Dental Support Services and Allied Professions at Georgia State University-Perimeter College

Georgia State University-Perimeter College's dental support program shows strong first-year earnings of $56,474—outperforming both the Georgia median ($53,573) and the national benchmark ($55,016). The program ranks in the 60th percentile statewide, essentially tied with the main Georgia State campus for top performance in the state. At $15,100 in debt, graduates face manageable borrowing with a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.27, meaning they could theoretically pay off their loans in about three months of gross income.

The concern here is the 4% earnings decline between year one and year four, dropping to $54,036. This backward trajectory is unusual and could reflect several realities: graduates might be switching to part-time work, the initial placement advantage might fade, or this could simply be noise from the small sample size (under 30 graduates tracked). For an open-admission college serving a large Pell-eligible population (43%), these outcomes still represent solid returns, but the earnings pattern deserves attention.

The value proposition hinges on immediate career placement—if your child can land a well-paying dental assistant or hygienist position right out of the gate, the low debt makes this workable. However, the declining earnings suggest this may not be a program where experience translates to significantly higher pay over time, at least based on the limited data available.