ADBLOCK #102
College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Dental Hygiene/Hygienist Master’s Degree Schools

2 Colleges in the United States
88 Dental Hygiene/Hygienist Degrees Awarded
$65,698 Avg Early-Career Salary

Dental Hygiene/Hygienist degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 364 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:

ADBLOCK #159
DEBUG: Raw major_slug = ""
DEBUG: Initial offers_url = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/health-care-professions/dental-support-services/dental-hygiene-hygienist/offers.json", major_slug = ""
DEBUG: After cleaning major_slug = ""
DEBUG: Before URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/health-care-professions/dental-support-services/dental-hygiene-hygienist/offers.json"
DEBUG: After TrimSuffix = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/health-care-professions/dental-support-services/dental-hygiene-hygienist/offers.json"
DEBUG: After HTTPS placeholder = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/health-care-professions/dental-support-services/dental-hygiene-hygienist/offers.json"
DEBUG: After slash cleaning = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/health-care-professions/dental-support-services/dental-hygiene-hygienist/offers.json"
DEBUG: After URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/health-care-professions/dental-support-services/dental-hygiene-hygienist/offers.json"
DEBUG: offers_url = https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/health-care-professions/dental-support-services/dental-hygiene-hygienist/offers.json
DEBUG: major_slug = ""
DEBUG: offers_url is valid, proceeding to fetch data
DEBUG: offers_data.offers found, count = 3
DEBUG: Specific major detected (cip4 = 51.06), keeping min_relevance at 0.8
DEBUG: Starting relevance filtering - min_relevance = 0.8, max_relevance = 1
DEBUG: Checking offer "Healthcare DA to Dental Hygienist Programs (I Am a Dental Assistant)" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "Healthcare DA to Dental Hygienist Programs (I Am a Dental Assistant)" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Dental Assistant (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" with relevance 0.9
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "Dental Assistant (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" ACCEPTED (relevance 0.9)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Dental Assistant (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" with relevance 0.9
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "Dental Assistant (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" ACCEPTED (relevance 0.9)
DEBUG: relevant_offers count = 3
DEBUG: relevant_offers > 0, checking for ESYOH offers
DEBUG: ESYOH filtering - found 3 ESYOH offers with relevance >= 0.8
DEBUG: esyoh_offers count = 3
DEBUG: ESYOH offers found, rendering ESYOH widget
DEBUG: most_relevant_only = true, filtering for most relevant
DEBUG: Found 1 offers with relevance >= 1.0

Best Schools for Dental Hygiene/Hygienist in the United States

These are the top schools for a master’s degree in dental hygiene/hygienist, based on student outcomes and program quality.

Top Schools in Dental Hygiene/Hygienist

1

Our analysis ranked Old Dominion University the best school in the country for a degree in dental hygiene/hygienist. Set in the city of Norfolk, Old Dominion University is a very large public institution. Roughly 46% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 38 dental hygiene/hygienist degrees were awarded at Old Dominion University in the most recent year. Dental Hygiene/hygienist graduates of Old Dominion University earn a median of $63,145 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $21,378. See the full dental hygiene/hygienist program report for Old Dominion University

2

Massachusetts College Of Pharmacy And Health Sciences came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best dental hygiene/hygienist schools. This moderately-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Boston. Roughly 61% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 26 dental hygiene/hygienist students who graduated with this degree at Massachusetts College Of Pharmacy And Health Sciences in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, dental hygiene/hygienist degree recipients from Massachusetts College Of Pharmacy And Health Sciences generally make around $75,871. Massachusetts College Of Pharmacy And Health Sciences graduates carry a median of $31,000 in student loans. Get the full dental hygiene/hygienist details for Massachusetts College Of Pharmacy And Health Sciences

3

University Of New Mexico Main Campus is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in dental hygiene/hygienist, ranking #3. University Of New Mexico Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Albuquerque. The six-year graduation rate is 54%. There were roughly 11 dental hygiene/hygienist students who graduated with this degree at University Of New Mexico Main Campus in the most recent data year. Students who receive their dental hygiene/hygienist degree from University Of New Mexico Main Campus earn around $55,003 in the first couple years of their career. University Of New Mexico Main Campus graduates carry a median of $20,378 in student loans. More information about a degree in dental hygiene/hygienist from University Of New Mexico Main Campus

4

University Of Bridgeport is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in dental hygiene/hygienist, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the city of Bridgeport, University Of Bridgeport is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. About 41% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 13 dental hygiene/hygienist students who graduated with this degree at University Of Bridgeport in the most recent data year. Graduates of the dental hygiene/hygienist program make about $68,774 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $25,239 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in dental hygiene/hygienist from University Of Bridgeport

Other Dental Hygiene/Hygienist Degree Levels

Looking for a different degree level? Compare Dental Hygiene/Hygienist rankings across degree levels:

All Degree Levels in Dental Hygiene/Hygienist
Associate's Degrees in Dental Hygiene/Hygienist
Bachelor's Degrees in Dental Hygiene/Hygienist
ADBLOCK #173
View All Dental Hygiene/Hygienist Rankings >

ADBLOCK #115

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 364 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

ADBLOCK #116

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs
ADBLOCK #613

Compare Your School Options