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dental school costs

In 2019, four years of dental school cost an average of $251,233 for residents and $321,575 for non-residents. That total cost includes tuition, mandatory fees, and other associated program costs. It does not include the cost of living.

Of course, those are just overall averages. Continue reading for an in-depth look at dental school costs in 2019, including how residency status, year, and type of institution affect those costs.

Resident vs. Non-Resident Dental School Cost by Year

Dental schools offer different tuition rates based on your residency. If you have residency in the state where you're attending school, you pay the discounted resident rate. If you do not yet have residency, you pay the higher non-resident rate.

For the 2018 to 2019 school, average dental school tuition costs for residents looked like this:

First year: $49,537
Second year: $50,234
Third year: $50,586
Fourth year: $48,212

That's $197,108 for four years of tuition based on reported 2018-2019 costs.

Average dental school tuition costs for non-residents looked like this:

First year: $66,440
Second year: $67,543
Third year: $68,152
Fourth year: $66,256

That's $266,383 for four years of tuition based on reported 2018-2019 costs—a difference of $69,275.

Private Dental School Cost vs. Public Dental School Cost

The amount you'll need to pay for dental school also depends on whether you choose a public or a private dental school. In general, public dental schools offer cheaper tuition rates than private dental schools. Choose public and you could save an average of $128,380.

Tuition Costs at Public Dental Schools

Public dental colleges receive state and federal funding, so students pay much less for tuition. For the 2018 to 2019 school year, average dental school costs were:

For residents:

First-year tuition and fees: $39,662 for residents
Total four-year cost: $199,881 for residents

For non-residents:

Total four-year cost: $313,129

Tuition Costs at Private Dental Schools

Private dental schools charge much more for tuition because they lack state and federal funds. For the 2018 to 2019 school year, average dental school costs were:

For residents:

First-year tuition: $72,271
Total four-year cost: $328,261

For non-residents:

Total four-year cost: $334,242

Dental School Costs Overtime – Tuition & Fees

Hoping costs decrease by the time you're ready to enroll? Unfortunately, the cost of dental school shows no sign of slowing down.

For the 2008-2009 school year, first-year resident dental students owed $25,804 for tuition and fees. Fast forward ten years to the 2018-2019 school year where costs exceed $53,002—a 100+ percent increase. History indicates that costs will only continue to climb.

Average First-Year Tuition & Mandatory Fees from 2008 to 2019

Year	Resident	Non-resident
2008-2009	$25,804	$37,974
2009-2010	$28,942	$41,179
2010-2011	$31,120	$43,977
2011-2012	$35,885	$49,672
2012-2013	$38,529	$53,352
2013-2014	$42,595	$58,693
2014-2015	$44,375	$60,902
2015-2016	$46,280	$62,953
2016-2017	$48,796	$65,809
2017-2018	$50,770	$68,403
2018-2019	$53,002	$69,905

Dental School Cost by School

Ultimately, your personal dental school costs come down to the specific institution you choose.

Schools with the Lowest Dental School Cost in 2019

If you're looking for a good deal, check out these schools with the lowest total four-year cost:

Residents:

University of Puerto Rico: $98,818
Texas A&M University: $98,818
University of Alabama: $119,490
East Carolina University: $138,258
Augusta University: $144,077

Non-Residents:

East Carolina University (NC): $138,258—residents pay the same
University of Mississippi: $146,087—residents pay the same
University of Puerto Rico: $146,818
Texas A&M University: $162,690
University of Texas at Houston: $197,289

Schools with the Highest Dental School Cost in 2019

The following dental schools had the highest total four-year cost:

Residents:

Midwestern University – IL: $396,958
Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC (CA): $396,606
Midwestern University – AZ: $386,407
University of the Pacific (CA): $381,003—it's a three-year program
University of Pennsylvania: $379,737

Non-Residents:

Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC (CA): $428,079
University of Buffalo (NY): $415,113
Medical University of South Carolina: $408,945
University of Illinois, Chicago: $406,204
University of Washington: $402,597

When searching for a dental school, cost should play an important role. But, don't limit your options to just the lowest priced schools. Expensive schools—even the most expensive schools—could end up being your best option. Scholarships, financial aid, and a program's prestige all play an important role in helping you choose the right dental school for yourself.

