2026 Best Value Dental Hygiene/Hygienist Schools in Virginia
[Dental Hygiene/Hygienist](/majors/health-care-professions/dental-support-services/dental-hygiene-hygienist/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong dental hygiene/hygienist education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 8 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for dental hygiene/hygienist students.
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2026 Best Value Dental Hygiene/Hygienist Schools in Virginia
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the dental hygiene/hygienist degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Dental Hygiene/Hygienist Schools
Wytheville Community College tops our 2026 list of the best value dental hygiene/hygienist schools in Virginia. Wytheville Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Wytheville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,007, compared with $11,445 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for dental hygiene/hygienist graduates is $9,542. Early-career dental hygiene/hygienist graduates make about $55,931. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #2 makes Virginia Western Community College one of the best values for dental hygiene/hygienist. Located in the city of Roanoke, Virginia Western Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $5,400 in tuition and fees, compared with $11,838 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $11,500 to complete the dental hygiene/hygienist program here. Dental Hygiene/hygienist graduates of Virginia Western Community College earn a median of $61,030 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $11,500 median debt.
Germanna Community College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value dental hygiene/hygienist schools. Germanna Community College is a large public school located in the rural area of Locust Grove. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,257, while out-of-state students pay about $11,648. Dental Hygiene/hygienist graduates carry a median of $10,999 in student loans. Early-career dental hygiene/hygienist graduates make about $41,880. That is a strong return on a $10,999 median debt.
A rank of #4 makes Thomas Nelson Community College one of the best values for dental hygiene/hygienist. Thomas Nelson Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Hampton. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,088, with out-of-state students paying around $11,526. Students borrow a median of $14,402 to complete the dental hygiene/hygienist program here. Early-career dental hygiene/hygienist graduates make about $36,758. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Northern Virginia Community College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value dental hygiene/hygienist schools. Located in the suburb of Annandale, Northern Virginia Community College is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,891, with out-of-state students paying around $12,410. Dental Hygiene/hygienist graduates carry a median of $20,894 in student loans. Early-career dental hygiene/hygienist graduates make about $70,727. That is a strong return on a $20,894 median debt.
Old Dominion University came in at #6 for value in dental hygiene/hygienist this year. Old Dominion University is a very large public school located in the city of Norfolk. In-state tuition and fees average $12,750, compared with $33,780 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for dental hygiene/hygienist graduates is $21,378. Early-career dental hygiene/hygienist graduates make about $63,145. That is a strong return on a $21,378 median debt. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
Virginia Commonwealth University landed the #7 spot for dental hygiene/hygienist value this year. Virginia Commonwealth University is a very large public school located in the city of Richmond. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,720, compared with $39,884 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for dental hygiene/hygienist graduates is $25,924. Soon after graduation, dental hygiene/hygienist degree recipients from Virginia Commonwealth University generally make around $72,808. Set against $25,924 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 93%.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
