2026 Best Value Dental Hygiene/Hygienist Master’s Degree Schools

[Dental Hygiene/Hygienist](/majors/health-care-professions/dental-support-services/dental-hygiene-hygienist/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 364 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value dental hygiene/hygienist schools.
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2026 Best Value Dental Hygiene/Hygienist Schools in the United States
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in dental hygiene/hygienist, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Dental Hygiene/Hygienist Schools
Old Dominion University tops our 2026 list of the best value dental hygiene/hygienist schools in the United States. Located in the city of Norfolk, Old Dominion University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,750, while out-of-state students pay about $33,780. Students borrow a median of $21,378 to complete the dental hygiene/hygienist program here. Dental Hygiene/hygienist graduates of Old Dominion University earn a median of $63,145 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,378 median debt. Old Dominion University admits about 90% of applicants.
University Of New Mexico Main Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in dental hygiene/hygienist, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Albuquerque, University Of New Mexico Main Campus is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,140, while out-of-state students pay about $33,060. Typical student debt for dental hygiene/hygienist graduates is $20,378. Early-career dental hygiene/hygienist graduates make about $55,003. That is a strong return on a $20,378 median debt. Roughly 95% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Bridgeport one of the best values for dental hygiene/hygienist. Set in the city of Bridgeport, University Of Bridgeport is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $35,760 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $25,239 to complete the dental hygiene/hygienist program here. Soon after graduation, dental hygiene/hygienist degree recipients from University Of Bridgeport generally make around $68,774. That is a strong return on a $25,239 median debt. The acceptance rate is 83%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Massachusetts College Of Pharmacy And Health Sciences earned it the #4 place for dental hygiene/hygienist. Set in the city of Boston, Massachusetts College Of Pharmacy And Health Sciences is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $40,530. Dental Hygiene/hygienist graduates carry a median of $31,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, dental hygiene/hygienist degree recipients from Massachusetts College Of Pharmacy And Health Sciences generally make around $75,871. That is a strong return on a $31,000 median debt. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
Other Dental Hygiene/Hygienist Degree Levels
Looking for a different degree level? Compare best-value Dental Hygiene/Hygienist rankings across degree levels:
View All Dental Hygiene/Hygienist Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 364 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.