Career Training Path › Dental assistant schools › California
Dental assistant schools in California
California has 85 accredited campuses awarding dental assisting credentials. If you finish and work as a dental assistant in California, expect to start around $38,790–$46,270 and reach a median of $50,110 with experience; the top quarter earn $60,670 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, California). Graduates of these California programs — every graduate, whatever job they took — earned a median of $22,624 in their first year, against $24,225 nationally; that is the figure used to rank campuses below.
What dental assistants earn in California
$38,790starting (10th percentile)
$46,270early career (25th)
$50,110median, all experience
$60,670experienced (75th)
$73,700top earners (90th)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; 56,220 employed in California. National median: $48,070.
Campuses in California, ranked by what their graduates earned
85campuses in California
4,015credentials awarded / yr
$22,624median earnings, yr 1 (California)
$24,225median earnings, yr 1 (U.S.)
Cities: AlamedaAnaheimAntiochBakersfieldCerritosChicoChula VistaConcordCosta MesaCulver CityCypressDowneyEurekaFremontFresnoGarden GroveGardenaGlendaleGlendoraHesperiaHuntington ParkKentfieldLa PuenteLancasterLos Altos HillsLos AngelesMercedModestoMontereyMoreno ValleyNorth HollywoodNorwalkOceansideOntarioOxnardPalm DesertPanorama CityParamountPasadenaPleasant Hill
| Campus | City | Type | Grads / yr | Earnings, yr 1 | Program debt | Completion | Cost / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrington College-Sacramento | Sacramento | for-profit college | 182 | $63,941 | $8,975 | not reported | $45,593 |
| Carrington College-San Jose | San Jose | for-profit career college | 131 | $63,941 | $8,975 | 60% | $41,194 |
| Cerritos College | Norwalk | Public community college | 30 | $62,409 | not reported | 31% | not reported |
| Moreno Valley College | Moreno Valley | Public community college | 41 | $47,132 | not reported | 34% | not reported |
| Blake Austin College | Vacaville | for-profit career college | 25 | $33,574 | not reported | 89% | $34,706 |
| Mt. Diablo Adult Education-Mt. Diablo USD | Concord | Public community college | 21 | $31,221 | not reported | 81% | $14,341 |
| San Jose City College | San Jose | Public community college | 43 | $29,671 | not reported | 34% | not reported |
| Butte County Regional Occupational Program | Chico | Public community college | 14 | $28,679 | not reported | 88% | $23,313 |
| Carrington College-San Leandro Campus | San Leandro | for-profit career college | 76 | $28,424 | $8,975 | 59% | $44,224 |
| Carrington College-Stockton | Stockton | for-profit career college | 60 | $28,424 | $8,975 | 54% | $42,476 |
| Carrington College-Pleasant Hill Campus | Pleasant Hill | for-profit career college | 46 | $28,424 | $8,975 | 60% | $44,064 |
| Unitek College | Fremont | for-profit college | 55 | $25,376 | $9,039 | not reported | $27,775 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Temecula | Temecula | for-profit career college | 64 | $24,996 | $9,500 | 82% | $30,114 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia | Visalia | for-profit college | 56 | $24,996 | $9,500 | not reported | $33,136 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Hesperia | Hesperia | for-profit career college | 40 | $24,996 | $9,500 | 63% | $30,880 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Fresno | Fresno | for-profit career college | 30 | $24,996 | $9,500 | 62% | $31,315 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield | Bakersfield | for-profit career college | 29 | $24,996 | $9,500 | 58% | $27,534 |
| Pima Medical Institute-Chula Vista | Chula Vista | for-profit career college | 42 | $24,908 | $8,508 | 63% | $33,209 |
| Pima Medical Institute-San Marcos | San Marcos | for-profit career college | 32 | $24,908 | $8,508 | 71% | $32,210 |
| Concorde Career College-North Hollywood | North Hollywood | for-profit career college | 45 | $24,225 | $9,500 | 78% | $28,621 |
