2026 Best Value Dental Assisting/Assistant Schools in Iowa
[Dental Assisting/Assistant](/majors/health-care-professions/dental-support-services/dental-assisting-assistant/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find the best return on investment for dental assisting/assistant students.
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2026 Best Value Dental Assisting/Assistant Schools in Iowa
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in dental assisting/assistant, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Dental Assisting/Assistant Schools
For return on investment in dental assisting/assistant, no school beat Indian Hills Community College this year. Indian Hills Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Ottumwa. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,040, while out-of-state students pay about $6,120. Students borrow a median of $12,251 to complete the dental assisting/assistant program here. Early-career dental assisting/assistant graduates make about $57,921. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #2 makes Western Iowa Tech Community College one of the best values for dental assisting/assistant. Western Iowa Tech Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Sioux City. Students from in state pay about $5,186 in tuition and fees, compared with $5,330 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for dental assisting/assistant graduates is $6,165. Early-career dental assisting/assistant graduates make about $30,735. That is a strong return on a $6,165 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in dental assisting/assistant will find it at Kirkwood Community College, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Cedar Rapids, Kirkwood Community College is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,176, with out-of-state students paying around $8,220. Students borrow a median of $14,978 to complete the dental assisting/assistant program here. Soon after graduation, dental assisting/assistant degree recipients from Kirkwood Community College generally make around $36,885. That is a strong return on a $14,978 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Eastern Iowa Community College District earned it the #4 place for dental assisting/assistant. Eastern Iowa Community College District is a large public school located in the city of Davenport. In-state tuition and fees average $4,848, while out-of-state students pay about $6,456. Students borrow a median of $9,362 to complete the dental assisting/assistant program here. Dental Assisting/assistant graduates of Eastern Iowa Community College District earn a median of $41,510 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $9,362 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar earned it the #5 place for dental assisting/assistant. Set in the rural area of Calmar, Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,780, compared with $7,770 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $7,625 to complete the dental assisting/assistant program here. Soon after graduation, dental assisting/assistant degree recipients from Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar generally make around $28,585. That is a strong return on a $7,625 median debt.
Hawkeye Community College landed the #6 spot for dental assisting/assistant value this year. Set in the rural area of Waterloo, Hawkeye Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $6,525 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $6,612. Students borrow a median of $13,125 to complete the dental assisting/assistant program here. Dental Assisting/assistant graduates of Hawkeye Community College earn a median of $32,834 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Des Moines Area Community College came in at #7 for value in dental assisting/assistant this year. Des Moines Area Community College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Ankeny. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,790, while out-of-state students pay about $6,690. Typical student debt for dental assisting/assistant graduates is $9,500. Dental Assisting/assistant graduates of Des Moines Area Community College earn a median of $43,635 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $9,500 median debt.
Iowa Western Community College placed #8 among the best values for dental assisting/assistant. Set in the suburb of Council Bluffs, Iowa Western Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,930, with out-of-state students paying around $7,080. Students borrow a median of $26,481 to complete the dental assisting/assistant program here. Early-career dental assisting/assistant graduates make about $64,917. Set against $26,481 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
