Dental Support Services and Allied Professions at Santa Fe College

Santa Fe College's dental support program graduates carry relatively manageable debt—$14,875, matching Florida's state median and well below the national average. However, first-year earnings of $56,722 trail the state median by about $550 and sit at just the 40th percentile among Florida's 23 dental support programs. That's a significant gap: top community college programs in the state like Palm Beach State and Daytona State are producing graduates who earn $6,000-7,000 more annually right out of the gate. The 0.26 debt-to-earnings ratio is solid, meaning graduates can theoretically pay off their loans in about three months of gross earnings, but they're starting from a lower baseline than peers at comparable schools.

For families comparing Florida options, this becomes a straightforward calculation. If you're in Gainesville and proximity matters, Santa Fe offers reasonable value—you're not taking on crushing debt, and dental support careers provide stable employment. But if you have flexibility on location, you could gain $6,000+ in annual earnings by choosing a higher-performing program elsewhere in Florida. Over a career, that initial earnings difference compounds considerably.

The takeaway: Santa Fe's program won't saddle your child with problematic debt, but it's performing below the state median in a field where graduates typically earn more at launch. If location flexibility exists, investigate why programs like Palm Beach State consistently produce higher-earning graduates.