| Concorde Career College-Garden Grove | Garden Grove | for-profit career college | 93 | $23,958 | $9,500 | 84% | $29,040 |
| Milan Institute-Visalia | Visalia | for-profit career college | 24 | $23,848 | $8,919 | 51% | $29,148 |
| American Career College-Los Angeles | Los Angeles | for-profit career college | 105 | $23,743 | $8,444 | 75% | $37,270 |
| American Career College-Anaheim | Anaheim | for-profit career college | 54 | $23,743 | $8,444 | 70% | $35,751 |
| Career Care Institute | Lancaster | for-profit career college | 10 | $22,892 | $7,424 | 71% | $55,157 |
| Hacienda La Puente Adult Education | La Puente | Public community college | 12 | $22,624 | not reported | 77% | $9,138 |
| Downey Adult School | Downey | Public community college | 20 | $22,505 | not reported | 31% | $18,545 |
| American Career College-Ontario | Ontario | for-profit career college | 53 | $22,298 | $8,444 | 66% | $37,857 |
| Concorde Career College-San Bernardino | San Bernardino | for-profit career college | 169 | $22,161 | $9,276 | 76% | $31,359 |
| UEI College-Riverside | Riverside | for-profit career college | 126 | $21,803 | $9,500 | 71% | $33,956 |
| UEI College-Sacramento | Sacramento | for-profit career college | 108 | $21,803 | $9,500 | 60% | $33,919 |
| UEI College-Gardena | Gardena | for-profit career college | 97 | $21,803 | $9,500 | 60% | $34,105 |
| North-West College-West Covina | West Covina | for-profit career college | 37 | $21,632 | $9,500 | 68% | $34,193 |
| North-West College-Glendale | Glendale | for-profit career college | 8 | $21,632 | $9,500 | 63% | $40,484 |
| Milan Institute-Merced | Merced | for-profit career college | 13 | $21,530 | $8,386 | 55% | $27,338 |
| Riverside County Office of Education-School of Career Education | Riverside | Public technical college | 23 | $21,219 | not reported | 82% | $26,764 |
| Concorde Career College-San Diego | San Diego | for-profit career college | 123 | $21,079 | $9,500 | 76% | $30,461 |
| UEI College-Huntington Park | Huntington Park | for-profit career college | 121 | $20,468 | $9,500 | 70% | $34,673 |
| UEI College-Chula Vista | Chula Vista | for-profit career college | 109 | $20,468 | $9,500 | 71% | $34,257 |
| UEI College-Garden Grove | Garden Grove | for-profit career college | 101 | $20,468 | $9,500 | 63% | $33,738 |
| UEI College-Ontario | Ontario | for-profit career college | 98 | $20,468 | $9,500 | 66% | $31,514 |
| UEI College-Stockton | Stockton | for-profit career college | 94 | $20,468 | $9,500 | 71% | $33,047 |
| UEI College-Reseda | Reseda | for-profit career college | 86 | $20,468 | $9,500 | 74% | $32,929 |
| UEI College-Oceanside | Oceanside | for-profit career college | 77 | $20,468 | $9,500 | 69% | $34,243 |
| UEI College-West Covina | West Covina | for-profit career college | 75 | $20,468 | $9,500 | 67% | $32,425 |
| North-West College-Riverside | Riverside | for-profit career college | 31 | $20,346 | $9,500 | 72% | $36,572 |
| North-West College-Pomona | Pomona | for-profit career college | 20 | $20,346 | $9,500 | 71% | $35,112 |
| North-West College-Anaheim | Anaheim | for-profit career college | 19 | $20,346 | $9,500 | 60% | $31,922 |
| High Desert Medical College | Lancaster | for-profit career college | 65 | $20,044 | $7,521 | 68% | $34,844 |
| Milan Institute-Palm Desert | Palm Desert | for-profit career college | 18 | $18,801 | $8,919 | 48% | $28,722 |
| UEI College-Fresno | Fresno | for-profit career college | 131 | $15,458 | $9,500 | 61% | $33,551 |
| UEI College-Bakersfield | Bakersfield | for-profit career college | 99 | $15,458 | $9,500 | 69% | $32,499 |
| West Los Angeles College | Culver City | Public college | 150 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Oxnard College | Oxnard | Public community college | 48 | not reported | not reported | 34% | not reported |
| Reedley College | Reedley | Public community college | 42 | not reported | not reported | 42% | not reported |
| Allan Hancock College | Santa Maria | Public community college | 40 | not reported | not reported | 26% | not reported |
| Diablo Valley College | Pleasant Hill | Public community college | 30 | not reported | not reported | 49% | not reported |
