Dental Support Services and Allied Professions at Ross Medical Education Center-Kokomo

Ross Medical Education Center-Kokomo's dental support program hits the median for Indiana, which actually places it above the national average—a meaningful distinction in a field where Indiana programs perform relatively well. With first-year earnings of $24,411 and debt under $10,000, graduates face a manageable 0.39 debt-to-earnings ratio that they could reasonably pay off within a year or two of focused repayment.

The modest 8% earnings growth to $26,316 by year four is typical for dental assistant roles, where compensation tends to plateau quickly but remains stable. More concerning is that this program trails the top Indiana performers by about $2,000 annually—Ivy Tech and Fortis College graduates earn roughly 10% more from the start. For a parent evaluating options, that gap matters when debt levels are essentially identical across schools.

This program works best as an affordable entry point into dental support work, particularly for students from lower-income backgrounds (84% receive Pell grants). The debt burden won't be crushing, and the earnings—while modest—are achievable right away. However, if your child can access Ivy Tech's program instead, that's a measurably better deal for the same type of work and similar cost structure.