Dental Support Services and Allied Professions at The College of Health Care Professions-McAllen Campus

This dental support program ranks near the bottom nationally but performs right at the median for Texas, where starting salaries in this field are notably lower than the national average. At $21,569 in first-year earnings, graduates earn about $3,700 less than the national median for dental support programs, though this closely matches what other Texas schools produce in this field.

The debt picture offers some relief—at $9,248, it's essentially identical to both state and national medians, creating a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.43. With 78% of students receiving Pell grants, this program clearly serves a population seeking accessible career training. The 24% earnings growth over four years is encouraging, bringing graduates to $26,812 by year four, though this still lags behind what students could earn at other campuses within the same college system in Austin and Dallas.

For families prioritizing affordability and job training in South Texas, this program delivers predictable outcomes without excessive debt. However, if your child could access the Austin or Dallas campuses of the same college, they'd likely earn $7,500 more annually for similar debt levels. The program works as local workforce preparation, but the earnings ceiling appears limited compared to other dental support programs both in Texas and nationally.