How much debt do Dorsey College dental hygiene and assisting graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $13,000, which ranks 6th lowest of 6 dental hygiene and assisting certificate programs in Michigan. That works out to about $138 a month over 10 years.

Is the dental hygiene and assisting program at Dorsey College worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 71% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 38%. Compare the cost with other Michigan programs before deciding.

Dorsey College Dental Hygiene and Assisting (Certificate): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do Dorsey College dental hygiene and assisting graduates stay in Michigan?

Most do. 99% (91 of 92) were working in Michigan one year after graduating.

Certificate in Dental Support Services and Allied Professions
Private for-profit college
Madison Heights, MI

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Dorsey College dental hygiene and assisting graduates earn less than graduates of most dental hygiene and assisting programs nationally, $18,208 in their first year. Debt is high. The typical graduate leaves with $13,000 in federal loans, more than at 88% of dental hygiene and assisting programs in the country. Several Michigan programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$18,2084th percentile of 198 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$22,81725% more than year one

Median federal debt$13,0006th lowest of 6 Michigan programs

Debt-to-earnings71%Michigan median 40%, national 38%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Michigan and national columns are the medians across all dental hygiene and assisting certificate programs that report the figure.

	Dorsey College	Michigan	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$18,208	$23,957	$26,487
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$22,817	$28,023	$31,114
Median federal debt at graduation	$13,000	$9,500	$9,500
Debt as share of first-year pay	71%	40%	38%
Programs compared		7	198

Five years out, Dorsey College graduates earn less than the national figure and about $5,206 less than the Michigan median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Michigan dental hygiene and assisting program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Michigan medians.

Dorsey CollegeOther Michigan programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 25% between the first and fifth year.

Dorsey College grads, year 1$18,208

Dorsey College grads, year 5$22,817

All Michigan dental hygiene and assisting grads, year 5$28,023

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $138 a month, or 9.1% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (150 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	10% or less
Paying down the balance	10% or less
Paused payments (forbearance)	40–49%
In default	10–19%

The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

99% of graduates (91 of 92) were working in Michigan one year after graduating. Prices in the Detroit area are about the same as the national average.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to dental hygiene and assisting, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Dental Assistants

$48,820

Median pay in Michigan. 11,990 people work in this job in Michigan. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 53,000 openings a year. Typical education to start: postsecondary nondegree award.

Bottom 10%: $37,110Top 10%: $58,900

Dental Hygienists

$83,790

Median pay in Michigan. 8,640 people work in this job in Michigan. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 15,000 openings a year. Typical education to start: associate's degree.

Bottom 10%: $77,230Top 10%: $96,970

Dental Laboratory Technicians

$49,570

Median pay in Michigan. 1,180 people work in this job in Michigan. Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 3,600 openings a year. Typical education to start: high school diploma or equivalent.

Bottom 10%: $37,560Top 10%: $77,420

About Dorsey College

Tuition and fees	$16,990 / year
Average net price after aid	$28,525 / year
Graduation rate (within 1.5 times the normal program length)	54%
Undergraduate students	643

Dental Hygiene and Assisting ranks 8th of 10 certificate programs at Dorsey College by first-year earnings. The top three are Practical Nursing ($41,283), Electronics Repair ($34,629), and HVAC ($33,265).

Other dental hygiene and assisting certificate programs near Madison Heights

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Dorsey CollegeMadison Heights, MI · private for-profit		$18,208	$13,000
Ross Medical Education Center-WarrenWarren, MI · private for-profit	2 mi	$23,402	$9,500
Washtenaw Community CollegeAnn Arbor, MI · public	34 mi	$37,428	$9,500
Ross Medical Education Center-BrightonBrighton, MI · private for-profit	35 mi	$23,957	$9,500
Ross Medical Education Center-FlintFlint, MI · private for-profit	46 mi	$23,566	$9,500

Common questions

The median graduate earns $18,208 one year after graduating and $22,817 five years after. The median across dental hygiene and assisting certificate programs in Michigan is $23,957.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Michigan comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the dental hygiene and assisting program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Dental Hygiene and Assisting certificate programs in Michigan, ranked7 programs by pay and debt Dental Hygiene and Assisting certificate programs in the US, ranked198 programs by pay and debt All Dorsey College programs, ranked10 programs by pay and debt