Dental hygiene programs in Arkansas

2 dental hygiene programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

2 schools offer these dental hygiene programs, and Arkansas has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Dental hygienists check patients for signs of gum and mouth disease and give preventive care such as cleanings. Most have an associate degree in dental hygiene, some a bachelor's, and every state requires a license, in most states a degree from an accredited program and passed written and clinical exams.¹ In every state, the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination counts fully or partly toward the written exam needed for a license.²

In Arkansas, 1 of the 2 programs asks for earlier courses first and 1 asks for a bachelor's degree.

Both are the same kind of program: dental hygiene (bachelor's degree).

See the 2 programs

How much do dental hygiene programs cost in Arkansas?

$18,815 to $35,774

from the lowest-priced program to the highest, if you pay yourself

These two programs

Finished the program: 23% to 97%
Working 6 months later: 55% to 63%
Earned a year, estimated: about $20,900 to $63,300
Length: Not reported; Neither program reports it

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Arkansas may also offer dental hygiene programs. How these figures are made

Are there free dental hygiene programs in Arkansas?

Yes, if you qualify. WIOA (public workforce funding) can pay for any program on this page, in full or in part, depending on local limits.³⁴⁵For a degree, the job center first looks at grants such as a federal Pell Grant; WIOA pays toward what they don't cover.⁵
Ask an American Job Center whether you qualify, or call 1-877-872-5627.⁶ Before funding training, the center goes through an assessment and a career plan with you.⁵
Or pay yourself. These programs cost $18,815 to $35,774.

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 2 dental hygiene programs in Arkansas approved for WIOA funding

2 programs

Dental hygiene (bachelor's degree)In personEducation and courses
Dental Hygiene - BS
University of Arkansas - Fort Smith (UAFS)
Fort Smith
Accredited school
Education and courses
University of Arkansas - Fort Smith (UAFS), Fort SmithDental hygiene (bachelor's degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · Education and courses
Earned a year, estimated$20,900
Price if you pay yourself$35,774
School website, Dental Hygiene - BS at University of Arkansas - Fort Smith (UAFS)
More details about Dental Hygiene - BS at University of Arkansas - Fort Smith (UAFS)
Finished
23%
Working at 6 months
55%
Earned in a quarter
$5,224
Length
Not reported
Cost of supplies
$6,420
Students counted
392
Earned a year, estimated
$20,900
Price if you pay yourself
$35,774
School website, Dental Hygiene - BS at University of Arkansas - Fort Smith (UAFS)
Dental hygiene (bachelor's degree)In personBachelor's degree
Dental Hygiene
UNIVERSITY of Arkansas Medical Sciences (UAMS)
Little Rock
Accredited school
Bachelor's degree
UNIVERSITY of Arkansas Medical Sciences (UAMS), Little RockDental hygiene (bachelor's degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · Bachelor's degree
Earned a year, estimated$63,300
Price if you pay yourself$18,815
More details about Dental Hygiene at UNIVERSITY of Arkansas Medical Sciences (UAMS)
Finished
97%
Working at 6 months
63%
Earned in a quarter
$15,819
Length
Not reported
Cost of supplies
$1,500
Students counted
174
Earned a year, estimated
$63,300
Price if you pay yourself
$18,815

How to pay for dental hygiene programs in Arkansas

WIOA funding can pay for dental hygiene programs in Arkansas

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for dental hygiene programs

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.⁷⁸

GI Bill for dental hygiene programs

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.⁹

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Dental hygiene programs in Fort Smith, Little Rock and other Arkansas cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above.

Other training in Arkansas

How dental hygiene programs compare with the rest of allied health: Allied health programs in Arkansas

Where the Arkansas dental hygiene program numbers come from

Which Arkansas dental hygiene programs are on this list?

These are the dental hygiene programs Arkansas approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).¹⁰ The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Arkansas offers.

How the prices and results of Arkansas dental hygiene programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about dental hygiene programs in Arkansas

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