How much debt do IU Indianapolis dental hygiene and assisting graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $26,168, which ranks 4th lowest of 5 dental hygiene and assisting bachelor's programs in Indiana. That works out to about $277 a month over 10 years.

Is a dental hygiene and assisting degree from IU Indianapolis worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 41% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 42%.

Do IU Indianapolis dental hygiene and assisting graduates stay in Indiana?

Most do. 100% (35 of 35) were working in Indiana one year after graduating.

IU Indianapolis Dental Hygiene and Assisting (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Bachelor's in Dental Support Services and Allied Professions
Public university
Indianapolis, IN
About 47 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

IU Indianapolis dental hygiene and assisting graduates earn about what dental hygiene and assisting graduates earn nationally, $64,402 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $26,168 in federal loans, close to the national median of $25,000. It is one of the higher-paying dental hygiene and assisting degrees in Indiana.

First-year earnings$64,40272nd percentile of 71 programs nationally

Median federal debt$26,1684th lowest of 5 Indiana programs

Debt-to-earnings41%Indiana median 43%, national 42%

How it compares

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

	IU Indianapolis	Indiana	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$64,402	$57,654	$60,153
Median federal debt at graduation	$26,168	$25,082	$25,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	41%	43%	42%
Programs compared		5	71

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

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

IU IndianapolisOther Indiana programs

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

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $277 a month, or 5.2% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

100% of graduates (35 of 35) were working in Indiana one year after graduating. Prices in the Indianapolis area are about 4% below the national average, so a $64,402 salary here buys what about $67,299 buys in a typical US city.

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

$48,670

Median pay in Indiana. 6,690 people work in this job in Indiana. 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%: $36,880Top 10%: $60,590

Dental Hygienists

$92,330

Median pay in Indiana. 5,020 people work in this job in Indiana. 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%: $74,970Top 10%: $102,280

Dental Laboratory Technicians

$49,920

Median pay in Indiana. 680 people work in this job in Indiana. 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%: $35,360Top 10%: $67,090

About IU Indianapolis

In-state tuition and fees	$10,762 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$34,891 / year
Average net price after aid	$11,668 / year
Admission rate	76%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	54%
Undergraduate students	13,830

Dental Hygiene and Assisting ranks 13th of 49 bachelor's programs at IU Indianapolis by first-year earnings. The top three are Electrical Engineering ($73,122), Computer Engineering ($71,986), and Biomedical Engineering ($71,852).

Common questions

The median graduate earns $64,402 one year after graduating. The median across dental hygiene and assisting bachelor's programs in Indiana is $57,654.

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 Indiana 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 bachelor's programs in Indiana, ranked5 programs by pay and debt Dental Hygiene and Assisting bachelor's programs in the US, ranked71 programs by pay and debt All IU Indianapolis programs, ranked62 programs by pay and debt