Dental Support Services and Allied Professions at Concorde Career College-Memphis

While Concorde Career College-Memphis graduates start at just over $20,000 annually—landing them in the bottom 12th percentile nationally—the picture within Tennessee is more nuanced. This program actually sits at the state's median for earnings, and the manageable $10,782 debt load means graduates owe roughly half their first-year salary, which is relatively reasonable for a certificate program. The 31% earnings growth over four years is encouraging, though $26,522 still lags behind what graduates at Tennessee's stronger programs earn right out of the gate.

The challenge here is opportunity cost. Students attending Tennessee's community colleges or technical schools in the same field are earning $4,000-$10,000 more annually from day one, often with similar or lower debt. Chattanooga State grads, for instance, make $31,590 compared to Concorde's $20,285 first-year figure. That difference compounds significantly over a career.

If your child has already been accepted here and has few alternatives, the debt burden won't be crushing. But if they're still comparing options, Tennessee's public technical colleges deliver substantially better outcomes in this field. The 74% Pell grant rate suggests Concorde serves students who may have limited choices, but that doesn't change the math: there are demonstrably better pathways into dental support careers within the state.