Home Schools University of New Mexico Dental Services
Health Professions · Dental Services Rank #12 of 74

Dental Servicesat University of New Mexico-Main Campus

Graduates earn $55,003/yr in their first year — about 10.0% below the national Dental Services average. Base-case 10-year earnings $578K; scenarios range from $539K to $578K depending on AI disruption.

Albuquerque, NM Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
64 SOLID
64
Optimistic
63
Pessimistic
Earnings
$55,003
1-year post-graduation
ROI
18.7x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$578K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Moderate
31% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at University of New Mexico

Graduates earn $55,003/yr, roughly in line with the $60,938 national median for Dental Services. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.

The 17.8x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 24% task exposure — and the 7% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

With first-year pay of $55,003 far exceeding the $20,000 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.

Ranked #12 out of 74 programs, University of New Mexico-Main Campus's Dental Services program lands in the top 5% — a strong signal of graduate success.

Earnings growth is modest: $55,003 to $63,869 over five years (16% gain). This field may have a lower salary ceiling than high-growth professions.

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
$539K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score63/100
Earnings Multiple16.6x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$578K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score64/100
Earnings Multiple17.8x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$578K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score64/100
Earnings Multiple17.8x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to University of New Mexico'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 University of New Mexico 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 University of New Mexico

Other top programs at University of New Mexico

Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of New Mexico, 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 University of New Mexico

How does University of New Mexico-Main Campus's Dental Services program score?

This program scores 64/100, reflecting respectable but not exceptional financial outcomes for Dental Services graduates.

Why does University of New Mexico-Main Campus rank so high for Dental Services?

The #12 ranking out of 74 programs is driven by strong financial outcomes — graduates earn well, debt is manageable relative to income, and the job market supports the field.