Dental Support Services and Allied Professions at Daytona State College

Daytona State's dental support program produces first-year earnings of $63,591—a strong start that ranks among the top performers statewide, matching outcomes at Palm Beach State and Hillsborough Community College. With estimated debt around $14,875 based on comparable Florida programs, graduates face a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.23, meaning they'd owe roughly three months' salary. That's substantially better than the national benchmark for dental support programs, where typical debt reaches $19,309.

The concerning pattern emerges in year four, when median earnings drop to $56,862. This 11% decline runs counter to normal career progression and suggests many graduates may be working part-time, transitioning between positions, or leaving the field entirely. Whether this reflects local market conditions in the Daytona Beach area or something specific about how these credentials translate to stable employment deserves investigation. Programs with similar strong starts typically see earnings climb, not fall.

For an associate degree with relatively low debt exposure, this program still offers reasonable value if your child plans to work full-time immediately after graduation. But probe what happens to graduates after that first year—talk to the program about employment patterns and whether most students use this as a stepping stone to further credentials or permanent positions in the field.