Dental Hygiene Programs in Missouri
Missouri has 6 CODA-accredited dental hygiene programs, spread across 5 cities from Joplin in the southwest to St. Louis on the eastern border, including two programs in the Kansas City area.
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 nationwide, though how a program prepares you for the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination is worth understanding before you apply.
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At a glance
In Missouri
Programs
6
With a program
Cities
5
Approval without Reporting Requirements
Fully approved
6 of 6
Every CODA-Accredited Program in Missouri
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.
Reading the Accreditation Status Column
All 6 of Missouri's programs currently carry "Approval (without reporting requirements)" — CODA's term for a program that "achieves or exceeds the basic requirements for accreditation." Programs elsewhere can instead carry "Approval (with reporting requirements)," meaning specific deficiencies must be corrected within a set timeframe, or "Initial Accreditation," CODA's classification for a program that hasn't yet enrolled and graduated its first class.
The last- and next-accreditation-visit years shown are CODA's own site-visit schedule, not a measure of a program's curriculum or outcomes.
For admissions details, cost, and anything else about a specific program, contact the program directly or check CODA's own directory.
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 Missouri's.
For the full path from enrollment to license, see our step-by-step guide to becoming a dental hygienist, and for degree-level and timeline questions, associate vs. bachelor's in dental hygiene and how long dental hygiene school takes.
After You Graduate: Licensure in Missouri
A CODA-accredited program is the first step, not the last.
Missouri'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 Missouri dental hygienist requirements and scope of practice page for what the state itself requires, and confirm anything you intend to rely on with the Missouri Dental Board before enrolling or applying.
Once you're licensed, our Missouri dental hygienist salary guide breaks down pay for the state, and our open Missouri dental hygienist jobs show current openings.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CODA-accredited dental hygiene programs are in Missouri?
Missouri has 6 CODA-accredited dental hygiene programs, located in Joplin, Kansas City, Sedalia, Springfield and St. Louis.
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 Missouri licensure?
Yes.
CODA accreditation is a national standard, not a state-by-state one, so graduating from any CODA-accredited hygiene program — in Missouri or elsewhere — satisfies the education requirement Missouri looks for.
Licensure itself, including exams and any state-specific requirements, is set by the Missouri Dental Board.
Does it matter which Missouri program I attend?
Not for licensure eligibility — every program listed above holds CODA accreditation, and that accreditation is what jurisdictions require for the education portion of licensure nationwide, including Missouri's.
Beyond that baseline, programs differ in location, campus and admission requirements, so contact each one directly to compare them.
How do I check a Missouri program's current accreditation status?
The status and visit years shown above come from CODA's own program directory as of this page's last verification date.
Accreditation status can change between updates, so before applying, confirm a program's current standing directly with CODA at coda.ada.org or with the program itself.
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 Missouri & 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.