2 accredited schools across the Springfield metro area trained 41 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.
Public four-year institution in Springfield that reported 27 Dental Assistant graduates in 2023–24, the 2nd-most in the state. Annual in-district tuition (before fees): $3,072 ($5,760 out of state).
This private for-profit career school in Greene County graduated 14 Dental Assistant students in 2023–24.
2 accredited schools in the Springfield, MO metro area graduated 41 Dental Assistant students in 2023–24. The largest was Ozarks Technical Community College with 27.
Dental Assistants in the Springfield, MO metro earn a median $45,500 a year ($21.88/hour), per BLS May 2025 data. That compares with $45,970 statewide and $48,070 nationally.
CODA-accredited certificate programs commonly take about 9 to 11 months; associate degrees take about 2 years.