Dental Support Services and Allied Professions at Fortis College-Cuyahoga Falls

The most alarming issue here isn't the debt load—it's what happens after graduation. Fortis College-Cuyahoga Falls graduates in this dental support program start at a respectable $48,870, matching Ohio's median for the field. But by year four, earnings plummet to just $28,245, a 42% collapse that suggests graduates are either leaving the profession entirely or struggling to find stable work. This isn't just underperformance; it's a pattern that raises serious questions about the program's training quality or industry connections.

The debt picture compounds the problem. At $44,222, graduates carry more than double what students at other Ohio dental programs typically owe ($18,010 median), and that burden would be challenging even with stable earnings. Compared to graduates from UC-Main Campus or Fortis's own Centerville location—where students earn $57,000+ and maintain those levels—this program's value proposition looks particularly weak. With three-quarters of students receiving Pell grants, these aren't families with a financial cushion to absorb this kind of outcome.

If your child is set on dental assisting in Ohio, literally any of the top-performing programs would be a safer bet. The combination of crushing debt and collapsing earnings makes this one of those rare cases where the numbers tell an unambiguous story: look elsewhere.