Dental Hygiene Programs in Colorado
Colorado has 7 CODA-accredited dental hygiene programs, in 7 cities from the Front Range to the Western Slope: Aurora, Colorado Springs, Denver, Edwards, Fort Collins, Pueblo and Rangely.
Each is listed below with its city, address, website, and current accreditation status, pulled directly from the Commission on Dental Accreditation's own program directory.
Graduating from a CODA-accredited program satisfies the education requirement for licensure everywhere, though how a program prepares you for the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and Colorado's own licensing process is worth understanding before you apply.
Verify before you apply
At a glance
In Colorado
Programs
7
With a program
Cities
7
Approval without Reporting Requirements
Fully approved
5 of 7
Every CODA-Accredited Program in Colorado
Source: CODA program directory, index dated 2026-09-09. Status terms (“Approval without Reporting Requirements,” “Approval with Reporting Requirements,” “Initial Accreditation,” “Discontinued,” etc.) are CODA’s own.
What CODA Accreditation Means for Your License
CODA accreditation is the credential jurisdictions look for when they evaluate a hygiene applicant's education.
Graduating from a CODA-accredited program satisfies the education requirement for licensure in every U.S. jurisdiction.
The National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE) fulfills or partially fulfills the written-exam requirement most jurisdictions set, though acceptance of it — like every licensing requirement — is at that jurisdiction's own discretion, including Colorado's.
For the full path from enrollment to license, see our step-by-step guide to becoming a dental hygienist.
Reading the Accreditation Statuses Below
The status shown for each program is CODA's own classification, not a ranking. "Approval without reporting requirements" means the program meets or exceeds CODA's basic accreditation standards. "Initial accreditation" applies to a program that is not yet fully operational — it has not yet enrolled and graduated at least one full class.
The listed visit years are CODA's own site-visit schedule for that program, not a measure of quality.
Contact a program directly, and CODA itself, for anything about admissions, cost or curriculum — none of that is part of the accreditation directory.
Choosing Among Colorado's Programs
Colorado's programs run from community colleges to career colleges around the state, and each sets its own admission requirements, prerequisite coursework, and application cycle.
Contact a program directly for its current curriculum, application deadlines, and clinical-site details — the accreditation status shown above reflects the program's last CODA visit, not its admissions process.
If you're also weighing degree level or how long a program takes, see associate vs. bachelor's in dental hygiene and how long dental hygiene school takes.
After You Graduate: Licensure and Work in Colorado
A CODA-accredited program is the first step, not the last.
Colorado's own board sets the exam, application and continuing-education requirements a graduate must meet to hold an active license, and those requirements can change.
See our Colorado dental hygienist requirements and scope of practice page for what the state itself requires, confirm anything you intend to rely on with the Colorado Dental Board before enrolling or applying, and see our Colorado dental hygienist salary guide and current Colorado dental hygienist jobs for what comes after graduation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CODA-accredited dental hygiene programs are in Colorado?
Colorado has 7 CODA-accredited dental hygiene programs, located in Aurora, Colorado Springs, Denver, Edwards, Fort Collins, Pueblo and Rangely.
Each is listed above with its current CODA accreditation status, address and website.
CODA's own directory is the definitive, up-to-date list — confirm a program's status directly with CODA before applying.
Does an out-of-state CODA-accredited program count toward Colorado licensure?
Yes.
CODA accreditation is a national credential, not a state one — graduating from any CODA-accredited program, anywhere in the country, satisfies the education requirement Colorado and every other jurisdiction looks for.
What differs by state is the rest of the licensing process, so check our Colorado requirements page for what the Colorado Dental Board itself requires.
What does "Initial Accreditation" mean for a program I'm applying to?
Initial Accreditation is CODA's classification for a program that is not yet fully operational — it has not yet enrolled and graduated at least one complete class of students.
It is a full accreditation status, not a warning; graduates of an Initial Accreditation program are treated the same as graduates of any other CODA-accredited program for licensure purposes.
How do I check a program's current accreditation status?
The statuses listed above come from CODA's own program directory as of the snapshot date on this page.
Because accreditation status can change between site visits, confirm a program's current status directly with CODA or the program itself before you apply, especially if you're relying on it for licensure eligibility.
Is every program on this list accredited?
Every program above is shown with the CODA accreditation status CODA had published for it as of 2026-09-09, the date this directory was last pulled from CODA's own program search. "Approval without Reporting Requirements" is CODA's standard fully-accredited standing; other status terms on this page — such as "Approval with Reporting Requirements," "Initial Accreditation," or "Discontinued" — mean something different, and a status can change after that date.
Confirm a program's current status directly with CODA before applying.
More Colorado & Dental Hygienist Resources
Sourced from the CODA program directory (index dated 2026-09-09). Verified September 2026. Program details change. Confirm accreditation status, admission requirements and costs with the program and with CODA before applying.