Home › California › Dental Assisting schools
101 schools in California offer dental assisting-related programs, compared below on official cost, completion, and earnings data. Prefer to earn while you learn? 8 registered apprenticeship sponsors in California train dental assisting apprentices — see apprenticeships.
California licenses Registered Dental Assistants (RDAs) through the Dental Board of California; unlicensed assistants may do basic supportive work but cannot perform expanded duties like pit-and-fissure sealants. RDA licensure takes one of seven pathways — including a board-approved program, 15 months (1,280 hours) of on-the-job experience, or DANB CDA certification — plus required courses (32-hour radiation safety, 12-hour coronal polishing, 16-hour sealants, 8-hour infection control, 2-hour Dental Practice Act, BLS) and a 150-question combined written and law/ethics exam through PSI. The earn-while-you-learn route is fully recognized, so school is optional.
Official source: Dental Board of California · Exam: RDA Combined Written and Law & Ethics Examination — 150-question, 3-hour computer-based exam administered by PSI · Typical requirement: One of seven pathways: board-approved RDA program; 15 months/1,280 hours of work experience; DANB CDA certification; 500-hour alternative program + 300 clinical hours; preceptorship (new July 2025); non-approved education + experience totaling 15 months; or active RDH license. All routes also require board-approved courses: Radiation Safety (32 hrs), Coronal Polishing (12 hrs), Pit & Fissure Sealants (16 hrs), Infection Control (8 hrs), CA Dental Practice Act (2 hrs), plus current BLS.
| School | City | Type | Net price / yr | Completion | Earnings (10 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College of San Mateo | San Mateo | public | $536 | 30.9% | $54,172 |
| Imperial Valley College | Imperial | public | $1,115 | 40.2% | $34,487 |
| Cerritos College | Norwalk | public | $2,424 | 30.2% | $41,156 |
| Taft College | Taft | public | $2,823 | 10.8% | $38,861 |
| Shasta College | Redding | public | $2,878 | 24.5% | $39,269 |
| Pasadena City College | Pasadena | public | $3,864 | 32.7% | $43,937 |
| Hacienda La Puente Adult Education | La Puente | public | $3,536 | 82.7% | $39,271 |
| Citrus College | Glendora | public | $4,135 | 35.4% | $42,065 |
| Cypress College | Cypress | public | $4,606 | 29.9% | $43,533 |
| Moreno Valley College | Moreno Valley | public | $6,483 | 24.6% | $52,133 |
| Allan Hancock College | Santa Maria | public | $5,383 | 25.7% | $42,786 |
| San Diego Mesa College | San Diego | public | $5,814 | 23.1% | $45,120 |
| Chaffey College | Rancho Cucamonga | public | $5,672 | 27.3% | $42,975 |
| Santa Rosa Junior College | Santa Rosa | public | $6,331 | 35% | $47,224 |
| Foothill College | Los Altos Hills | public | $7,653 | 25.3% | $57,072 |
| Palomar College | San Marcos | public | $5,763 | 24.6% | $42,300 |
| City College of San Francisco | San Francisco | public | $6,906 | 22.5% | $45,805 |
| Orange Coast College | Costa Mesa | public | $7,203 | 32.9% | $47,348 |
| Sacramento City College | Sacramento | public | $6,614 | 18.9% | $42,214 |
| Diablo Valley College | Pleasant Hill | public | $8,312 | 32.6% | $51,378 |
| Los Medanos College | Pittsburg | public | $7,443 | 31.3% | $42,454 |
| Reedley College | Reedley | public | $6,814 | 30.4% | $38,493 |
| Chabot College | Hayward | public | $9,053 | 24.6% | $48,143 |
| College of the Redwoods | Eureka | public | $6,904 | 25.3% | $36,243 |
| Mt. Diablo Adult Education-Mt. Diablo USD | Concord | public | $7,760 | 75% | $40,175 |
