2 accredited schools across the Stockton metro area trained 153 dental assistants in 2023–24. Here’s how they compare on cost, length and size, plus what the job pays locally.
Updated October 2026 · Data: IPEDS 2023–24, BLS May 2025
Sorted by number of 2023–24 graduates (IPEDS), a proxy for program size and stability.
Private for-profit career school in Stockton that reported 93 Dental Assistant graduates in 2023–24. Published tuition and fees plus books and supplies come to $19,900 for a program of about 9 months.
Private for-profit two-year college in Stockton that reported 60 Dental Assistant graduates in 2023–24. Published tuition and fees plus books and supplies come to $23,604 for a program of about 8 months.
2 accredited schools in the Stockton-Lodi, CA metro area graduated 153 Dental Assistant students in 2023–24. The largest was UEI College-Stockton with 93.
Among schools that published a program price, UEI College-Stockton in Stockton listed the lowest total: $19,900 for tuition, books and supplies.
Dental Assistants in the Stockton-Lodi, CA metro earn a median $49,090 a year ($23.60/hour), per BLS May 2025 data. That compares with $50,110 statewide and $48,070 nationally.
CODA-accredited certificate programs commonly take about 9 to 11 months; associate degrees take about 2 years.