{
  "name": "2026 Physician & Dentist Student-Loan Debt-to-Income by Specialty",
  "publisher": "AttendingFi",
  "url": "https://attendingfi.com/2026-physician-student-loan-report.html",
  "last_updated": "2026-06-22",
  "license": "Free to cite with attribution to AttendingFi (attendingfi.com).",
  "debt_anchor_medical_usd": 205000,
  "debt_anchor_dental_usd": 297800,
  "debt_anchor_source": "Medical: AAMC median education debt for medical-school graduates (~$205,000). Dental: ADEA average educational debt for indebted dental-school graduates, Class of 2025 (~$297,800).",
  "sources": {
    "medical_debt": "AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) — Medical School Graduation Questionnaire (GQ) and AAMC education-debt reporting; median education debt for medical-school graduates ~$205,000.",
    "dental_debt": "ADEA (American Dental Education Association) — Educational Debt; average educational debt for indebted dental-school graduates, Class of 2025, ~$297,800.",
    "income": "Representative early-career attending/practitioner compensation by specialty, drawn from published physician and dentist compensation ranges and used as comparable planning figures, not individual forecasts."
  },
  "methodology": "A median education-debt anchor — medical ~$205,000 (AAMC), dental ~$297,800 (ADEA, Class of 2025 indebted graduates) — is divided by representative early-career attending/practitioner income for each specialty to produce a comparable debt-to-income ratio. Income figures are representative early-career compensation consistent with AttendingFi's repayment model. Debt-to-income is a planning lens, not an individual forecast. Reviewed against current federal program rules, June 2026.",
  "count": 32,
  "specialties": [
    {
      "rank": 1,
      "specialty": "Orthopedic Surgery",
      "type": "Medical",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 575000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 205000,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 36
    },
    {
      "rank": 2,
      "specialty": "Plastic Surgery",
      "type": "Medical",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 560000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 205000,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 37
    },
    {
      "rank": 3,
      "specialty": "Cardiology",
      "type": "Medical",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 525000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 205000,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 39
    },
    {
      "rank": 4,
      "specialty": "Gastroenterology",
      "type": "Medical",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 510000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 205000,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 40
    },
    {
      "rank": 5,
      "specialty": "Radiology",
      "type": "Medical",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 480000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 205000,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 43
    },
    {
      "rank": 6,
      "specialty": "Dermatology",
      "type": "Medical",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 470000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 205000,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 44
    },
    {
      "rank": 7,
      "specialty": "Otolaryngology (ENT)",
      "type": "Medical",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 470000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 205000,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 44
    },
    {
      "rank": 8,
      "specialty": "Urology",
      "type": "Medical",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 460000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 205000,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 45
    },
    {
      "rank": 9,
      "specialty": "Anesthesiology",
      "type": "Medical",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 450000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 205000,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 46
    },
    {
      "rank": 10,
      "specialty": "General Surgery",
      "type": "Medical",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 420000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 205000,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 49
    },
    {
      "rank": 11,
      "specialty": "Hematology/Oncology",
      "type": "Medical",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 420000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 205000,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 49
    },
    {
      "rank": 12,
      "specialty": "Ophthalmology",
      "type": "Medical",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 420000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 205000,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 49
    },
    {
      "rank": 13,
      "specialty": "Pulmonology/Critical Care",
      "type": "Medical",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 380000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 205000,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 54
    },
    {
      "rank": 14,
      "specialty": "Emergency Medicine",
      "type": "Medical",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 350000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 205000,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 59
    },
    {
      "rank": 15,
      "specialty": "Pathology",
      "type": "Medical",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 350000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 205000,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 59
    },
    {
      "rank": 16,
      "specialty": "OB/GYN",
      "type": "Medical",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 340000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 205000,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 60
    },
    {
      "rank": 17,
      "specialty": "Physical Medicine & Rehab",
      "type": "Medical",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 330000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 205000,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 62
    },
    {
      "rank": 18,
      "specialty": "Nephrology",
      "type": "Medical",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 320000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 205000,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 64
    },
    {
      "rank": 19,
      "specialty": "Neurology",
      "type": "Medical",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 300000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 205000,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 68
    },
    {
      "rank": 20,
      "specialty": "Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon",
      "type": "Dental",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 420000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 297800,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 71
    },
    {
      "rank": 21,
      "specialty": "Psychiatry",
      "type": "Medical",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 290000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 205000,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 71
    },
    {
      "rank": 22,
      "specialty": "Hospitalist",
      "type": "Medical",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 285000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 205000,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 72
    },
    {
      "rank": 23,
      "specialty": "Endocrinology",
      "type": "Medical",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 270000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 205000,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 76
    },
    {
      "rank": 24,
      "specialty": "Internal Medicine",
      "type": "Medical",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 270000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 205000,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 76
    },
    {
      "rank": 25,
      "specialty": "Family Medicine",
      "type": "Medical",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 255000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 205000,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 80
    },
    {
      "rank": 26,
      "specialty": "Pediatrics",
      "type": "Medical",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 240000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 205000,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 85
    },
    {
      "rank": 27,
      "specialty": "Orthodontist",
      "type": "Dental",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 330000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 297800,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 90
    },
    {
      "rank": 28,
      "specialty": "Prosthodontist",
      "type": "Dental",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 310000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 297800,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 96
    },
    {
      "rank": 29,
      "specialty": "Endodontist",
      "type": "Dental",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 300000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 297800,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 99
    },
    {
      "rank": 30,
      "specialty": "Periodontist",
      "type": "Dental",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 300000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 297800,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 99
    },
    {
      "rank": 31,
      "specialty": "Pediatric Dentist",
      "type": "Dental",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 270000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 297800,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 110
    },
    {
      "rank": 32,
      "specialty": "Dentist (General)",
      "type": "Dental",
      "representative_early_career_income_usd": 185000,
      "median_education_debt_anchor_usd": 297800,
      "debt_to_income_pct": 161
    }
  ]
}