Essential Information
There are 11 schools in Minnesota offering dental hygiene programs. This article only profiles the 9 private not-for-profit and public colleges. Dental hygiene programs lead to the award of associate's and bachelor's degrees; one graduate certificate and one master's degree programs are also offered in Minnesota. Typically, schools require applicants to have CPR certification, healthcare provider certification, and current immunizations. Some students will complete practicum requirements such as clinical experiences in addition to classroom and lab training.
Century College
Century College is located in White Bear Lake and enrolls about 11,000 students. It offers an Associate in Applied Science in Dental Hygiene program. This program consists of 79 credits of study in classes such as dental hygiene principles, the legal dental practice and periodontology.
Lake Superior College
This college is located in Duluth. It offers an Associate in Applied Science in Dental Hygiene program that requires 84 credit hours of study. Students in this program complete courses like head and neck anatomy, periodontology and pain management.
Metropolitan State University
This university is situated in Saint Paul and enrolls approximately 8,000 students. It offers a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene program that requires 120 semester credits of study. In addition to coursework, students in this program complete clinical experiences. Classes cover topics like medical ethics and oral healthcare delivery. Students in the program also complete a capstone project.
The university also offers a dental hygiene post-baccalaureate certificate program. This program is designed for licensed dental hygienists who possess a bachelor's degree and want additional education in the field. Students complete courses like advanced practice dental hygiene and restorative functions theory. Lab work is included in the program's curriculum.
Minnesota State Community and Technical College
Minnesota State Community and Technical College is located in Fergus Falls. The school offers an Associate in Applied Science in Dental Hygiene program that requires 88 credit hours of study. Classes in this associate's degree program include dental ethics, biomaterials and pain control. In addition to lectures, the program's curriculum includes lab work and clinical experiences.
Minnesota State University - Mankato
This university is situated in Mankato and enrolls approximately 16,000 students. It offers a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene program. Classes cover topics like local anesthesia, clinical dental hygiene, biomaterials and radiography. A practicum is also required.
The university also offers this bachelor's degree program as a completion program. This degree completion program is designed for licensed dental hygienists possessing an associate's degree. The program is available entirely online and requires 32 credit hours of study in classes like oral health promotion, oral health technology and oral medicine.
Normandale Community College
Normandale Community College is located in Bloomington and enrolls about 10,000 students. It offers an Associate of Science in Dental Hygiene program. Classes cover topics like oral and facial anatomy, dental radiology and community dental health. The program also includes several clinical experiences. Graduates of this program may continue their studies at Metropolitan State University.
Rochester Community and Technical College
This Rochester community college enrolls approximately 6,000 students. It offers an Associate in Applied Science in Dental Hygiene program that requires 83 credits of study. Classes in the program focus on topics like physiology, anatomy, dental hygiene practice and dental radiology.
St. Cloud Technical and Community College
This college is located in St. Cloud. It offers an Associate in Applied Science in Dental Hygiene program. Courses cover orofacial structures, dental pharmacology and dental hygiene materials. Admission to the program is competitive, and applicants will be judged by their grades in prerequisite courses. Prerequisites include microbiology, chemistry and human anatomy and physiology.
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Located in Minneapolis, the University of Minnesota enrolls about 53,000 students. The university offers an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene program that requires only three years of study. The program includes courses like dental anatomy, pharmacology, geriatrics and local anesthesia. The university also provides unique learning opportunities like community service clinics, dental hygiene continuing education for seniors and summer research fellowships for qualifying students.
The university also offers a Master of Dental Hygiene program that requires a minimum of 37 credit hours of study. Students in this program elect to focus their studies on one of two tracks: management or education. Students in the management track may choose to write a thesis or complete a capstone project, while those in the education track must write a thesis. Classes in this program include business formation, healthcare information technology and dental hygiene discipline.
Career Requirements
Minnesota requires dental hygienists to be licensed prior to working in the state. The Minnesota Board of Dentistry is responsible for licensing dental hygienists. To become licensed, an individual must graduate from an accredited dental hygiene program and pass written and clinical exams.
With the exception of Metropolitan State University, all of the colleges discussed below are accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association (CODA).
School Comparison: At a Glance
| School Name | School Type & Setting | Dental Hygiene Programs Offered | Undergraduate Tuition & Fees (2018-2019) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Century College | 2-year, public; large suburb | Associate in Applied Science in Dental Hygiene | $5,435* |
| Lake Superior College | 2-year, public; small city | Associate in Applied Science in Dental Hygiene | $5,166* |
| Metropolitan State University | 4-year, public; large city | Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene, Dental Hygiene Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | $7,879 in-state; $14,980 out-of-state* |
| Minnesota State Community and Technical College | 2-year, public; remote town | Associate in Applied Science in Dental Hygiene | $5,335* |
| Minnesota State University - Mankato | 4-year, public; small city | Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene (Traditional and Degree Completion Formats) | $8,184 in-state; $16,235 out-of-state* |
| Normandale Community College | 2-year, public; small city | Associate of Science in Dental Hygiene | $5,791* |
| Rochester Community and Technical College | 2-year, public; midsize city | Associate in Applied Science in Dental Hygiene | $5,639* |
| St. Cloud Technical and Community College | 2-year, public; small city | Associate in Applied Science in Dental Hygiene | $5,377* |
| University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | 4-year, public; large city | Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene, Master of Dental Hygiene | $14,760 in-state; $30,438 out-of-state* |
Source: *College Navigator, National Center for Education Statistics.
