by our College Data Analytics Team
[Dentistry](/majors/health-care-professions/dentistry/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for dentistry students.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the dentistry degrees they offer, see the list below.
Temple University tops our 2026 list of the best value dentistry schools in Pennsylvania. Located in the city of Philadelphia, Temple University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $23,005, while out-of-state students pay about $38,805. Typical student debt for dentistry graduates is $26,259. Early-career dentistry graduates make about $106,820. Set against $26,259 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Temple University admits about 80% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in dentistry will find it at University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Pittsburgh, University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $21,926 in tuition and fees, compared with $41,430 for out-of-state students. Dentistry graduates carry a median of $24,958 in student loans. Dentistry graduates of University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus earn a median of $103,099 early in their careers. Set against $24,958 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus admits about 58% of applicants.
University Of Pennsylvania is a great value for students pursuing a degree in dentistry, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Philadelphia, University Of Pennsylvania is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $68,686 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $16,155 to complete the dentistry program here. Early-career dentistry graduates make about $80,541. That is a strong return on a $16,155 median debt. University Of Pennsylvania admits about 5% of applicants.
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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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.