3 accredited schools across the Charlotte metro area trained 79 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 two-year college in Rock Hill that reported 32 Dental Assistant graduates in 2023–24, the 2nd-most in the state. Annual in-district tuition (before fees): $4,416 ($9,720 out of state).
This public two-year college in Mecklenburg County graduated 31 Dental Assistant students in 2023–24, the most in the state. Annual in-district tuition (before fees): $2,432 ($8,576 out of state).
Public two-year college in Salisbury that reported 16 Dental Assistant graduates in 2023–24. Annual in-district tuition (before fees): $1,824 ($6,432 out of state).
3 accredited schools in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area graduated 79 Dental Assistant students in 2023–24. The largest was York Technical College with 32.
Dental Assistants in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro earn a median $50,060 a year ($24.07/hour), per BLS May 2025 data. That compares with $50,380 statewide and $48,070 nationally.
CODA-accredited certificate programs commonly take about 9 to 11 months; associate degrees take about 2 years.