2 accredited schools across the Raleigh metro area trained 36 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.
This public two-year college in Wake County graduated 26 Dental Assistant students in 2023–24, the 4th-most in the state. Annual in-district tuition (before fees): $2,076 ($7,292 out of state).
This private for-profit two-year college in Wake County graduated 10 Dental Assistant students in 2023–24. Published tuition and fees plus books and supplies come to $33,160 for a program of about 18 months.
2 accredited schools in the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area graduated 36 Dental Assistant students in 2023–24. The largest was Wake Technical Community College with 26.
Among schools that published a program price, Miller-Motte College-Raleigh in Raleigh listed the lowest total: $33,160 for tuition, books and supplies.
Dental Assistants in the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro earn a median $58,750 a year ($28.25/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.