Philadelphia has several dental assistant training options, including 8-week, 12-week, online, 600-hour, and EFDA-focused programs.
Costs range from about $1,600 to more than $18,000.
Dental Assistants annual average salary in Pennsylvania is $40,728 - ABOVE U.S. AVERAGE!
#1 Community College of Philadelphia
Community College of Philadelphia is one of the most affordable dental assistant training options in the city.
It is a good fit for students who want a public college name, flexible training, and a lower-cost program.
Programs Offered
CCP offers a National Entry-Level Dental Assistant program and an online Clinical Dental Assistant course.
The entry-level program covers pre-clinical dental assisting, dental terminology, chairside assisting, patient care, infection control, dental office procedures, and professional skills.
Tuition and Cost
A practical budget may include:
- Program tuition: about $2,999
- Books and materials: ask if included
- Scrubs or uniform: about $50 to $150
- CPR or BLS: about $75 to $150 if separate
- Exam or certification fees: about $100 to $500
- Transportation: varies
Program Length
Program length may vary by format.
Online and continuing education dental assistant courses often take several months, depending on the schedule.
Address: 1700 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130
#2 Harcum College
Harcum College is located in Bryn Mawr, near Philadelphia.
It is a strong option for students who want a more complete dental assisting pathway with expanded functions training.
Programs Offered
Harcum offers a Dental Assisting with EFDA degree program.
The program includes chairside assisting, dental radiography, dental materials, infection control, patient care, dental office procedures, expanded functions, and clinical experience.
Harcum also offers an EFDA program for students who already have dental assisting experience.
Tuition and Cost
Students should request current full program pricing before applying.
A practical budget may include:
- Full dental assisting program: about $15,000 to $25,000 or more, depending on credits and fees
- EFDA program tuition: about $6,895
- Books and supplies: about $500 to $1,500
- Uniforms and lab materials: about $100 to $500
- Exam or licensing fees: about $200 to $700
- Transportation to clinical sites: varies
Program Length
The Dental Assisting with EFDA program spans about 3 semesters.
The EFDA program is usually shorter and may run across 2 semesters.
Address: 750 Montgomery AvenueBryn Mawr, PA 19010
#3 Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry and Harcum College
Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry offers a dental assistant clinical program in partnership with Harcum College.
It is a good fit for students who want training connected to a major dental school environment in Philadelphia.
Programs Offered
The program allows students to study and work in Temple Dental’s comprehensive care clinics.
Training may include chairside assisting, clinical dental procedures, infection control, patient care, dental radiography, dental office workflow, and hands-on practice in a dental school clinic setting.
Tuition and Cost
Students should ask for the current program cost before enrolling.
A practical budget may include:
- Tuition and fees: about $6,000 to $12,000
- Books and supplies: about $300 to $1,000
- Uniforms or scrubs: about $50 to $200
- Health requirements and CPR: about $100 to $300
- Exam or certification fees: about $200 to $700
- Transportation or parking: varies
Program Length
Students should confirm the current schedule directly.
Similar dental assistant clinical programs may run for several months.
Address: 3223 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19140
#4 Orleans Technical College
Orleans Technical College is a Philadelphia career training school operated by JEVS Human Services.
It offers healthcare and trades programs and may be useful for students looking for hands-on career training.
Programs Offered
Orleans Tech has offered dental assisting-related training as part of its healthcare career programs.
Students should confirm current dental assisting availability before applying.
Training may include chairside assisting, dental terminology, dental instruments, sterilization, patient care, and dental office skills.
Tuition and Cost
Students should request a current tuition sheet.
A practical private career-school budget may include:
- Tuition and fees: about $8,000 to $15,000
- Books and supplies: about $500 to $1,200
- Uniforms: about $50 to $200
- Lab materials: ask if included
- CPR or certification fees: about $75 to $300
- Transportation: varies
Program Length
Students should confirm the current schedule.
Many career-school dental assisting programs run about 6 to 12 months.
Address: 2770 Red Lion Road, Philadelphia, PA 19114
#5 Aspire Dental Assistant Academy
Aspire Dental Assistant Academy offers dental assistant training in Pennsylvania and may be an option for Philadelphia-area students, depending on current class locations.
It is a good fit for students who want a short program with online lessons and in-person clinic sessions.
Programs Offered
Aspire offers a 12-week dental assistant training program.
Students complete online lectures, exams, and homework, then attend in-person clinic classes.
Training includes chairside assisting, dental terminology, infection control, sterilization, patient care, dental materials, and office basics.
Tuition and Cost
Students should confirm current Philadelphia-area pricing before enrolling.
