Dental Support Services and Allied Professions at Miller-Motte College-Raleigh

Miller-Motte College-Raleigh's dental support program produces graduates earning roughly half of what they would at comparable North Carolina schools. At $26,998 in the first year, these earnings fall in just the 10th percentile among NC dental programs—meaning 90% of dental support graduates in the state earn more. Compare this to nearby Central Carolina Community College, where graduates in the same field earn over $60,000.

The debt picture compounds the problem. While the $26,779 owed matches the state median for this program, that burden becomes crushing when paired with such low earnings. The debt-to-earnings ratio of nearly 1:1 means graduates owe almost an entire year's salary, a particularly heavy load for a field that typically offers much better entry-level pay. Even the 12% earnings growth to year four only brings graduates to $30,184—still barely half the state median.

For families considering this program, the numbers tell a stark story. North Carolina has at least a dozen community colleges offering dental support training with dramatically better outcomes at likely lower cost. Unless there are compelling geographic or scheduling constraints, those alternatives represent a significantly safer investment for entering this field.