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Hygienist Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a hygienist. Hygienists usually study dental assisting, biology, or business. 58% of hygienists hold a associate degree, and 31% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 1,266 real hygienist resumes to see exactly what hygienist education sections show.
The most common colleges for hygienists are the Youngstown State University and the Youngstown State University.
There are also many online hygienist courses to help get the education required to be a hygienist.
What education do you need to become a hygienist?
What degree do you need to be a hygienist?
- Associate, 58%
- Bachelor's, 31%
- Master's, 3%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a hygienist?
- Dental Assisting, 77%
- Biology, 4%
- Business, 3%
- Other Majors, 14%
Most common colleges for hygienists
| Hygienist Common College | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Youngstown State University | 12.61% |
| Ferris State University | 9.24% |
| University of Bridgeport | 5.88% |
| Old Dominion University | 5.88% |
| University of Pittsburgh | 5.04% |
Best majors for hygienists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dental Assisting | 77.0% |
| 2 | Biology | 3.9% |
| 3 | Business | 2.7% |
| 4 | Advanced Dentistry And Oral Sciences | 1.7% |
| 5 | Health Sciences And Services | 1.7% |
Best colleges for hygienists
The best colleges for hygienists are University of Pittsburgh, Boston University, and SUNY at Buffalo.
A hygienist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for hygienists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become hygienists.
1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-State Tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-State Tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
6. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,306
Enrollment
9,394
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
8. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-State Tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-State Tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
10. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
20 best online courses for hygienists
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5. Introduction to Dental Medicine
The mouth is the window into human health. This course provides an overview of dental medicine to engage, educate, excite and assist you in improving the oral health of your patients and members of your community. We will review topics in dental medicine including scope of the field, what to expect in function, and some of the many ways that dysfunction may present for different patients. This will include discussions of mouth, jaw, and tooth anatomy, pathology, and treatment. We will talk...
6. Medical Emergencies: CPR, Toxicology, and Wilderness
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14. Trauma Emergencies and Care
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18. Value-Based Care: Managing Processes to Improve Outcomes
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Top 10 most affordable universities for hygienists
The most affordable schools for hygienists are SUNY Farmingdale, clayton state university, and augusta university.
If the best universities for hygienists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for hygienists.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,306
Cost of Attendance
16,091
2. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,419
Cost of Attendance
17,697
3. Augusta University
Augusta, GA • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,604
Cost of Attendance
20,618
4. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,233
Cost of Attendance
18,110
5. National University College - Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,675
Cost of Attendance
12,941
6. Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul, MN • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,879
Cost of Attendance
21,223
7. Valdosta State University
Valdosta, GA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,410
Cost of Attendance
20,699
8. University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,633
Cost of Attendance
19,235
9. New York City College of Technology of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,120
Cost of Attendance
13,997
10. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$10,099
Cost of Attendance
24,568
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for hygienists
The hardest universities for hygienists to get into are University of Pittsburgh, Boston University, and SUNY at Buffalo.
Some great schools for hygienists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for hygienists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
59%
SAT Average
1,367
2. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
22%
SAT Average
1,420
3. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
56%
SAT Average
1,250
4. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ • Private
Admissions Rate
60%
SAT Average
1,303
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
20%
SAT Average
1,419
6. Augusta University
Augusta, GA • Private
Admissions Rate
80%
SAT Average
1,172
7. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
46%
SAT Average
1,091
8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions Rate
23%
SAT Average
1,434
9. Creighton University
Omaha, NE • Private
Admissions Rate
71%
SAT Average
1,276
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions Rate
23%
SAT Average
1,398
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for hygienists
The easiest schools for hygienists to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, augusta university, and purdue university fort wayne.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a hygienist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for hygienists.
1. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions Rate
96%
SAT Average
1,139
2. Augusta University
Augusta, GA • Private
Admissions Rate
80%
SAT Average
1,172
3. Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN • Private
Admissions Rate
97%
SAT Average
1,080
4. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
71%
SAT Average
1,033
5. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions Rate
87%
SAT Average
1,093
6. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
46%
SAT Average
1,091
7. SUNY College of Technology at Canton
Canton, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
78%
SAT Average
997
8. Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Carbondale, IL • Private
Admissions Rate
72%
SAT Average
1,124
9. Albany State University
Albany, GA • Private
Admissions Rate
91%
SAT Average
865
10. MCPHS University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
93%
SAT Average
1,144
Average hygienist salary by education level
| Hygienist education level | Hygienist salary |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | $102,006 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $95,785 |
Hygienist Education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025