Dental Assisting · Iowa
Iowa colleges that awarded Dental Assisting credentials
9 colleges in Iowa reported conferring Dental Assisting credentials to the federal IPEDS collection in 2023-24, and every one of them also awarded in the year before. 1 awarded a degree, and 8 awarded only a certificate. That is a record of credentials already awarded, not confirmation that a program is currently admitting.
Colleges and what they awarded
Largest first by credentials conferred in 2023-24. That order measures the size of the graduating class and nothing else: it is not a ranking, and the largest entry is often a certificate provider rather than the strongest degree program. The credential is labelled on every row for exactly that reason.
| College | Credentials awarded | Highest level |
|---|---|---|
| Kirkwood Community College | 66 | Degree |
| Western Iowa Tech Community College | 27 | Certificate only |
| Des Moines Area Community College | 21 | Certificate only |
| Indian Hills Community College | 21 | Certificate only |
| Iowa Western Community College | 19 | Certificate only |
| Northeast Iowa Community College | 17 | Certificate only |
| Hawkeye Community College | 15 | Certificate only |
| Eastern Iowa Community College District | 14 | Certificate only |
| Marshalltown Community College | 8 | Certificate only |
Looking for Dental Assisting programs in Iowa? This page lists every college that reported awarding Dental Assisting credentials to the federal government in 2023-24 — 9 of them — with the credential level each one awarded. That is a record of credentials conferred, not a confirmation that a college is currently admitting students, so confirm current availability with the college before it changes where you apply.
How much of this field is in Iowa
- Credentials awarded
- 208
- Share of U.S. total
- 2.0%
- Colleges awarding it
- 9
- Awarding a degree
- 1
Iowa colleges conferred 208 Dental Assisting credentials in 2023-24, which is 2.0% of the 10,372 conferred across the 46 U.S. jurisdictions reporting any. Of the 9 colleges here, 1 awarded a degree and 8 awarded only a certificate. These counts measure the size of graduating classes, not program quality, and not how many students are currently enrolled.
What level those credentials were
- Certificates85%176
- Associate15%32
Most Dental Assisting credentials awarded in Iowa were certificates. The mix here is close to the national pattern for this field. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and the level a program awards is set by the program rather than by the student.
We measured how much this varies nationwide, and for most fields the credential level is set by the field rather than the state: is your major a certificate or a degree?
How concentrated it is. The single college with the largest reported graduating class in this field accounted for 32% of Iowa’s Dental Assisting credentials. Activity is spread across several institutions rather than sitting with one.
What these Iowa colleges cost
Median net price across the 9 of these 9 colleges that report it, by family income. Net price is what students receiving federal aid actually paid for the WHOLE college after grants and scholarships, so it is not the price of a Dental Assisting program specifically, and not a quote for any family.
- 0-30k
- $7,830
- 30-48k
- $8,489
- 48-75k
- $10,185
- 75-110k
- $12,463
- 110k+
- $13,057
A family earning under $30,000 paid a median of $7,830 at these colleges, against $13,057 for a family earning over $110,000. Individual colleges vary widely around these medians. See every Iowa college by income band.
What this evidence does and does not prove
This lists colleges that reported conferring credentials in this field to the federal IPEDS completions collection, in both 2022-23 and 2023-24. It does not confirm that any of them is currently admitting students to the program, and a college can appear here after deciding to close it. Confirm with the institution before it affects where you apply.
How this list was built
From the U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions collection, matched to each college on its exact federal program classification. A college appears only if it conferred credentials in both 2022-23 and 2023-24, which is what separates a running program from one that has already closed.
This page exists because its list of colleges is materially different from that of every closely related field in Iowa — the fields a reader could otherwise mistake it for, such as two engineering disciplines, or nursing and practical nursing. Where a related field resolves to the same colleges, the second page would be the first one with its title changed, and CampusPin does not publish it. Sharing colleges with an unrelated field is different, and not a reason to withhold the page: in most states the same colleges award business, psychology and biology alike, which says something about the colleges rather than about the fields. We measured exactly how often that happens, and published the result: does choosing a major narrow your college list?
What Dental Assisting graduates go on to do
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Dental Assisting, ordered by projected annual openings. National figures: openings and pay do not vary by where you studied, and the crosswalk describes related fields rather than a required or guaranteed path.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Assistants | $47,300 | 52,900 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $105,620 | 27,400 | Doctoral or professional degree |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). “Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already in the occupation, not a legal requirement, an admission rule, or a guarantee of entry. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.