Dental Support Services and Allied Professions at Plaza College

Plaza College graduates from this dental support program earn $57,819 in their first year—slightly above both the New York state median ($57,035) and the national median ($55,016). Among New York's 13 dental support programs, this lands at the 60th percentile: solid middle-of-the-pack performance. However, the real differentiator here is the debt load. At $25,250, graduates carry about $6,000 more than typical New York peers and $6,000 more than the national median. That's not catastrophic—the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.44 means graduates owe less than half their first-year salary—but it does mean you're paying a premium compared to community college alternatives like CUNY Hostos or SUNY Broome, which produce similar or better earnings at lower cost.

The context matters: with 85% of students receiving Pell grants and a selective 30% admission rate, Plaza serves a predominantly lower-income population and appears to provide meaningful career preparation. The question is whether the extra debt justifies marginally above-average outcomes when community colleges in the SUNY and CUNY systems deliver comparable results more affordably. If geographic convenience or specific program features make Plaza the clear choice, the earnings are sufficient to manage the debt. But if you're comparing offers, the numbers suggest exploring those public alternatives first—they're producing graduates who earn just as much while borrowing considerably less.