Dental Hygiene Programs in North Dakota
North Dakota has 2 CODA-accredited dental hygiene programs, one at Dakota College at Bottineau and one at North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton.
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 North Dakota's own licensing process is worth understanding before you apply.
Verify before you apply
At a glance
In North Dakota
Programs
2
With a program
Cities
2
Approval without Reporting Requirements
Fully approved
1 of 2
Every CODA-Accredited Program in North Dakota
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
CODA lists each program's status using its own defined terms. "Approval (without reporting requirements)" means the program achieves or exceeds CODA's basic requirements for accreditation. "Initial Accreditation" is granted to a program that is not yet fully operational, meaning it has not yet enrolled and graduated at least one class of students.
The last and next accreditation visit years shown for each program are CODA's own site-visit schedule, not a measure of how new or established the program is.
Contact each program directly, and CODA itself, for current admissions requirements and cost.
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 North Dakota's.
For the full path from enrollment to license, see our step-by-step guide to becoming a dental hygienist, and for how degree level and program length compare, see associate vs. bachelor's in dental hygiene and how long dental hygiene school takes.
North Dakota's own scope of practice and supervision rules are covered on our North Dakota dental hygienist requirements page.
After You Graduate in North Dakota
A CODA-accredited program is the first step, not the last.
Graduates typically sit for the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and a regional or state clinical exam, then apply for licensure with the North Dakota Board of Dental Examiners, which sets its own exam, application and continuing-education requirements.
See our North Dakota dental hygienist salary guide for pay data and open dental hygienist jobs in North Dakota once you're licensed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CODA-accredited dental hygiene programs are in North Dakota?
North Dakota has 2 CODA-accredited dental hygiene programs, at Dakota College at Bottineau in Bottineau and North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton.
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.
What does "Initial Accreditation" mean for a North Dakota program?
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 class of students.
It is a distinct accreditation status, not a warning; the program is still CODA-accredited.
Confirm a program's current status directly with CODA before applying.
Do I have to attend a North Dakota program to work as a hygienist in North Dakota?
No. North Dakota licenses hygienists who graduated from any CODA-accredited program, not only ones located in North Dakota.
What matters for licensure eligibility is the program's CODA accreditation and passing the required exams — see our North Dakota requirements page for the state's own licensing rules.
How do I check whether a program's accreditation status has changed since this page was published?
CODA maintains its own program directory at coda.ada.org, which is the definitive, current source for any program's accreditation status, last and next site-visit years, and contact information.
This page reflects CODA's directory as of the date listed above; always confirm directly with CODA or the program before applying.
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 North Dakota & 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.