The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) 2013 survey of seniors graduating from U.S. dental schools found that the average educational debt (college and dental school combined) reported by the students surveyed totaled more than $215,000 -- about 10% more than the class of 2012 reported (Journal of Dental Education, August 2014, Vol. 78:8, pp. 1214-1236).
While seniors who attended private or private state-related schools faced smaller-than-average increases in debt in 2013, they graduated with more than $249,000 in debt, on average, while those graduating from public schools owed just over $189,000, according to the ADEA.
The survey found that 40% of the seniors said they decided to pursue a career in dentistry before entering college. The top three reasons cited as "very important" to their decision to enter the field were having control over their work schedule; providing service to others; and the opportunity for self-employment.
The ADEA surveys graduating students each year to ask questions regarding their decision to pursue a dental career, how they financed their education, how much education-related debt they have assumed, and their plans following graduation.
More than half of the graduating seniors who completed the survey identified themselves as white, with Asians accounting for about 20% of students and other racial and racial/ethnic minorities accounting for about 12% of students. The seniors were almost evenly split between men and women, and most came from well-educated families in which one or both parents held a college or higher degree.
The report, "Annual ADEA Survey of Dental School Seniors: 2013 Graduating Class," offers additional findings and more than 40 charts, highlighting 2013 graduates' opinions about school curricula, extramural rotations, public policy and more.
