2026 Best Value Dental Hygiene/Hygienist Schools in Missouri
[Dental Hygiene/Hygienist](/majors/health-care-professions/dental-support-services/dental-hygiene-hygienist/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 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 Missouri
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
Leading the list is Saint Louis Community College, our #1 best value for dental hygiene/hygienist in Missouri. Located in the suburb of Bridgeton, Saint Louis Community College is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $3,660, compared with $6,990 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $11,424 to complete the dental hygiene/hygienist program here. Dental Hygiene/hygienist graduates of Saint Louis Community College earn a median of $60,906 early in their careers. 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 Ozarks Technical Community College, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Springfield, Ozarks Technical Community College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,256 in tuition and fees, compared with $7,040 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for dental hygiene/hygienist graduates is $11,000. Dental Hygiene/hygienist graduates of Ozarks Technical Community College earn a median of $36,855 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at State Fair Community College earned it the #3 place for dental hygiene/hygienist. Located in the town of Sedalia, State Fair Community College is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,176, while out-of-state students pay about $7,416. Students borrow a median of $15,328 to complete the dental hygiene/hygienist program here. Soon after graduation, dental hygiene/hygienist degree recipients from State Fair Community College generally make around $39,168. That is a strong return on a $15,328 median debt.
Missouri Southern State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in dental hygiene/hygienist, landing the #4 spot this year. Missouri Southern State University is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Joplin. In-state tuition and fees average $9,600, compared with $18,300 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,374 to complete the dental hygiene/hygienist program here. Early-career dental hygiene/hygienist graduates make about $59,420. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Missouri Southern State University admits about 97% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Missouri Kansas City earned it the #5 place for dental hygiene/hygienist. Set in the city of Kansas City, University Of Missouri Kansas City is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,371, with out-of-state students paying around $32,271. Typical student debt for dental hygiene/hygienist graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, dental hygiene/hygienist degree recipients from University Of Missouri Kansas City generally make around $60,307. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 72%.
Concorde Career Colleges ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value dental hygiene/hygienist schools. Set in the city of Kansas City, Concorde Career Colleges is a small private for-profit institution. Students borrow a median of $18,024 to complete the dental hygiene/hygienist program here. Soon after graduation, dental hygiene/hygienist degree recipients from Concorde Career Colleges generally make around $44,047. That is a strong return on a $18,024 median debt. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 7 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.