A practical short-program budget may include:
- Tuition: about $3,000 to $6,500
- Books and supplies: about $100 to $500
- Scrubs or uniform: about $50 to $150
- CPR or BLS: about $75 to $150
- Exam or certification fees: about $100 to $500
- Registration or deposit: varies
Program Length
The program takes about 12 weeks.
Address: 510 Darby Rd.Havertown, PA 19083
#6 Shark Dental Academy, Abington
Shark Dental Academy is located in Abington, just north of Philadelphia.
It is a short-program option for students who want hands-on training in a real dental office setting.
Programs Offered
The school offers a Dental Assisting program.
Training includes chairside assisting, dental instruments, sterilization, dental materials, patient care, dental office basics, and hands-on clinical skills.
Tuition and Cost
Students should confirm current tuition before enrolling.
A practical budget may include:
- Tuition: about $2,500 to $5,000
- Books and supplies: about $100 to $500
- Scrubs or uniform: about $50 to $150
- CPR or certification fees: about $75 to $300
- Exam or application fees: about $100 to $500
Program Length
The program can be completed in about 8 weeks.
Address: 1755 Old York Rd, Abington, PA 19001, United States
#7 COYS Dental Academy
COYS Dental Academy is a Philadelphia-area dental assistant school for students who want a short classroom program followed by externship experience.
It is a good fit for students who want hands-on exposure before applying for dental office jobs.
Programs Offered
The program includes dental assisting instruction followed by a clinical externship.
Students study chairside assisting, dental terminology, infection control, sterilization, patient care, dental instruments, and dental office procedures.
Tuition and Cost
Students should confirm current pricing before enrolling.
A practical short-program budget may include:
- Tuition: about $3,000 to $6,500
- Books and supplies: about $100 to $500
- Uniforms: about $50 to $150
- CPR or certification fees: about $75 to $300
- Exam or application fees: about $100 to $500
- Transportation to externship: varies
Program Length
The classroom portion takes about 12 weeks.
The externship requires at least 150 hours and may take 3 to 12 months to complete.
Address: 100 E Penn Square, Suite 400Philadelphia, PA 19107
#8 Bucks County Community College
Bucks County Community College is located outside Philadelphia and may be useful for students in Bucks County, northeast Philadelphia, and nearby suburbs.
Eligible students may qualify for funded training.
Programs Offered
The school offers a Dental Assistant program through workforce training.
The program covers chairside assisting, dental terminology, infection control, dental office procedures, patient care, radiographs, and office administrative tasks.
Tuition and Cost
The program may be free for eligible students who qualify for workforce funding.
A practical budget may include:
- Tuition: $0 for eligible funded students
- Tuition without funding: ask for current pricing
- Books and supplies: ask if included
- Uniforms: about $50 to $150
- CPR or BLS: about $75 to $150 if separate
- Transportation: varies
Program Length
Students should confirm the current class schedule before applying.
Workforce dental assistant programs often run from several weeks to several months.
Address: 275 Swamp RoadNewtown, PA 18940
Schools Summary Table
Pennsylvania Salary by Metro Area
This table provides a breakdown of average salaries by metro area, showing how wages differ across regions within the state using recent BLS data.
| Metro Area | Employed | Avg. Annual | Avg. Hourly | Top 10% | Bottom 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 1,080 | $50,020 | $24.05 | $60,100 | $36,920 |
| Altoona, PA | 100 | $43,700 | $21.01 | $56,650 | $34,370 |
| Chambersburg, PA | 130 | $47,700 | $22.93 | $60,320 | $35,910 |
| Erie, PA | 190 | $43,580 | $20.95 | $58,620 | $34,750 |
| Gettysburg, PA | 80 | $46,560 | $22.38 | $58,930 | $35,330 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | 640 | $48,560 | $23.35 | $59,110 | $37,250 |
| Johnstown, PA | 110 | $42,990 | $20.67 | $55,700 | $35,230 |
| Lancaster, PA | 650 | $48,670 | $23.40 | $59,030 | $36,570 |
| Lebanon, PA | 90 | $48,840 | $23.48 | $58,470 | $37,200 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 6,790 | $51,850 | $24.93 | $63,510 | $38,650 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 2,380 | $50,630 | $24.34 | $76,860 | $36,300 |
| Reading, PA | 430 | $47,590 | $22.88 | $61,500 | $37,750 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | 430 | $44,020 | $21.16 | $57,550 | $34,140 |
| State College, PA | 150 | $46,620 | $22.41 | $57,780 | $35,490 |
| Williamsport, PA | 80 | $46,830 | $22.52 | $58,440 | $33,880 |
| York-Hanover, PA | 310 | $47,910 | $23.04 | $59,450 | $36,830 |
* Employment conditions may vary by location.
Schools by City in Pennsylvania
