MedCerts charges $4,000 and preps the RDA through AMT. Preppy charges $1,599, preps the DANB NELDA — the credential most state dental boards recognise — and hands you an Auburn University certificate.
The winner
Preppy wins four of the six categories we scored.
Get Your Preppy Discount Code
Reveal the code and open Preppy — it applies at checkout on either payment option.
NELDA exam fee is not included in Preppy tuition — budget for it separately.
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The Verdict on Dental Assistant Training
Six categories decide which dental assistant program is the better buy. Preppy takes four, MedCerts takes one, and the four Preppy wins are the ones that determine whether your certificate turns into a job.
Final score across the six dental assistant program categories above.
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Your dental assistant certificate comes from a university
Preppy’s Dental Assistant program is delivered with Auburn University, Office of Professional and Continuing Education, an accredited nonprofit. Your Certificate of Completion carries the institution’s name — a credential you frame, and one that lets you tell a hiring manager you trained through a university.
MedCerts issues its own certificate for its dental assistant program. It is a well-known training company, but that credential is only ever worth what its name means to the person reading your résumé.
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Externship placement, not a reading list
Neither the NELDA nor this role strictly requires clinical hours, but experience is what separates two otherwise identical résumés. Preppy runs an Externship Match Program into its healthcare employer network; MedCerts includes no placement at all.
You choose between externship placement and direct job placement assistance — one or the other, included either way.
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Self-paced dental assistant training, no weekly hour expectation
You cover chairside assisting, dental radiography, infection control, instrument transfer and patient charting on your own clock. Preppy’s program is 100% self-paced across about 4 months with a full year of access; MedCerts’ 14 weeks assumes 15 to 20 hours every week — a commitment to plan your life around.
Most people training for dental assistant work already have a job. If you can give it twenty hours one week and four the next, self-paced is the difference between finishing and quitting.
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MedCerts covers your RDA exam fee. Preppy doesn't.
Every MedCerts exam is paid for inside tuition. With Preppy you register and pay the DANB directly. The DANB lists that application at $400. Even with it added, Preppy comes in about $2,001 lower.
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The two programs target different credentials
These two programs do not prepare you for the same credential. Preppy preps the NELDA from DANB, the body most state dental boards recognise. MedCerts preps the RDA from AMT. Check which one your state board and your target employers accept before you choose — this matters more than the price difference.
Preppy wins the dental assistant package, not just the price
It would be easy to read this as a price comparison. It isn’t. Preppy is cheaper — $1,599 against $4,000 — but the reason it wins the dental assistant comparison is what that buys alongside the coursework: a certificate issued by an accredited nonprofit university, a match into its clinical employer network, a schedule that bends around a working week, and a refund window if you change your mind.
Dental assisting is the one page in this set where the two programs target different credentials. Settle which one your state board accepts before price enters the conversation.
Where MedCerts earns its price: it pays for your RDA exam, and its Career Center stays open to you for a year after you finish.
What each Dental Assistant program actually costs
Published tuition, with exam fees accounted for, so both columns mean the same thing.
Photo: student studying online
The comparison
MedCerts charges one flat $4,000 with every exam fee inside it. Preppy charges $1,599 and bills the NELDA separately.
Neither qualifies for federal financial aid. Both offer interest-free monthly plans — Preppy at $299 × 6.
The OnlineDegree.com reader discount is applied by Preppy at checkout and is not counted here, so the real gap on a dental assistant program is wider than the figure on the right.
Total to certified
- MedCerts tuition (exams included)
- $4,000
- Preppy tuition, paid in full
- $1,599
- NELDA exam fee, paid to the DANB
- + $400
- Preppy total
- $1,999
- You could save choosing Preppy
- $2,001
Published tuition as of October 2026. The DANB lists the NELDA exam application at $400; MedCerts includes exam fees in tuition and Preppy does not. Excludes scrubs and any background check a clinical site requires.
Key facts about becoming a Dental Assistant
Photo: dental assistant at work
After adding the NELDA exam fee to Preppy’s side to match MedCerts’ all-in price.
Fully self-paced. MedCerts estimates 14 weeks at 15–20 hrs/week.
Students find their own site. Preppy matches you into its employer network.
Cancel within 30 days for a full refund.
- Preppy’s certificate is issued by Auburn University, Office of Professional and Continuing Education, an accredited nonprofit institution. MedCerts issues its own credential.
- Neither program requires prior healthcare experience. A high school diploma or GED is the only admission requirement at both.
- The DANB lists the NELDA exam application at $400. MedCerts includes it in tuition; Preppy does not.
Facts verified October 6, 2026 against the sources at the bottom of this page.