Other Costs Associated with Dental School

Tuition and fees aren't the only costs you face when entering dental school. Dental students also pay for their instruments, instructional materials, health services, and other fixed costs. How much you owe depends on the school and your year. First-year students pay the most on average.

Average Costs of Dental School Supplies and Services 2018-2019 by Year

Year	Instrument Costs	Instructional Materials	Health Services	Other Fixed Costs	Total
1^st	$8,342	$2,243	$2,657	$3,217	$16,459
2^nd	$6,751	$1,911	$2,652	$2,493	$13,807
3^rd	$4,537	$1,385	$2,652	$2,799	$11,373
4^th	$3,924	$1,379	$2,651	$2,838	$10,792

Opportunity Cost of Dental School: $255,000+

Aspiring dentists typically spend four years earning a bachelor's degree and then an additional four years in dental school. While you're studying dentistry, your peers from undergrad are making full-time wages—money you miss out on.

The average graduate with a bachelor's degree in chemistry earns $63,818 per year just starting out in the field. If that salary remains constant for four years, you're missing out on $255,272—that's about equal to the four-year cost of dental school. That figure doesn't include possible employee benefits like student loan repayment assistance, matching retirement contributions, bonuses, or discounted company stock.

Is Dental School Worth the Cost?

By now, you're probably wondering, is dental school worth the high cost?

To answer that question, let's explore the average dentist salary and dental student debt.

Average Dental Salary

Will you earn enough as a dentist to justify the high dental school costs? Let's see.

In May 2018, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported a median annual wage of $156,240 for all dentists, making it one of the highest paid professions in America. Of course, your salary won't start out this high.

Payscale shows that dentists with less than one year of experience earn a starting salary of $117,013 (based on 281 salaries). This bumps up to $121,947 after one or two years of experience (based on 1,092 salaries). While this is still significantly more than your fellow chemistry majors, it's not guaranteed.

The BLS, which collects data from employers, reports that the lowest 10% of dentists earned less than $72,840 in 2018. A new dentist is more likely to belong to, or sit just above, the lower 10%. This suggests earnings far below $117,000.

Dental School Debt

Dental students can borrow money for tuition, fees, related educational expenses, and living expenses. All that borrowing adds up.

In 2018, the American Dental Association interviewed dental seniors. Their findings revealed some staggering statistics about dental student debt:

Indebted 2018 graduates had an average total educational debt (undergrad + dental school) of $285,184
80% of indebted 2018 graduates reported more than $100,000 in total educational debt
Dental school graduates in 2018 had 500% more educational debt than dental students who graduated in 1990

Just for an estimate, suppose the average dental school graduate borrowed all Grad PLUS loans at a rate of 7.08%.

Their $285,184 in student loan debt translates to an expected monthly payment of $3,323. That's assuming you enroll in the standard 10 year plan. Over those 10 years, you pay $113,575.73 in interest for a grand repayment total of $393,759.73.

So, is Dental School Worth It?

Dental school costs and debt are at an all-time high.

Adding average educational debt, accrued interest, and missed earnings together yields a total cost of $653,759.

Whether it's worth it really comes down to these questions:

How committed are you to becoming a dentist?

Deciding to quit halfway through dental school or graduating and then choosing a different profession will make paying back your dental school debt more difficult. Only enter this profession if it's truly what you want to do. Understand how long it will take to become a dentist and make sure you are committed to that length of time.

Can you limit your total educational debt?

Limit your educational debt by living at home while in school, starting at a community college for undergrad before transferring to a four-year school, borrowing only what you need, working while enrolled, and seeking out colleges with the best scholarship opportunities. The less debt you take on, the more "worth it" dentistry is.

Do you trust yourself to aggressively pay off the debt?

As a dentist, you'll make more money than you ever have before. Do you trust yourself to use your high income to pay back the debt? If not, you might live a lavish life, but you'll end up paying a whole lot more for your education.