2026 Best Value Dental Hygiene/Hygienist Schools in North Carolina
[Dental Hygiene/Hygienist](/majors/health-care-professions/dental-support-services/dental-hygiene-hygienist/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 13 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 North Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in dental hygiene/hygienist, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Dental Hygiene/Hygienist Schools
For return on investment in dental hygiene/hygienist, no school beat Central Piedmont Community College this year. Set in the city of Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,792, compared with $8,936 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $11,861 to complete the dental hygiene/hygienist program here. Early-career dental hygiene/hygienist graduates make about $43,908. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in dental hygiene/hygienist will find it at Central Carolina Community College, which ranked #2. Located in the town of Sanford, Central Carolina Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,711, with out-of-state students paying around $8,855. Dental Hygiene/hygienist graduates carry a median of $10,266 in student loans. Dental Hygiene/hygienist graduates of Central Carolina Community College earn a median of $44,885 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Fayetteville Technical Community College earned it the #3 place for dental hygiene/hygienist. Set in the city of Fayetteville, Fayetteville Technical Community College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $2,628, with out-of-state students paying around $8,772. Dental Hygiene/hygienist graduates carry a median of $16,909 in student loans. Early-career dental hygiene/hygienist graduates make about $40,584. Set against $16,909 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Halifax Community College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value dental hygiene/hygienist schools. Halifax Community College is a small public school located in the rural area of Weldon. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,608, compared with $8,752 for out-of-state students. Soon after graduation, dental hygiene/hygienist degree recipients from Halifax Community College generally make around $70,982.
Students looking for strong value in dental hygiene/hygienist will find it at Wayne Community College, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Goldsboro, Wayne Community College is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,566, compared with $8,710 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for dental hygiene/hygienist graduates is $5,500. Early-career dental hygiene/hygienist graduates make about $35,336. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Cape Fear Community College landed the #6 spot for dental hygiene/hygienist value this year. Cape Fear Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Wilmington. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,748, compared with $8,892 for out-of-state students. Dental Hygiene/hygienist graduates carry a median of $12,388 in student loans. Soon after graduation, dental hygiene/hygienist degree recipients from Cape Fear Community College generally make around $42,889. Set against $12,388 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Forsyth Technical Community College earned the #7 position for value in dental hygiene/hygienist this year. Set in the city of Winston-Salem, Forsyth Technical Community College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,276, compared with $6,884 for out-of-state students. Dental Hygiene/hygienist graduates carry a median of $16,374 in student loans. Dental Hygiene/hygienist graduates of Forsyth Technical Community College earn a median of $56,717 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $16,374 median debt.
Wake Technical Community College came in at #8 for value in dental hygiene/hygienist this year. Wake Technical Community College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Raleigh. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,254, with out-of-state students paying around $6,862. Typical student debt for dental hygiene/hygienist graduates is $17,900. Early-career dental hygiene/hygienist graduates make about $38,673. Set against $17,900 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Coastal Carolina Community College ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best value dental hygiene/hygienist schools. Coastal Carolina Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Jacksonville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,512, while out-of-state students pay about $8,656. Students borrow a median of $7,125 to complete the dental hygiene/hygienist program here. Early-career dental hygiene/hygienist graduates make about $50,081. That is a strong return on a $7,125 median debt.
Catawba Valley Community College ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value dental hygiene/hygienist schools. Set in the city of Hickory, Catawba Valley Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,427, compared with $7,803 for out-of-state students. Dental Hygiene/hygienist graduates carry a median of $9,842 in student loans. Soon after graduation, dental hygiene/hygienist degree recipients from Catawba Valley Community College generally make around $55,128. Set against $9,842 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College came in at #11 for value in dental hygiene/hygienist this year. Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Asheville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,882, while out-of-state students pay about $9,026. Dental Hygiene/hygienist graduates carry a median of $18,883 in student loans. Soon after graduation, dental hygiene/hygienist degree recipients from Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College generally make around $36,817. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill landed the #12 spot for dental hygiene/hygienist value this year. Located in the city of Chapel Hill, University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $8,994 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $41,203. Students borrow a median of $15,431 to complete the dental hygiene/hygienist program here. Soon after graduation, dental hygiene/hygienist degree recipients from University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill generally make around $54,207. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill admits about 15% of applicants.
Guilford Technical Community College placed #13 among the best values for dental hygiene/hygienist. Guilford Technical Community College is a large public school located in the suburb of Jamestown. Students from in state pay about $2,320 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $7,696. Students borrow a median of $13,231 to complete the dental hygiene/hygienist program here. Early-career dental hygiene/hygienist graduates make about $45,689. That is a strong return on a $13,231 median debt.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 13 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 13 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.
