | $261,164 | $298,759 |
| Medical University of South Carolina | $266,083 | $399,408 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | $266,189 | $408,425 |
| University of Nevada, Las Vegas | $268,899 | $433,050 |
| University of Iowa | $269,397 | $369,949 |
| University of Maryland | $270,363 | $446,239 |
| University of Minnesota | $272,012 | $458,647 |
| University of Missouri, Kansas City | $274,977 | $487,209 |
| Oregon Health & Science University | $275,157 | $394,205 |
| University of Pittsburgh | $284,366 | $329,726 |
| Rutgers School of Dental Medicine | $285,646 | $430,242 |
| University of Washington | $290,764 | $418,146 |
| Meharry Medical College | $297,261 | $297,261 |
| LECOM College of Dental Medicine | $297,619 | $297,619 |
| University of California, San Francisco | $301,740 | $350,720 |
| University of Illinois, Chicago | $303,451 | $469,194 |
| University of California, Los Angeles | $311,894 | $360,874 |
| Temple University | $314,912 | $357,544 |
| Creighton University | $363,662 | $363,662 |
| Harvard University | $367,762 | $367,762 |
| University of Detroit Mercy | $367,979 | $367,979 |
| University of New England | $372,416 | $372,416 |
| Touro College of Dental Medicine | $383,735 | $383,735 |
| Nova Southeastern University | $385,840 | $385,840 |
| Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health | $398,758 | $398,758 |
| Western University of Health Sciences | $399,987 | $399,987 |
| Loma Linda University | $407,080 | $407,080 |
| Case Western Reserve University | $415,935 | $415,935 |
| Boston University | $418,810 | $418,810 |
| Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health | $426,070 | $426,070 |
| University of Pennsylvania | $431,886 | $431,886 |
| Roseman University of Health Sciences | $436,769 | $436,769 |
| University of the Pacific | $437,267 | $437,267 |
| Columbia University | $456,747 | $456,747 |
| New York University | $458,880 | $458,880 |
| Midwestern University – IL | $461,029 | $461,029 |
| California Northstate University | $461,061 | $461,061 |
| Midwestern University – AZ | $461,171 | $461,171 |
| Tufts University | $471,901 | $471,901 |
| Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC | $492,820 | $492,820 |
Paying For Dental School
An average of 35% of dental school costs are financed without the use of education loans.
- 17% of dental school costs are financed by friends or family.
- Grants and scholarships cover 12% of the average dental school cost to students.
- Students use their personal savings to cover 4% of dental school costs.
- The remaining 2% of financing came from students’ personal income and other sources.
Sources
- American Dental Education Association, Research and Data
- American Student Dental Association, Navigating Student Loan Changes
- University of the Pacific, Doctor of Dental Surgery
- Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers
- American Dental Association, Health Policy Institute: Education