USC First YR Cost of Attendance $168k 2023-2024

[Cold Front]

Another year, another insane tuition and fees.

2012: $114k (4% increase)
2013: $123k (8%)
2014: $127k (3%)
2015: $130k (2%)
2016: $134k (3%)
2017: $137k (2%)
2018: $140k (2%)
2019: $149k (6%)
2020: $152k (2%) (COVID-19, full remote learning)
2022: $154k (1%)
2023: $162k (5%)
2024: $168k (4%)

*Plus interest rates of 6.54% for direct loans and 7.54% direct plus.

*Doesn’t include origination fees (1-4%).

*The post-doc programs fees are also up. Will cost additional $400-450k to specialize at this institution.

This program is on track to be at 200k first year COA in 5 years. People are still in line to apply.

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[Ryxndek]

That is insane, students are literally being robbed

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

Big Hoss

 

[axiumgod]

Makes me cringe

 

[Cold Front]

That is insane, students are literally being robbed

Pre-dents are going for it, because it’s a ticket to be a dentist anyways.

 

[Cold Front]

View attachment 368935

Big Hoss

When will the blind folds come off?

 

[Cold Front]

Makes me cringe

It’s 750-800k in loans with the interest to graduate from this program, just to get their DDS degree. That price is for the freshmen class starting this fall. Next year’s D1s will add 50k in debt to get the same diploma.

 

[D1Bound]

Another year, another insane tuition and fees.

2012: $114k (4% increase)
2013: $123k (8%)
2014: $127k (3%)
2015: $130k (2%)
2016: $134k (3%)
2017: $137k (2%)
2018: $140k (2%)
2019: $149k (6%)
2020: $152k (2%) (COVID-19, full remote learning)
2022: $154k (1%)
2023: $162k (5%)
2024: $168k (4%)

*Plus interest rates of 6.54% for direct loans and 7.54% direct plus.

*Doesn’t include origination fees (1-4%).

*The post-doc programs fees are also up. Will cost additional $400-450k to specialize at this institution.

This program is on track to be at 200k first year COA in 5 years. People are still in line to apply.

There are only so many hours in the day to work, only so many crowns to cut, and only a certain amount of years a person is willing to live below their means in order to successfully justify this asinine amount of debt. This is loony toons to charge this much. And for what? To go work for Aspen? When will students stop applying to this program?

 

[juniordentist]

Someone needs to do a comparison of someone who graduates high-school, does undergrad, then dental school here, vs someone who goes straight into hygiene. Hygienist wages have gone up so much.
Would it be a better financial decision to become a hygienist?

 

[LFA20]

Someone needs to do a comparison of someone who graduates high-school, does undergrad, then dental school here, vs someone who goes straight into hygiene. Hygienist wages have gone up so much.
Would it be a better financial decision to become a hygienist?

CS, engineering, nursing, PA worth looking into as well.

 

[DrJeff]

Modern big business academia (since that's what it is today, BIG BUSINESS) has some serious problems that need to be addressed. And the fact that all too often they prey on the ignornace of their "customers" (since that's what those who matriculate there are at the end of the day) who don't understand the financial ramifications of what they are getting themselves into (and BIG EDUCATION knows this), makes it even worse, especially with the flat to negative trends that many in the profession are experiencing the last few years. It's basically going to drive the majority of grads in the future into a corporate model (more big business) which will ulitmately decrease the autonomy that clinicians have had, and enjoyed. Pretty easy to see that the profession is likely accelerating down that proverbial slipperly slope that many of us who have been practicing for a while can see will change things, and likely not for the better, in the future

 

[Cold Front]

Modern big business academia (since that's what it is today, BIG BUSINESS) has some serious problems that need to be addressed. And the fact that all too often they prey on the ignornace of their "customers" (since that's what those who matriculate there are at the end of the day) who don't understand the financial ramifications of what they are getting themselves into (and BIG EDUCATION knows this), makes it even worse, especially with the flat to negative trends that many in the profession are experiencing the last few years. It's basically going to drive the majority of grads in the future into a corporate model (more big business) which will ulitmately decrease the autonomy that clinicians have had, and enjoyed. Pretty easy to see that the profession is likely accelerating down that proverbial slipperly slope that many of us who have been practicing for a while can see will change things, and likely not for the better, in the future

Pharmacy school enrollment is down. But new dental schools are still popping up and filling their classes easily. Which tells us that we still have a long way to go based on the tuition increases. We will probably see 1M+ in student loans before DS applications cool off. Probably in 5-10 years.

