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Dental Assisting Schools in Texas
49 schools in Texas offer dental assisting-related programs, compared below on official cost, completion, and earnings data. Prefer to earn while you learn? 17 registered apprenticeship programs in Texas train dental assisting apprentices — see apprenticeships.
Occupation pay is what working dental assisting professionals in Texas earn (all experience levels) — school "earnings" figures above are medians for each school's recent federally-aided students across all its programs, which read lower.
Dental Assisting licensing in Texas: No license required
Texas does not license entry-level chairside dental assistants, but you must register with the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners and hold a Dental Assistant Radiology Certificate before positioning or exposing x-rays — a standard duty in nearly every dental assisting job. Registration requires a high school diploma or GED, a hands-on CPR/BLS course, a fingerprint background check, a human trafficking prevention course, and passing a board-approved radiology course and exam (or holding DANB CDA certification plus the TSBDE jurisprudence assessment). No dental assisting school is required — most Texas assistants qualify on the job plus the short board-approved course.
Official source: Texas State Board of Dental Examiners (TSBDE) · Exam: Exam administered by the TSBDE-approved course provider covering radiology, infection control, and Texas jurisprudence; alternative route via DANB CDA + TSBDE Jurisprudence Assessment · Typical requirement: High school diploma or GED; hands-on BLS/CPR course (online not accepted); fingerprint criminal background check; HHS-approved human trafficking prevention course; then either a TSBDE-approved radiology course + exam, or current DANB CDA certification + TSBDE Jurisprudence Assessment. No dental-assisting school required.
Official license records related to dental assisting in Texas
From the U.S. Department of Labor's License Finder — these may include contractor, specialty, or related licenses beyond entry-level requirements:
- DENTAL HYGIENIST — Texas State Board of Dental Examiners
- Racing -- Equine Dental Provider — Texas Racing Commission
- EQUINE DENTAL PROVIDER (EDP) — Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners
- PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT — Texas Medical Board
- RADIOLOGIST ASSISTANT — Texas Medical Board
- SURGICAL ASSISTANT — Texas Medical Board
Wage and license data provided by CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA) and Minnesota DEED.
Schools, ranked by earnings per tuition dollar
| School | City | Type | Net price / yr | Completion | Earnings (10 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamar State College-Orange | Orange | public | $1,655 | 34.2% | $36,587 |
| Southwest College for the Deaf | Big Spring | public | $2,458 | 38.1% | $38,382 |
| Dallas College | Dallas | public | $3,214 | 22.8% | $41,714 |
| Del Mar College | Corpus Christi | public | $3,399 | 23.7% | $38,656 |
| El Paso Community College | El Paso | public | $3,206 | 24.1% | $35,212 |
| Tarrant County College District | Fort Worth | public | $4,337 | 24.5% | $42,727 |
| Wharton County Junior College | Wharton | public | $4,666 | 24.6% | $44,960 |
| Amarillo College | Amarillo | public | $4,600 | 35.8% | $41,302 |
| San Antonio College | San Antonio | public | $4,585 | 19.1% | $39,711 |
| Coastal Bend College | Beeville | public | $4,237 | 28.8% | $35,086 |
| Grayson College | Denison | public | $5,880 | 32.1% | $40,873 |
| Houston City College | Houston | public | $5,737 | 20.5% | $39,254 |
| Austin Community College District | Austin | public | $6,390 | 16.1% | $43,177 |
| Vernon College | Vernon | public | $6,404 | 28.9% | $40,464 |
| Jacksonville College-Main Campus | Jacksonville | private nonprofit | $6,157 | 34.1% | $38,885 |
| Howard College | Big Spring | public | $6,147 | 32.3% | $38,382 |
| Collin County Community College District | McKinney | public | $8,969 | 20.3% | $48,701 |
| Blinn College District | Brenham | public | $10,844 | 16.2% | $46,318 |
| Lone Star College System | The Woodlands | public | $11,252 | 20.2% | $42,466 |
| Tyler Junior College | Tyler | public | $10,206 | 26.2% | $38,140 |
| Temple College | Temple | public | $10,682 | 20.2% | $38,678 |
| Texas State Technical College | Waco | public | $13,508 | 40.4% | $38,916 |
| Lamar Institute of Technology | Beaumont | public | $13,866 | 37.2% | $38,991 |
| Navarro College | Corsicana | public | $14,820 | 26.5% | $38,716 |
| South Texas Vocational Technical Institute-Brownsville | Brownsville | private for-profit | $16,277 | 79% | $31,102 |
| Fortis Institute | Houston | private for-profit | $18,332 | 63.9% | $33,193 |
| Pima Medical Institute-Houston | Houston | private for-profit | $21,396 | 74.8% | $38,673 |
