Dental Support Services and Allied Professions at Central Georgia Technical College

Central Georgia Technical College's dental support program graduates start at $48,000—about $5,500 below Georgia's median for this field and roughly $7,000 under the national benchmark. Among Georgia's 16 dental support programs, this sits right at the 40th percentile, meaning six out of ten competing programs deliver stronger initial outcomes. The gap widens when you look at top performers: Georgia State's dental support graduates earn $8,400 more right out of school.

The manageable debt of $15,516 softens the blow somewhat. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.32, graduates can realistically tackle their loans on a dental assistant or hygienist salary. Earnings do grow 11% over four years to $53,400, eventually matching Georgia's median. But that trajectory means your child will spend several years catching up to where peers from stronger programs started.

For families prioritizing affordability and accessibility—particularly the 30% receiving Pell grants—this program provides entry into dental careers without crushing debt. However, if stronger nearby options like Savannah Tech or West Georgia Tech are feasible, the extra $5,000-6,000 in starting salary could justify any additional logistical complexity. The value here depends entirely on whether location or cost constraints make this the practical choice over better-performing alternatives within the state.