 

[SigmaFS]

The underlying problems:

1. Unlimited capital in the form Federal Direct Loans.
2. The Income Driven Repayments plans make the monthly payments manageable regardless of the outstanding balance.

Until these issues are addressed, the graduate education industrial complex is not incentivized to control costs.

 

[allantois]

Honestly even if parents can pay for this BS, they would be better off putting money in a fund/buying a dental office and hiring one of the USC dentists..

 

[allantois]

I’ve said this before, if we cannot provide affordable education in this country, shut those places down and outsource to other countries/relax regulations for foreign-trained dentists to obtain licenses here

 

[D1Bound]

Pharmacy school enrollment is down. But new dental schools are still popping up and filling their classes easily. Which tells us that we still have a long way to go based on the tuition increases. We will probably see 1M+ in student loans before DS applications cool off. Probably in 5-10 years.

lol then more million dollar schools will all pivot to 3 year curriculums to make it seem worth it

 

[Undecided__]

Oh, Don't worry they'll pay it back in no time... (That's what admin tells students)..

Future Dental Students, please look at how this will impact you in the next 10 or so years. Think about what your life is going to be like, not how it went for other dentists.. Especially, if you want to have kids or just hate dentistry. You won't know if you hate dentistry until you're in dental school. I know a dentist now who owes $100k; he said he could pay it off, but he's choosing not to because he wants to do other things in life, like start a family, buy a house, etc.

 

[Cold Front]

lol then more million dollar schools will all pivot to 3 year curriculums to make it seem worth it

I find it interesting that schools like USC raised their tuition and fees close to 50% over 12 yrs… while the average GP dentist income barely moved the needle, maybe 20% at best in rural areas. The next 12 years will just mean an exponentially much wider margin.

Imagine being a fly on the wall at the financial aid office at these programs… the people who work there are probably wondering how could a smart student with a high GPA got into their uber expensive program and got duped to borrow over 800k in student debt? It’s probably an inside joke at those circles.

Also… the Fed direct loans come with 6 months grace period between graduation and the first payment on the student loans. That’s additional tens of thousands of dollars in interest accrued that gets added to the insane debt during that grace period. It will be hard to look at the balance every month from there. That’s close to 6k a month for the maximum 25 yrs repayment plan. Anything shorter like 10 yrs would mean 10k/month post tax. Imagine what these numbers would look like 5-10 yrs from now… it would mean an average and relatively new dentist income would not be able to support the student debt payments. Some student loan calculators out there can’t even compute those numbers.

 

[D1Bound]

I find it interesting that schools like USC raised their tuition and fees close to 50% over 12 yrs… while the average GP dentist income barely moved the needle, maybe 20% at best in rural areas. The next 12 years will just mean an exponentially much wider margin.

Imagine being a fly on the wall at the financial aid office at these programs… the people who work there are probably wondering how could a smart student with a high GPA got into their uber expensive program and got duped to borrow over 800k in student debt? It’s probably an inside joke at those circles.

Also… the Fed direct loans come with 6 months grace period between graduation and the first payment on the student loans. That’s additional tens of thousands of dollars in interest accrued that gets added to the insane debt during that grace period. It will be hard to look at the balance every month from there. That’s close to 6k a month for the maximum 25 yrs repayment plan. Anything shorter like 10 yrs would mean 10k/month post tax. Imagine what these numbers would look like 5-10 yrs from now… it would mean an average and relatively new dentist income would not be able to support the student debt payments. Some student loan calculators out there can’t even compute those numbers.

Do you have the cost of attendance spread sheet?

 

[Cold Front]

Do you have the cost of attendance spread sheet?

I do not, but it will be available on the USC website soon.

I have a friend who tracks these numbers. I think he reached out to USC financial aid or through someone he knows at USC. I think he said 2023/2024 base tuition is about 116k or so + related fees (supplies, health insurance, books, etc) at 20k or so + another 30k or so for cost of living (transportation, room & board, etc). Which comes out to be close to 170k for the first year of school. Not sure what the other years will cost. But I’m sure the total first year will be 175k for next year’s D1, over 180k the year after, close to 190k after that… and arriving or passing 200k in just 4-5 application cycles from now. It’s a runaway train at this point.

Inflation was nearly 9% last year, and I’m sure it was even higher in California, it’s an expensive state. Can a student find an apartment, pay utilities, daily commuting costs, groceries, eating out, clubbing, going back to visit parents during holiday breaks, date someone, Uber rides, emergency funds, etc all for $2,500 a month budget that USC is estimating?. Probably, but not all students will. If inflation stays high, students will be looking at more cost of living expenses over the next few years/during school.