Doctoral (Professional)+4% vs national median1,236 grads tracked
Dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University
Ranked 5th of 22 doctoral (professional) programs in Dentistry by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$107,839
middle 50%: $67,830 – $156,875
Median · 5 years out
$175,347
middle 50%: $119,683 – $256,804
Median · 10 years out
$179,353
middle 50%: $111,042 – $293,323
Salary trajectory
Median earnings vs the national median for Dentistry (doctoral (professional)) graduates.
This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates
Dentistry professionals from this university command a median first-year salary of $108k. Earnings climb significantly to $179k by the ten-year mark.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau PSEO, release V4.13.0 2025Q4. Earnings are for graduates working in covered states; figures are medians in nominal dollars.
Will the degree pay for itself?
Drag the sliders — payback uses this program's actual salary curve.
Assumes a 6.5% APR loan and this program's median salary trajectory (interpolated between years 1, 5 and 10).
Paid off in
2.8 yrs
≈ $2,919 total interest
Same major at other universities
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
$192,150 · 5 yrs out
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
$190,811 · 5 yrs out
East Carolina University
$186,392 · 5 yrs out
University of Oklahoma - Health Sciences Center
$181,574 · 5 yrs out
Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis
$175,270 · 5 yrs out
University of Iowa
$173,339 · 5 yrs out
University of Alabama at Birmingham
$171,818 · 5 yrs out
State University of New York at Buffalo
$170,712 · 5 yrs out
University of Missouri - Kansas City
$170,620 · 5 yrs out
Ohio State University (The)
$168,256 · 5 yrs out
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
$168,009 · 5 yrs out
West Virginia University
$165,016 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at Virginia Commonwealth University
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Doctorate)
$157,685 · 5 yrs out
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctorate)
$154,279 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Doctorate)
$152,472 · 5 yrs out
Medicine (Doctorate)
$131,725 · 5 yrs out
Engineering (Doctorate)
$130,026 · 5 yrs out
Physical Sciences (Doctorate)
$128,182 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Master's)
$123,259 · 5 yrs out
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Master's)
$122,217 · 5 yrs out
Physical Sciences (Master's)
$105,799 · 5 yrs out
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs (Master's)
$105,500 · 5 yrs out
Education (Doctorate)
$105,054 · 5 yrs out
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's)
$104,709 · 5 yrs out
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