by our College Data Analytics Team
[Dentistry](/majors/health-care-professions/dentistry/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The highest-paying schools turn a dentistry degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 12 schools on the early-career earnings of their dentistry graduates.
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If you want to know which schools send dentistry graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
University Of Alabama At Birmingham earned the #1 spot for highest-paid dentistry graduates in the Southeast Region. Located in the city of Birmingham, University Of Alabama At Birmingham is a public institution. Dentistry graduates of University Of Alabama At Birmingham earn a median of about $171,066 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #2 makes University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill one of the highest-paying schools for dentistry. Located in the city of Chapel Hill, University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a public institution. Dentistry graduates of University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill earn a median of about $187,283 a year early in their careers.
East Carolina University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying dentistry schools. Located in the city of Greenville, East Carolina University is a public institution. Early-career dentistry graduates from East Carolina University make a median of around $199,571 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of Florida earned it the #4 place for dentistry. Located in the city of Gainesville, University Of Florida is a public institution. Students who complete the dentistry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $181,489.
University Of Kentucky came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying dentistry schools. Located in the city of Lexington, University Of Kentucky is a public institution. Students who complete the dentistry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $185,046.
Augusta University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying dentistry schools. Located in the city of Augusta, Augusta University is a public institution. Students who complete the dentistry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $150,706.
University Of Louisville earned the #7 position for dentistry graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Louisville, University Of Louisville is a public institution. Early-career dentistry graduates from University Of Louisville make a median of around $169,952 per year.
The University Of Tennessee Health Science Center landed the #8 spot for dentistry salaries this year. Located in the city of Memphis, The University Of Tennessee Health Science Center is a public institution. Dentistry graduates of The University Of Tennessee Health Science Center earn a median of about $162,936 a year early in their careers.
Virginia Commonwealth University earned the #9 position for dentistry graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University is a public institution. Dentistry graduates of Virginia Commonwealth University earn a median of about $171,547 a year early in their careers.
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans placed #10 among the highest-paying schools for dentistry. Set in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans is a public institution. After graduating, dentistry degree recipients from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans typically earn about $133,576 annually.
West Virginia University earned the #11 position for dentistry graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Morgantown, West Virginia University is a public institution. After graduating, dentistry degree recipients from West Virginia University typically earn about $158,414 annually.
Medical University Of South Carolina landed the #12 spot for dentistry salaries this year. Medical University Of South Carolina is a public school located in the city of Charleston. Dentistry graduates of Medical University Of South Carolina earn a median of about $104,862 a year early in their careers.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their dentistry graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 12 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.