Career Training Path
Students training in a dental assisting program

Career Training PathDental assistant schools › Virginia

Dental assistant schools in Virginia

Virginia has 10 accredited campuses awarding dental assisting credentials. If you finish and work as a dental assistant in Virginia, expect to start around $37,720–$39,160 and reach a median of $46,670 with experience; the top quarter earn $53,040 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, Virginia). Graduates of these Virginia programs — every graduate, whatever job they took — earned a median of $21,572 in their first year, against $24,225 nationally; that is the figure used to rank campuses below.

What dental assistants earn in Virginia

$37,720starting (10th percentile)
$39,160early career (25th)
$46,670median, all experience
$53,040experienced (75th)
$58,910top earners (90th)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; 10,760 employed in Virginia. National median: $48,070.

Campuses in Virginia, ranked by what their graduates earned

10campuses in Virginia
160credentials awarded / yr
$21,572median earnings, yr 1 (Virginia)
$24,225median earnings, yr 1 (U.S.)

Cities: AnnandaleBig Stone GapDanvilleLocust GroveNorfolkRichmondVirginia BeachWytheville

CampusCityTypeGrads / yrEarnings, yr 1Program debtCompletionCost / yr
ECPI University Virginia Beach for-profit 49 $26,106 $14,146 not reported not reported
Fortis College-Richmond Richmond for-profit 16 $21,572 $10,816 50% not reported
Fortis College-Norfolk Norfolk for-profit 11 $21,572 $10,816 30% not reported
Centura College-Norfolk Norfolk for-profit 16 $21,017 $9,500 73% not reported
J Sargeant Reynolds Community College Richmond Public 18 not reported not reported 32% not reported
Northern Virginia Community College Annandale Public 13 not reported not reported 33% not reported
Danville Community College Danville Public 11 not reported not reported 39% not reported
Mountain Empire Community College Big Stone Gap Public 11 not reported not reported 48% not reported
Wytheville Community College Wytheville Public 8 not reported not reported 47% not reported
Germanna Community College Locust Grove Public 7 not reported not reported 47% not reported

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 · Free weekly newsletter
Career training, minus the guesswork.
Which programs finish, what graduates owe, what they earn. Every week.
Subscribe →

Other trades in Virginia

All trade and career schools in Virginia →

Choosing a career program? Pick with the numbers.
Completion, debt and pay for real programs, plus one practical tip a week. Free.
Subscribe →