Side-by-side Dental Assistant comparison
| Category | Preppy | MedCerts |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $1,599 or $299 × 6 | $4,000 |
| Length | about 4 months, fully self-paced | 14 weeks at 15–20 hrs/week |
| Certificate issued by | Auburn University OPCE accredited nonprofit institution | MedCerts — no university partner |
| Exam prepared for | NELDA (DANB) | RDA (AMT) |
| Exam fee | Not included $400 to the DANB | Included |
| Clinical hours required | None required for certification | None required |
| Externship placement | Included Externship Match Program; choose externship or job placement | Not included |
| Job support | More complete Employer job board, résumé support, interview prep, advisors — plus externship placement | Career Center and coaches for 1 year — but no externship placement |
| Refund policy | 30 days | See enrollment agreement |
| Admission requirements | HS diploma or GED | HS diploma or GED |
| State availability | Nationwide | Not offered in IA, MA, MT |
Verified October 6, 2026 against each provider’s own program and FAQ pages, linked below. Terms change; confirm before you enroll.
How to enroll with Preppy
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1Reveal your code and open Preppy
The code applies at checkout on either payment option. No application, no prerequisites, no sales call.
—— Code copied · Preppy opened in a new tab -
2Work the dental assistant coursework at your pace
Self-paced across about 4 months, with a full year of access if you need it.
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3Register for the NELDA and sit it
You book directly with the DANB, not through your program. Take the practice exams until you’re consistently passing, then schedule. $400, paid separately.
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4Do your externship, then apply
Clear your balance and finish the program, and Preppy’s Externship Match Program connects you with sites in its employer network. Sites hire their own externs often enough to ask directly.
Preppy vs MedCerts: Dental Assistant questions
Is Preppy or MedCerts better for dental assistant training?
Preppy, for most people training as a dental assistant. It costs $1,599 against MedCerts’ $4,000, issues a Certificate of Completion from Auburn University OPCE rather than a company-issued credential, and includes externship placement support. MedCerts covers your RDA exam fee, which Preppy does not, so that is the trade-off.
Is Preppy cheaper than MedCerts for dental assistant training?
Yes. Preppy’s Dental Assistant program is $1,599 paid in full, or $299 × 6. MedCerts is $4,000. That is $2,401 less on published tuition. MedCerts includes the exam fee and Preppy does not, so add that to Preppy’s side. The DANB lists the NELDA exam application at $400.
Does the MedCerts dental assistant program include an externship?
No. MedCerts does not include an externship. Preppy runs an Externship Match Program that connects students with opportunities inside its healthcare employer network, and every student chooses between externship placement and job placement assistance at no extra cost.
Do Preppy and MedCerts prepare you for the same dental assistant certification?
No. Preppy prepares you for the NELDA from the DANB; MedCerts prepares you for the RDA from the AMT. Check which one your state board and your target employers accept before choosing.
Is the NELDA exam fee included in Preppy or MedCerts dental assistant tuition?
MedCerts includes all exam fees inside its $4,000 tuition. Preppy does not — you register and pay the certifying body directly. The DANB lists the NELDA exam application at $400.
How long does each dental assistant program take, Preppy or MedCerts?
MedCerts estimates 14 weeks for its dental assistant program at 15 to 20 hours a week. Preppy’s program runs about 4 months and is fully self-paced with no weekly hour expectation, so motivated students finish faster and people juggling a job can take longer without penalty.
Which dental assistant program is faster, Preppy or MedCerts?
Preppy, in practice. MedCerts’ 14-week estimate assumes 15 to 20 hours of coursework every week. Preppy is self-paced across about 4 months with a full year of access, so you set the pace in both directions.
Is the MedCerts dental assistant program accredited?
MedCerts is not a university and does not issue a university credential; it is a training provider whose programs prepare students for third-party certification exams. Preppy’s Dental Assistant program is delivered in partnership with Auburn University, Office of Professional and Continuing Education, which issues the Certificate of Completion.
Does Preppy include job placement for dental assistant graduates?
Preppy includes career support in tuition: a career platform where healthcare employers post dental assistant roles, résumé feedback, interview preparation and course advisors. Students also choose between externship placement support and direct job placement assistance. Employment is not guaranteed by either provider.
Is Preppy's dental assistant program legit?
Preppy is a StraighterLine company that partners with accredited nonprofit universities to deliver its certification training. The Dental Assistant program is offered with Auburn University OPCE and prepares students for the NELDA exam. It carries a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Can you get financial aid for the Preppy or MedCerts dental assistant program?
Neither dental assistant program qualifies for federal student aid, since that generally requires an accredited degree or certificate program. What often does apply to both: WIOA workforce grants, MyCAA for military spouses, and employer tuition reimbursement. Both offer interest-free monthly plans, which beats a private loan for a program this size.
What certification do you need to work as a dental assistant?
No state licences dental assistants in the way nurses are licensed, but employers expect a national certification. The National Entry Level Dental Assistant (NELDA) from the DANB is the credential these programs target.
Are there cheaper alternatives to MedCerts for dental assistant training?
Yes. For dental assistant training, Preppy at $1,599 is the lowest-priced option we have found that pairs a certificate issued by an accredited nonprofit university with externship and career support. Cheaper dental assistant programs exist, but they issue their own certificate and leave clinical hours to you.
Is the MedCerts dental assistant program available in every state?
No. MedCerts does not offer its dental assistant program in Iowa, Massachusetts and Montana. Preppy states no restrictions for this program.
Sources and verification
Checked October 6, 2026. We re-verify monthly.