Dental Hygiene Programs in Illinois
Illinois has 13 CODA-accredited dental hygiene programs, spread across 13 cities from Carbondale in the south to Rockford and Grayslake in the north.
Each program 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 in every U.S. jurisdiction, though how a program prepares you for the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and Illinois's own licensing process is worth understanding before you apply.
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At a glance
In Illinois
Programs
13
With a program
Cities
13
Approval without Reporting Requirements
Fully approved
13 of 13
Every CODA-Accredited Program in Illinois
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 Illinois's.
For the full path from enrollment to license, see our step-by-step guide to becoming a dental hygienist.
Choosing Among Illinois's Programs
Illinois's programs sit at public universities and community 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 CODA accreditation status shown for each program above reflects the program's last accreditation 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 in Illinois
A CODA-accredited program is the first step, not the last.
Illinois'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 Illinois dental hygienist requirements and scope of practice page for what the state itself requires, and confirm anything you intend to rely on with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation before enrolling or applying.
Working as a Hygienist After an Illinois Program
Once licensed, graduates of these programs can search current dental hygienist openings, and see what employers across the state are paying on our Illinois dental hygienist salary guide.
Program location doesn't limit where you can practice — Illinois licenses hygienists who graduated from any CODA-accredited program nationwide, not only those located in the state.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CODA-accredited dental hygiene programs are in Illinois?
Illinois has 13 CODA-accredited dental hygiene programs, located in Carbondale, Champaign, Chicago, Chicago Heights, Galesburg, Glen Ellyn, Godfrey, Grayslake, Mattoon, Oglesby, Palatine, Peoria and Rockford.
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 it matter which Illinois program I attend?
Not for licensure eligibility — every program listed above holds CODA accreditation, and CODA accreditation is what jurisdictions require for the education portion of licensure nationwide, including Illinois.
Beyond that baseline, programs differ in location, campus and admission requirements, so contact each one directly to compare them.
See associate vs. bachelor's in dental hygiene if you're also weighing degree level.
Do I have to attend an Illinois program to work as a hygienist in Illinois?
No. Illinois licenses hygienists who graduated from any CODA-accredited program, not only ones located in Illinois.
What matters for licensure eligibility is the program's CODA accreditation and passing the required exams — see our Illinois requirements page for the state's own licensing rules.
What does 'Approval without Reporting Requirements' mean for a program?
It's CODA's term for a program that meets or exceeds the basic requirements for accreditation, with no outstanding deficiencies CODA is tracking.
It's the most common status among Illinois's programs — check the table above for each program's current status and next scheduled accreditation visit.
What comes after I finish a CODA-accredited hygiene program?
Graduates typically sit for the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and a regional or state clinical exam, then apply for licensure with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
Our step-by-step guide to becoming a dental hygienist walks through that full sequence.
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 Illinois & 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.