| Orange Coast College | Costa Mesa | Public community college | 29 | not reported | not reported | 48% | not reported |
| San Diego Mesa College | San Diego | Public college | 28 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chaffey College | Rancho Cucamonga | Public community college | 26 | not reported | not reported | 36% | not reported |
| Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts | San Jose | for-profit college | 25 | not reported | $5,500 | not reported | $36,834 |
| National Career College | Panorama City | for-profit career college | 24 | not reported | $9,611 | 75% | $34,495 |
| Citrus College | Glendora | Public community college | 23 | not reported | not reported | 41% | not reported |
| Palomar College | San Marcos | Public community college | 23 | not reported | not reported | 38% | not reported |
| Monterey Peninsula College | Monterey | Public community college | 22 | not reported | not reported | 40% | not reported |
| College of Marin | Kentfield | Public community college | 21 | not reported | not reported | 39% | not reported |
| College of the Redwoods | Eureka | Public community college | 20 | not reported | not reported | 34% | not reported |
| City College of San Francisco | San Francisco | Public community college | 19 | not reported | not reported | 40% | not reported |
| Pasadena City College | Pasadena | Public community college | 19 | not reported | not reported | 48% | not reported |
| Cypress College | Cypress | Public college | 18 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| College of Alameda | Alameda | Public community college | 16 | not reported | not reported | 33% | not reported |
| Fresno City College | Fresno | Public community college | 15 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Santa Rosa Junior College | Santa Rosa | Public community college | 15 | not reported | not reported | 37% | not reported |
| College of San Mateo | San Mateo | Public community college | 14 | not reported | not reported | 61% | not reported |
| Foothill College | Los Altos Hills | Public college | 13 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Contra Costa Medical Career College | Antioch | for-profit career college | 11 | not reported | not reported | 100% | not reported |
| ABC Adult School | Cerritos | Public community college | 8 | not reported | not reported | 29% | $17,675 |
| Sacramento City College | Sacramento | Public community college | 8 | not reported | not reported | 34% | not reported |
| North-West College-Van Nuys | Van Nuys | for-profit career college | 7 | not reported | $8,130 | 60% | $36,507 |
| Healthcare Career College | Paramount | for-profit career college | 6 | not reported | not reported | 71% | $18,873 |
| Stellar Career College | Modesto | for-profit career college | 5 | not reported | not reported | 79% | $17,397 |
| American College of Healthcare and Technology | Riverside | for-profit career college | 3 | not reported | not reported | 66% | $25,460 |
| Central California School of Continuing Education | San Luis Obispo | for-profit career school | 3 | not reported | not reported | 87% | not reported |
| California Career Institute | Anaheim | for-profit career college | 2 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| PCI College | Cerritos | for-profit college | 1 | not reported | not reported | not reported | $33,852 |
Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.
Ranked by median earnings of this program's graduates one year after completion (College Scorecard field-of-study, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026); campuses without a reported figure follow, by credentials awarded. "Program debt" is the median federal loan debt for graduates of this program at this campus. Completion is the campus-wide 150%-of-time rate. "Not reported" means the federal file suppresses the value for privacy.
The Path
Nine months to a paycheck that AI can't take.
A free weekly newsletter for people choosing a hands-on career: trades, technical and healthcare.
Subscribe →