It’s possible to attend school without breaking the bank with one of the 10 most affordable online bachelor’s in dental hygiene.
Dental hygiene is a phenomenal field for those looking for a steady career and decent pay. Plus, online programs allow you to finish your education on a schedule that works for you.
Bachelor’s degrees in dental hygiene are great if you want to move up in the industry and already have a license or associate degree in the field. They’re also a stepping stone to a master’s degree, which leads to managerial professions in a dental office.
Let’s check out these degrees more closely.
What Is a Bachelor’s in Dental Hygiene Degree?
As the name suggests, a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene prepares you to become a dental hygienist. This is not the same thing as a dentist, all of whom must hold a doctoral degree. Instead, dental hygienists are often dental assistants, performing cleaning and other routine procedures.
As such, these degrees prepare you to perform medical procedures on patients and train you in the use of several tools and tooth care techniques. They don’t require prior medical education or even a focus on biology. They can also lead to a master’s degree in the field: ideal for future dental office administrators.
How Much Can You Earn With a Bachelor’s in Dental Hygiene Degree?
On average, dental hygienists earn an annual wage of about $74,000 per year. However, depending on your experience and degree level, there are opportunities to earn higher wages of close to $100,000. As mentioned before, master’s degrees in the field are available and often come with higher salaries and management opportunities.
Furthermore, dental hygienists will enjoy an 11% job growth rate over the next ten years, meaning job outlook is great for this field. All in all, it’s a fairly lucrative and stable career that’s attainable with a bachelor’s degree alone.
What Is Required for a Bachelor’s in Dental Hygiene Degree?
A bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene will include lots of relevant classes, focusing on oral pathology, dental radiology, and biostatistics. You’ll also likely need to complete some work experience or clinical hours in order to graduate. For online programs, these requirements can be completed without attending the university in question by working at a local facility or medical center.
These degree programs do not typically require extremely high GPAs for admission, although higher is always better. Those with some work experience in dental offices will find it easier to be accepted. Most dental hygiene programs also require you to be licensed as a hygienist.
What Are the Most Affordable Bachelor’s in Dental Hygiene Degrees?
OSR uses six data points: three school-wide and three program-specific. For school-wide, OSR uses Student Satisfaction, Admission Rates, and the number of programs the school offers online. For program-specific, OSR checks the Median Debt of graduates from that program, how many degrees are offered within that program’s umbrella department, and what percentage of students at that school graduated from that department.
The six statistics are displayed by each school. The sliding bar under each statistic represents how that school compares to other US institutions. “Not reported” means a school did not release that information to the US Department of Education. A more detailed description of the OSR process can be found on the methodology page.
Now let’s check out the 10 most affordable online Bachelor’s in Dental Hygiene degrees!