2 accredited schools across the Columbia metro area trained 58 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 two-year college in Columbia that reported 45 Dental Assistant graduates in 2023–24, the most in the state. Annual in-district tuition (before fees): $14,297.
Public two-year college in West Columbia that reported 13 Dental Assistant graduates in 2023–24. Annual in-district tuition (before fees): $4,512 ($13,536 out of state).
2 accredited schools in the Columbia, SC metro area graduated 58 Dental Assistant students in 2023–24. The largest was Fortis College-Columbia with 45.
Dental Assistants in the Columbia, SC metro earn a median $46,800 a year ($22.50/hour), per BLS May 2025 data. That compares with $47,320 statewide and $48,070 nationally.
CODA-accredited certificate programs commonly take about 9 to 11 months; associate degrees take about 2 years.