| Pima Medical Institute-San Antonio | San Antonio | private for-profit | $21,882 | 59.3% | $38,673 |
| South Texas Vocational Technical Institute-Weslaco | Weslaco | private for-profit | $17,925 | 79.2% | $31,102 |
| Concorde Career College-Dallas | Dallas | private for-profit | $25,299 | 76.8% | $42,456 |
| PCI Health Training Center | Dallas | private for-profit | $20,368 | 92.4% | $34,096 |
| Pima Medical Institute-El Paso | El Paso | private for-profit | $23,412 | 81.8% | $38,673 |
| Miller-Motte College-STVT-McAllen | McAllen | private for-profit | $20,008 | 80.5% | $31,102 |
| Miller-Motte College-STVT-Corpus Christi | Corpus Christi | private for-profit | $20,477 | 70.9% | $31,102 |
| Remington College-Houston Southeast Campus | League City | private nonprofit | $20,927 | 59.6% | $31,349 |
| The College of Health Care Professions-Dallas | Dallas | private for-profit | $27,411 | 75.8% | $38,922 |
| The College of Health Care Professions-Austin | Austin | private for-profit | $27,575 | 81.1% | $38,922 |
| Concorde Career College-San Antonio | San Antonio | private for-profit | $26,599 | 78.7% | $35,242 |
| Concorde Career College-Grand Prairie | Grand Prairie | private for-profit | $31,288 | 74.9% | $40,648 |
| The College of Health Care Professions-McAllen Campus | McAllen | private for-profit | $25,829 | 85.6% | $33,070 |
| Remington College-Fort Worth Campus | North Richland Hills | private nonprofit | $25,913 | 51.2% | $31,349 |
| The College of Health Care Professions-Fort Worth | Fort Worth | private for-profit | $27,606 | 83.4% | $33,070 |
| The College of Health Care Professions-Northwest | Houston | private for-profit | $27,830 | 73.3% | $33,070 |
| The College of Health Care Professions-Southwest Houston | Houston | private for-profit | $28,471 | 77.4% | $33,070 |
| The College of Health Care Professions-South San Antonio | San Antonio | private for-profit | $28,829 | 73.3% | $33,070 |
| College of Health Care Professions | Houston | private for-profit | $29,837 | 97.3% | $33,070 |
| Remington College-Dallas Campus | Dallas | private nonprofit | $29,805 | 56.1% | $31,349 |
| Milan Institute-Amarillo | Amarillo | private for-profit | $28,468 | 60.5% | $29,491 |
| Milan Institute-San Antonio Ingram | San Antonio | private for-profit | $27,022 | 60.5% | $24,879 |
Ranking = median earnings 10 years after entry per $1,000 of average yearly net price (methodology). Figures are institution-wide federal medians for each school as a whole — not dental assisting graduates specifically. Schools without both figures sort last — "not reported" means the federal dataset lacks the value, not that the school is bad.
Common questions: Dental Assisting school in Texas
- How much do Dental Assisting schools cost in Texas?
- The median annual net price (what students actually pay after aid) across 49 dental assisting schools in Texas is $16,277. Individual schools range widely — the table above shows each school's real cost, not sticker price.
- Do you need a license to work as a dental assisting in Texas?
- Texas does not license entry-level chairside dental assistants, but you must register with the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners and hold a Dental Assistant Radiology Certificate before positioning or exposing x-rays — a standard duty in nearly every dental assisting job. Registration requires a high school diploma or GED, a hands-on CPR/BLS course, a fingerprint background check, a human trafficking prevention course, and passing a board-approved radiology course and exam (or holding DANB CDA certification plus the TSBDE jurisprudence assessment). No dental assisting school is required — most Texas assistants qualify on the job plus the short board-approved course.
- Can you get paid to train as a dental assisting in Texas?
- Yes — Texas has 17 registered apprenticeship programs where you earn wages while you train instead of paying tuition. See the dental assisting apprenticeships page for the current list.
- What does a dental assisting earn in Texas?
- Working dental assisting professionals in Texas earn a median of $45,430 per year, ranging from about $35,400 to $57,640 (U.S. Department of Labor). This is what people in the job earn, which differs from a school's reported graduate-earnings figure.
Aid deadlines for dental assisting programs in Texas
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Dental Assisting schools in nearby states
- Dental Assisting schools in Arkansas
- Dental Assisting schools in Louisiana
- Dental Assisting schools in Oklahoma
- Dental Assisting schools in Alabama
- Dental Assisting schools in Alaska
- Dental Assisting schools in Arizona
- Dental Assisting schools in California
- Dental Assisting schools in Colorado
- Dental Assisting schools in Connecticut
- Dental Assisting schools in Delaware
See all states & the full dental assisting guide →