2 accredited schools across the Harrisburg metro area trained 17 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 Harrisburg that reported 13 Dental Assistant graduates in 2023–24. Annual in-district tuition (before fees): $6,023 ($9,750 out of state).
This private for-profit four-year institution in Cumberland County graduated 4 Dental Assistant students in 2023–24. Annual in-district tuition (before fees): $18,324.
2 accredited schools in the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metro area graduated 17 Dental Assistant students in 2023–24. The largest was Harrisburg Area Community College with 13.
Dental Assistants in the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metro earn a median $47,420 a year ($22.80/hour), per BLS May 2025 data. That compares with $47,930 statewide and $48,070 nationally.
CODA-accredited certificate programs commonly take about 9 to 11 months; associate degrees take about 2 years.