| College of Alameda | Alameda | public | $8,496 | 20.9% | $42,563 |
| Fresno City College | Fresno | public | $8,069 | 24.7% | $37,361 |
| Contra Costa College | San Pablo | public | $9,490 | 23.7% | $40,850 |
| West Los Angeles College | Culver City | public | $9,634 | 18.2% | $38,537 |
| Monterey Peninsula College | Monterey | public | $11,373 | 16.2% | $42,176 |
| Los Angeles City College | Los Angeles | public | $10,261 | 20.2% | $36,190 |
| Central California School of Continuing Education | San Luis Obispo | private for-profit | $11,840 | 87% | $41,223 |
| College of Marin | Kentfield | public | $12,351 | 19.3% | $42,654 |
| Downey Adult School | Downey | public | $13,695 | 45.6% | $46,851 |
| Southwestern College | Chula Vista | public | $12,671 | 29.5% | $40,060 |
| Unitek College | Fremont | private for-profit | $25,179 | 76.7% | $79,550 |
| Cabrillo College | Aptos | public | $15,843 | 26% | $44,114 |
| San Jose City College | San Jose | public | $16,959 | 24.6% | $46,215 |
| Healthcare Career College | Paramount | private for-profit | $13,756 | 88.9% | $32,613 |
| Stellar Career College | Modesto | private for-profit | $13,083 | 80.7% | $30,337 |
| Concorde Career College-North Hollywood | North Hollywood | private for-profit | $23,984 | 78.2% | $50,552 |
| Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts | San Jose | private for-profit | $32,427 | 71.8% | $66,844 |
| Palladium Technical Academy Inc | Temple City | private for-profit | $18,756 | 86.6% | $34,799 |
| Concorde Career College-Garden Grove | Garden Grove | private for-profit | $24,698 | 84.4% | $45,711 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield | Bakersfield | private for-profit | $23,351 | 58.1% | $38,317 |
| CBD College | Los Angeles | private nonprofit | $23,033 | 83.9% | $37,237 |
| American College of Healthcare and Technology | Riverside | private for-profit | $19,649 | 79.7% | $31,109 |
| Concorde Career College-San Diego | San Diego | private for-profit | $25,394 | 76.8% | $39,169 |
| Concorde Career College-San Bernardino | San Bernardino | private for-profit | $26,029 | 80% | $39,993 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Hesperia | Hesperia | private for-profit | $25,496 | 54.7% | $38,317 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Temecula | Temecula | private for-profit | $25,869 | 76.5% | $38,317 |
| Blake Austin College | Vacaville | private for-profit | $29,136 | 81.3% | $42,518 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Ontario | Ontario | private for-profit | $27,024 | 72.9% | $38,317 |
| Pima Medical Institute-San Marcos | San Marcos | private for-profit | $27,365 | 65.1% | $38,673 |
| North-West College-Anaheim | Anaheim | private for-profit | $28,922 | 53.5% | $39,876 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia | Visalia | private for-profit | $27,854 | 52.2% | $38,317 |
| Pima Medical Institute-Chula Vista | Chula Vista | private for-profit | $28,561 | 75.9% | $38,673 |
| Milan Institute-Visalia | Visalia | private for-profit | $24,040 | 49.6% | $32,493 |
| Summit College | San Bernardino | private for-profit | $29,926 | 66.6% | $40,187 |
| PCI College | Cerritos | private for-profit | $27,439 | 75.4% | $36,141 |
| InterCoast Colleges-West Covina | West Covina | private for-profit | $27,536 | 67.2% | $36,089 |
| North-West College-Pomona | Pomona | private for-profit | $30,851 | 67.5% | $39,876 |
| North-West College-West Covina | West Covina | private for-profit | $30,332 | 67.1% | $37,542 |
| American Career College-Anaheim | Anaheim | private for-profit | $31,218 | 68.8% | $38,430 |
| North-West College-Riverside | Riverside | private for-profit | $33,139 | 62.1% | $39,876 |
