2026 Best Dental Hygiene/Hygienist Schools in Virginia
Dental Hygiene/Hygienist is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for dental hygiene/hygienist students pursuing a degree.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Dental Hygiene/Hygienist in Virginia
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the dental hygiene/hygienist degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Dental Hygiene/Hygienist
No school ranked higher than Old Dominion University this year for dental hygiene/hygienist. This very large public university is located in the city of Norfolk. The six-year graduation rate is 46%. Old Dominion University awarded about 79 dental hygiene/hygienist degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their dental hygiene/hygienist degree from Old Dominion University earn around $63,145 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $21,378.
See the full dental hygiene/hygienist program report for Old Dominion University
Northern Virginia Community College is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in dental hygiene/hygienist, landing the #2 spot this year. This very large public university is located in the suburb of Annandale. About 30 dental hygiene/hygienist degrees were awarded at Northern Virginia Community College in the most recent year. Students who receive their dental hygiene/hygienist degree from Northern Virginia Community College earn around $70,727 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $20,894 to complete this degree.
Get the full dental hygiene/hygienist details for Northern Virginia Community College
Virginia Commonwealth University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best dental hygiene/hygienist schools. This very large public university is located in the city of Richmond. The six-year graduation rate is 63%. About 16 dental hygiene/hygienist degrees were awarded at Virginia Commonwealth University in the most recent year. Graduates of the dental hygiene/hygienist program make about $72,808 in their early career. Virginia Commonwealth University graduates carry a median of $25,924 in student loans.
Read more about the dental hygiene/hygienist program at Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Western Community College is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in dental hygiene/hygienist, ranking #4. Virginia Western Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Roanoke. There were roughly 57 dental hygiene/hygienist students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Western Community College in the most recent data year. Graduates of the dental hygiene/hygienist program make about $61,030 in their early career. Virginia Western Community College graduates carry a median of $11,500 in student loans.
More information about a degree in dental hygiene/hygienist from Virginia Western Community College
Wytheville Community College is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in dental hygiene/hygienist, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the town of Wytheville, Wytheville Community College is a mid-sized public university. Wytheville Community College awarded about 18 dental hygiene/hygienist degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the dental hygiene/hygienist program make about $55,931 in their early career. Wytheville Community College graduates carry a median of $9,542 in student loans.
Read more about the dental hygiene/hygienist program at Wytheville Community College
Thomas Nelson Community College came in at #6 for dental hygiene/hygienist this year. This moderately-sized public university is located in the suburb of Hampton. About 11 dental hygiene/hygienist degrees were awarded at Thomas Nelson Community College in the most recent year. Graduates of the dental hygiene/hygienist program make about $36,758 in their early career. Thomas Nelson Community College graduates carry a median of $14,402 in student loans.
Get the full dental hygiene/hygienist details for Thomas Nelson Community College
More Dental Hygiene/Hygienist Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 8 schools evaluated.
- 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.
