Seventy-five percent of dental assisting graduates have zero debt, compared to 48.2% of dental hygiene graduates, according to the American Dental Education Association’s 2026 U.S. Allied Dental Graduating Student Survey.
To create the report, released this month, the ADEA surveyed 2,773 students graduating from 264 allied dental programs between April 7 and June 29. The report includes data on learning experiences, education debt, funding sources and future career plans.
Here is the total amount of education debt dental assisting and hygiene graduates accumulated before and during their programs:
| Amount of debt | Dental Assisting | Dental hygiene |
| No debt | 75% | 48.2% |
| Up to $9,999 | 13.2% | 10.5% |
| $10,000 to $49,999 | 9.9% | 27.6% |
| $50,000 to $99,999 | 1.4% | 10.1% |
| $100,000 to $149,999 | N/A | 2.8% |
| $150,000 to $199,999 | N/A | 0.4% |
| $200,000 to $249,999 | N/A | N/A |
| $250,000 to $299,999 | N/A | N/A |
| $300,000 to $349,999 | N/A | N/A |
