Dental Support Services and Allied Professions at Fortis College-Orange Park

Fortis College-Orange Park manages to rank in the 60th percentile among Florida's 53 dental support programs despite an unusual earnings pattern: first-year graduates earn $28,321 but see that drop to $24,581 by year four. This backward trajectory is puzzling in a field where skills typically command better compensation over time. However, the program's initial earnings still exceed Florida's median for dental support certificates by nearly $4,000, and with just $13,000 in debt (versus the state median of $9,500), graduates face manageable financial obligations—the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.46 means most could pay off loans in half a year's salary.

The real concern isn't the debt level but what happens after that first year. While programs at Daytona State and Meridian College maintain earnings above $32,000, Fortis graduates see their income slide below the state average by year four. For families of the three-quarters of students here who receive Pell grants, that matters enormously. You're looking at relatively affordable entry into dental support roles, but your child needs to understand why earnings might decline—whether that's typical work-life adjustments in this field or something specific to how this program prepares students for career advancement.

If your child can secure a position that maintains that first-year salary, this certificate offers reasonable value. But the four-year data suggests graduates may struggle to advance or maintain their initial earning power.