Dental Hygiene Programs in South Carolina
South Carolina has 6 CODA-accredited dental hygiene programs, in Charleston, Florence, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, Rock Hill and West Columbia.
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 it prepares you for the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and South Carolina's own licensing process is worth understanding before you apply.
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At a glance
In South Carolina
Programs
6
With a program
Cities
6
Approval without Reporting Requirements
Fully approved
6 of 6
Every CODA-Accredited Program in South Carolina
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 List Below
Each program's status comes straight from CODA's own directory. "Approval (without reporting requirements)" is CODA's classification for a program that "achieves or exceeds the basic requirements for accreditation" — the status all 6 South Carolina programs currently hold. "Approval (with reporting requirements)" means CODA found "specific deficiencies or weaknesses" a program must correct, with evidence due "within a timeframe not to exceed eighteen (18) months if the program is between one and two years in length or two years if the program is at least two years in length" — not a warning to avoid the program, just a status mid-correction. "Initial Accreditation" applies to a program "which is not yet fully operational," meaning it hasn't yet graduated its first class.
Site-visit years are CODA's own accreditation-cycle dates.
Confirm admissions, cost, and current status with the program and with CODA before applying.
Why Accreditation Matters 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 South Carolina'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 factors in, see associate vs. bachelor's in dental hygiene and how long dental hygiene school takes.
After You Graduate: Licensure and Work in South Carolina
A CODA-accredited program is the first step, not the last.
South Carolina'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 South Carolina dental hygienist requirements and scope of practice page for what the state itself requires, and confirm anything you intend to rely on with the South Carolina Board of Dentistry before enrolling or applying.
Once licensed, our South Carolina dental hygienist salary guide covers pay by market, and you can browse current dental hygienist openings and filter by location once you're ready to search.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CODA-accredited dental hygiene programs are in South Carolina?
South Carolina has 6 CODA-accredited dental hygiene programs, located in Charleston, Florence, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, Rock Hill and West Columbia.
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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina.
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 a South Carolina program to work as a hygienist in South Carolina?
No. South Carolina licenses hygienists who graduated from any CODA-accredited program, not only ones located in South Carolina.
What matters for licensure eligibility is the program's CODA accreditation and passing the required exams — see our South Carolina requirements page for the state's own licensing rules.
What does "approval without reporting requirements" mean for a South Carolina program?
It's CODA's own classification for a program that "achieves or exceeds the basic requirements for accreditation," with no follow-up documentation required before the next scheduled site visit.
All 6 dental hygiene programs listed above for South Carolina currently hold this status.
Confirm a program's current standing directly with CODA before applying, since status can change between accreditation cycles.
What comes after I finish a CODA-accredited hygiene program in South Carolina?
Graduates typically sit for the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and a regional or state clinical exam, then apply for licensure with the South Carolina Board of Dentistry.
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 South Carolina & 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.