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Health Professions · Dental Services Rank #41 of 74

Dental Servicesat Wichita State University

Graduates earn $56,798/yr in their first year — about 7.0% below the national Dental Services average. Base-case 10-year earnings $576K; scenarios range from $537K to $576K depending on AI disruption.

Wichita, KS Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
58 SOLID
58
Optimistic
57
Pessimistic
Earnings
$56,798
1-year post-graduation
ROI
13.4x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$576K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Moderate
31% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Wichita State University

Graduates earn $56,798/yr, roughly in line with the $60,938 national median for Dental Services. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.

Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 15.4x in decade earnings — an exceptional ratio that places this among the highest-ROI Dental Services programs nationally.

Some AI exposure exists in Dental Services's typical career paths, with 24% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 7% gap from the optimistic case.

With first-year pay of $56,798 far exceeding the $19,000 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.

Ranked #41 of 74 Dental Services programs, Wichita State University falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.

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
$537K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score57/100
Earnings Multiple14.4x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$576K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score58/100
Earnings Multiple15.4x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$576K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score58/100
Earnings Multiple15.5x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Wichita State 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 Wichita State 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 Wichita State University

Other top programs at Wichita State University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Wichita State 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 Wichita State University

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Dental Services at Wichita State University?

This program scores 58/100 — a respectable number in isolation, but it ranks in the bottom half of Dental Services programs nationally. The field is competitive, and stronger options exist.