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

Concorde Career College's dental support certificate performs impressively against national competition but falls short of what Oregon students can achieve closer to home. While graduates earn nearly $4,000 more than the national median—landing this program in the 78th percentile nationally—they're making exactly the state median, putting them squarely in the middle of Oregon's dental support programs. That gap matters: community colleges like Linn-Benton and Portland Community produce graduates earning $8,000 to $3,000 more annually with similar debt loads.

The debt itself isn't alarming at $9,500, representing just four months of first-year earnings. The 17% earnings bump to $33,801 by year four shows decent momentum. With 96% admission and 55% of students on Pell grants, Concorde serves students who need accessible entry points into healthcare careers. But here's the practical issue: Oregon's community colleges offering dental assisting programs cost less, produce higher earnings, and offer transferable credits if students later want to pursue further education.

For an Oregon family, this comes down to geography and timing. If Concorde's location or schedule solves a real logistical problem, the outcomes are solid enough to justify enrollment. But if a student can access Portland Community or Chemeketa, they're likely leaving $2,000-$3,000 annually on the table by choosing Concorde—money that compounds over a career.