| Milan Institute-Palm Desert | Palm Desert | private for-profit | $24,730 | 52.3% | $29,491 |
| American Career College-Los Angeles | Los Angeles | private for-profit | $32,408 | 70.8% | $38,430 |
| UEI College-Ontario | Ontario | private for-profit | $26,394 | 60.9% | $31,141 |
| California Healing Arts College | Carson | private for-profit | $21,504 | 64.4% | $25,151 |
| American Career College-Ontario | Ontario | private for-profit | $33,431 | 70.6% | $38,492 |
| UEI College-West Covina | West Covina | private for-profit | $27,414 | 65.7% | $31,141 |
| UEI College-Reseda | Reseda | private for-profit | $27,464 | 71.8% | $31,141 |
| UEI College-Garden Grove | Garden Grove | private for-profit | $28,182 | 63% | $31,141 |
| UEI College-Stockton | Stockton | private for-profit | $28,455 | 64.9% | $31,141 |
| UEI College-Chula Vista | Chula Vista | private for-profit | $28,606 | 67.9% | $31,141 |
| Carrington College-San Jose | San Jose | private for-profit | $36,466 | 76.1% | $39,633 |
| UEI College-Sacramento | Sacramento | private for-profit | $28,670 | 57.6% | $30,848 |
| UEI College-Gardena | Gardena | private for-profit | $28,691 | 66.9% | $30,848 |
| UEI College-Huntington Park | Huntington Park | private for-profit | $29,145 | 65.2% | $31,141 |
| UEI College-Oceanside | Oceanside | private for-profit | $29,253 | 67.3% | $31,141 |
| Milan Institute-Merced | Merced | private for-profit | $23,396 | 50.4% | $24,879 |
| Carrington College-Stockton | Stockton | private for-profit | $37,481 | 69.5% | $39,633 |
| North-West College-Glendale | Glendale | private for-profit | $35,763 | 58.5% | $37,542 |
| UEI College-Riverside | Riverside | private for-profit | $29,702 | 64% | $30,848 |
| UEI College-Bakersfield | Bakersfield | private for-profit | $27,257 | 65.2% | $27,688 |
| North-West College-Van Nuys | Van Nuys | private for-profit | $31,999 | 61.3% | $32,488 |
| Carrington College-Pleasant Hill Campus | Pleasant Hill | private for-profit | $39,357 | 73.5% | $39,633 |
| Carrington College-San Leandro Campus | San Leandro | private for-profit | $39,675 | 71.7% | $39,633 |
| UEI College-Fresno | Fresno | private for-profit | $28,282 | 58.2% | $27,688 |
| Carrington College-Sacramento | Sacramento | private for-profit | $41,338 | 71.3% | $39,633 |
| Glendale Career College | Glendale | private for-profit | $49,195 | 51.5% | $41,472 |
| Career Care Institute | Lancaster | private for-profit | $50,201 | 77.5% | $39,888 |
| National Career College | Panorama City | private for-profit | $27,850 | 68.9% | $19,347 |
| Oxnard College | Oxnard | public | $-1,128 | 27.1% | $41,393 |
| Galaxy Medical College | North Hollywood | private for-profit | $11,687 | 95.2% | not reported |
| Riverside County Office of Education-School of Career Education | Riverside | public | $19,842 | 82.8% | not reported |
| California Career Institute | Anaheim | private for-profit | not reported | 85.8% | not reported |
| High Desert Medical College | Lancaster | private for-profit | $29,627 | 73.2% | not reported |
| Butte County Regional Occupational Program | Chico | public | $15,737 | 79.6% | not reported |
| ABC Adult School | Cerritos | public | $12,465 | 28.3% | not reported |
| Contra Costa Medical Career College | Antioch | private for-profit | not reported | 100% | not reported |
Ranking = median earnings 10 years after entry per $1,000 of average yearly net price (methodology). Schools without both figures sort last — "not reported" means the federal dataset lacks the value, not that the school is bad.
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