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Health Professions · Dental Services Rank #37 of 74

Dental Servicesat Northern Arizona University

Graduates earn $64,082/yr in their first year — about 5.0% above the national Dental Services average. Base-case 10-year earnings $620K; scenarios range from $574K to $621K depending on AI disruption.

Flagstaff, AZ Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
59 SOLID
59
Optimistic
59
Pessimistic
Earnings
$64,082
1-year post-graduation
ROI
10.9x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$620K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Moderate
31% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Northern Arizona University

First-year earnings of $64,082 at Northern Arizona University come in 5% above the national median of $60,938 for Dental Services programs.

With a 12.2x return on in-state tuition over ten years, the financial case for this program is compelling by virtually any measure.

The 8% difference between AI scenarios reflects partial automation exposure. Some Dental Services career paths face displacement, but others in the field are more insulated.

With first-year pay of $64,082 far exceeding the $20,567 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.

A #37 ranking among 74 Dental Services programs places Northern Arizona University in the middle-to-upper range. Solid, not exceptional.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$574K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score59/100
Earnings Multiple11.3x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$620K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score59/100
Earnings Multiple12.2x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$621K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score59/100
Earnings Multiple12.3x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Northern Arizona University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Dental Services graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
+17.3% 10-yr growth · 27,400 openings/yr
$105,620/yr
Moderate
2
Dental hygienists
+7.0% 10-yr growth · 15,300 openings/yr
$94,260/yr
Low
3
Dental laboratory technicians
-4.7% 10-yr growth · 3,900 openings/yr
$48,310/yr
Low
4
Dental assistants
+6.4% 10-yr growth · 52,900 openings/yr
$47,300/yr
Low
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Dental Services

How Northern Arizona University stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Foothill College
CA · Public
64
DW Score
$81K
1-yr earn
128.8x
ROI
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus
OK · Public
69
DW Score
$75K
1-yr earn
17.4x
ROI
University of Hawaii at Manoa
HI · Public
66
DW Score
$71K
1-yr earn
13.7x
ROI
University of Southern California
CA · Private nonprofit
51
DW Score
$69K
1-yr earn
2.0x
ROI
Eastern Washington University
WA · Public
69
DW Score
$68K
1-yr earn
20.0x
ROI
Also at Northern Arizona University

Other top programs at Northern Arizona University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Northern Arizona University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Dental Services offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Dental Services trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Dental Services at Northern Arizona University

What does a 59/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Dental Services at Northern Arizona University?

At 59/100, Northern Arizona University's Dental Services program delivers middling returns. School cost and personal fit become important decision factors.