Home Schools Yakima Valley College Dental Services
Health Professions · Dental Services Rank #29 of 74

Dental Servicesat Yakima Valley College

Graduates earn $62,574/yr in their first year — about 3.0% above the national Dental Services average. Base-case 10-year earnings $611K; scenarios range from $566K to $611K depending on AI disruption.

Yakima, WA Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
61 SOLID
61
Optimistic
60
Pessimistic
Earnings
$62,574
1-year post-graduation
ROI
29.3x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$611K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Moderate
31% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Yakima Valley College

First-year earnings of $62,574 track close to the $60,938 national median for Dental Services programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.

Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 29.6x 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.

At #29 of 74 Dental Services programs, Yakima Valley College scores above the median — competitive but not a standout.

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
$566K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score60/100
Earnings Multiple27.4x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$611K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score61/100
Earnings Multiple29.6x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$611K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score61/100
Earnings Multiple29.6x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Yakima Valley College'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 Yakima Valley College 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
Same state (WA)
Eastern Washington University
WA · Public
69
DW Score
$68K
1-yr earn
20.0x
ROI
Also at Yakima Valley College

Other top programs at Yakima Valley College

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Yakima Valley College, 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 Yakima Valley College

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Dental Services at Yakima Valley College?

A score of 61/100 puts this program in competitive territory — solid outcomes, though not at the top of the Dental Services field.