Dental Support Services and Allied Professions at Augusta University

Augusta University's dental support program reports surprisingly low earnings given the credential—nearly $11,000 below the national median at $48,992 in the first year. While this represents middle-of-the-pack performance among Georgia's three programs offering this degree, it lags significantly behind the national field, ranking in just the 5th percentile. Even Clayton State University, the only other Georgia program with reported data, shows graduates earning about $5,500 more annually.

The debt picture offers some relief: at $16,750, students here borrow roughly $4,000 less than the Georgia median and well below the $25,000 national benchmark. This creates a manageable 0.34 debt-to-earnings ratio—graduates would owe about four months of their first-year salary. The 12% earnings bump to $54,893 by year four suggests career progression, though graduates still trail their peers elsewhere.

The critical caveat here is sample size—fewer than 30 graduates means these numbers could shift dramatically with just a few data points. For an anxious parent, this program represents a low-debt pathway into dental support roles, but the earnings suggest graduates may be working in lower-paying settings or positions compared to peers nationally. If your child is committed to staying in Georgia and dental support appeals to them, the manageable debt makes this viable. But if maximizing earning potential matters, the weak national performance and existence of higher-earning alternatives—even within Georgia—warrant serious consideration of other schools or dental hygiene programs instead.