Becoming a dentist has never cost more, and the gap between total debt and the salary payoff is reshaping the question: Is the degree still worth it?
Average first-year resident tuition at U.S. dental schools reached $62,239 in the 2025-26 academic year, up 39.7% from $44,535 in 2015-16, according to American Dental Association data. Nonresidents now pay an average of $80,372 a year, up 30.7% over the same period. Attending dental school in the U.S. can cost nearly $500,000 at some institutions, according to the ADA.
General dentists, meanwhile, earn an average of $191,350 per year, according to May 2025 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. State averages range from $139,320 in Idaho to $241,580 in Missouri.
Source: Dental school costs have risen 40% in 10 years — Is it still worth it? / Becker’s Dental