Dental Hygiene Programs in Washington
Washington has 11 CODA-accredited dental hygiene programs, spread across 10 cities from Bellingham near the Canadian border to Vancouver on the Oregon line.
Each program is listed below with its city, address, website, and current accreditation status, pulled directly from CODA'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 Washington's own licensing process is worth understanding before you apply.
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At a glance
In Washington
Programs
11
With a program
Cities
10
Approval without Reporting Requirements
Fully approved
10 of 11
Every CODA-Accredited Program in Washington
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
"Approval without reporting requirements" means CODA found the program meets or exceeds its accreditation standards outright. "Approval with reporting requirements" means CODA identified specific deficiencies the program must document a fix for within a set timeframe — it is not a warning to avoid the program, just a status mid-correction. "Initial accreditation" applies to a program that hasn't yet graduated its first class.
The site-visit years listed are CODA's own accreditation-cycle dates, not anything set by the program.
Confirm admissions requirements, cost, and current status directly 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 Washington'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 Washington
A CODA-accredited program is the first step, not the last.
Washington's Dental Quality Assurance Commission sets the exam, application and continuing-education requirements a graduate must meet to hold an active license, and those requirements can change.
See our Washington dental hygienist requirements and scope of practice page for what the state itself requires, and confirm anything you intend to rely on with the commission before enrolling or applying.
Once licensed, our Washington dental hygienist salary guide covers pay by market, and open dental hygienist jobs in Washington lists current openings across the state.
Where Washington's Programs Are Located
Washington's 11 programs concentrate around Puget Sound: Seattle is home to two, with additional programs nearby in Kirkland and Shoreline, and a further program to the south near Tacoma, in Lakewood.
The remaining programs spread across the rest of the state: Bellingham near the Canadian border, Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula, Vancouver on the Oregon line, Pasco in the Tri-Cities, Yakima in Central Washington, and Spokane in the state's east.
That footprint reaches from the coast to the state's inland regions, so most Washington residents have a CODA-accredited program within a reasonable drive.
Each program sets its own admission requirements and application cycle — contact a program directly for its current details.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CODA-accredited dental hygiene programs are in Washington?
Washington has 11 CODA-accredited dental hygiene programs, located across 10 cities including Bellingham, Kirkland, Lakewood, Pasco, Port Angeles, Seattle, Shoreline, Spokane, Vancouver and Yakima.
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 Washington 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 Washington.
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 Washington program to work as a hygienist in Washington?
No. Washington licenses hygienists who graduated from any CODA-accredited program, not only ones located in Washington.
What matters for licensure eligibility is the program's CODA accreditation and passing the required exams — see our Washington requirements page for the state's own licensing rules.
What does "Initial Accreditation" mean for a Washington program?
It's CODA's classification for a program that isn't yet fully operational — meaning it hasn't yet enrolled and graduated at least one class of students.
A program can still be a legitimate CODA-accredited option under this status; check the status shown above and CODA's own directory for a program's current standing before you apply.
What comes after I finish a CODA-accredited hygiene program in Washington?
Graduates typically sit for the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and a regional or state clinical exam, then apply for licensure with Washington's Dental Quality Assurance Commission.
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 Washington & 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.