Palo Alto College Dental Hygiene Program Costs $15,138. Here Is How Its Graduates Do.
An AAS program in San Antonio, Two years full time, five semesters.
We are still collecting data for this program. This page will be listed in search once it has published outcomes and a cost or program details.
The Short Version
- Its published cost is above the median for Texas dental hygiene programs that publish one ($13,670).
- At 10% of the local median wage for dental hygienists, the program cost is paid back in about 1.5 years.
These lines are generated from the numbers on this page and change when the data does.
How Graduates Do
CODA requires every accredited program to publish the same outcome measures, so they can be compared program to program. 3
Graduates who passed the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination, as the program publishes it. CODA does not require programs to post a standard set of outcomes, so many Texas programs publish none, and those that do differ in years and detail. Job placement: graduates employed as dental hygienists, as the program reports it.
Where the Money Goes
The school's estimate, in 6 parts. Stated grand total. Semester 1 is stated without its $61 in fees, so the full sum would be $15,199. Books, supplies and exams are not included.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| General education prerequisite courses | $2,982 |
| Semester 1, Fall (as stated) | $3,348 |
| Semester 2, Spring | $2,845 |
| Semester 3, Summer | $837 |
| Semester 4, Fall | $3,409 |
| Semester 5, Spring | $1,717 |
| Total 1 | $15,138 |
Not included: living costs. Cost estimates at in-district rates (updated July 16, 2026, no academic year).
Jobs and Pay in the San Antonio Area
About 920 dental hygienists work in the San Antonio area. The middle half earn between $84,170 and $102,900 a year; new graduates usually start toward the lower end. Texas expects about 1,370 openings a year statewide through 2034, from new positions, retirements and people changing jobs, with the number of jobs growing 21.8% (from 15,550 to 18,950).
Other Dental Hygiene Programs in the San Antonio Area
Compare all 3 dental hygiene programs in the San Antonio area
| Program | NBDHE rate | Job placement | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| UT San Antonio, School of Dentistry BS, San Antonio | 90.0% | Not reported | Not published |
| Concorde Career College, San Antonio AAS, San Antonio | Not reported | Not reported | Not published |
| Palo Alto College (this page) AAS, San Antonio | Not reported | Not reported | $15,138 |
After You Graduate: Getting to Work in Texas
Texas requires a dental hygienist license from the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners (TSBDE). New graduates of a CODA-accredited program must pass the NBDHE, a Board-approved regional clinical exam (TSBDE validates ADEX and CRDTS-SRTA scores), and the TSBDE Jurisprudence Assessment, and complete fingerprinting, BLS CPR and a human trafficking course.
| Step | Fee |
|---|---|
| Pass the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE) from the JCNDE.6 | $600 |
| Pass the ADEX dental hygiene exam (clinical plus computer-based OSCE), given by CDCA-WREB-CITA, within seven years before applying.7 | $1,300 |
| Alternative: take the CRDTS dental hygiene exam instead of ADEX.8 | $1,175not counted |
| Complete the TSBDE Jurisprudence Assessment within one year before applying.9 | Not published |
| Apply online to TSBDE for licensure by examination and mail the supporting documents (transcript, NPDB self-query, CPR card, human trafficking course certificate).10 | $125 |
| Get fingerprinted through IdentoGo using the service code TSBDE emails after you apply.11 | Not published |
| After approval, pay the initial renewal to activate the license (the approval letter lets you practice for 30 days).12 | Not published |
Typical fees to start working: $2,025. Counts the NBDHE ($600), the ADEX exam with its typodont fee ($1,300) and the TSBDE application ($125). Extra costs not counted: the ADEX facility fee, the Jurisprudence Assessment, IdentoGo fingerprinting and the initial license renewal, whose current amounts are not confirmed; CRDTS ($1,175) is an alternative to ADEX. Texas hygienist licenses renew every two years with continuing education, and the Jurisprudence Assessment must be retaken once every four years. Full guide: how to become a dental hygienist in Texas
With Palo Alto College's published cost, the total to finish school and get credentialed is about $17,163, before prerequisites and living costs.
Program Facts
- Credential
- AAS
- Length
- Two years full time, five semesters
- Schedule
- Face to face, on campus, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Starts
- Fall (Class of 2029 application opens Jan 25, 2027)
- Before you apply
- A&P I, A&P II, Microbiology, Chemistry, Composition I, Ethics and Psychology or Sociology, finished by December 31 before applying.
- Entrance exam
- HSRT, by invitation, once per cycle
- Accreditation
- CODA, Approval with reporting requirements (8/2027) per CODA Winter 2026 progress report; the program page states approval without reporting requirements
- Leads to
- National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE), a clinical licensing exam and a Texas license
Sources and Dates
- Palo Alto College Dental Hygiene Program Cost Estimates, Cost estimates at in-district rates (updated July 16, 2026, no academic year).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Dental Hygienists (29-1292), May 2025 estimates.
- Commission on Dental Accreditation (American Dental Association) (CODA), checked Nov. 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Texas and metro areas (employment and wage percentiles), May 2025 estimates.
- Texas Workforce Commission, long-term occupational projections, 2024 to 2034.
- JCNDE NBDHE 2026 Candidate Guide, 2026 Candidate Guide, updated 9/17/2026.
- ADEX Dental Hygiene (CDCA-WREB-CITA), Page references 2026 manuals; fee year not stated; checked Nov 2026.
- CRDTS Dental Hygiene, Class of 2027 fees; checked Nov 2026.
- TSBDE Hygienist License by Exam, checked Nov 2026.
- TSBDE Dental Hygiene Licensure Application, Application form dated April 2025; checked Nov 2026.
- TSBDE Dental Hygiene Licensure Application, Application form dated April 2025; checked Nov 2026.
- TSBDE Dental Hygiene Licensure Application, Application form dated April 2025; checked Nov 2026.
Every number was checked against its source on Nov. 4, 2026. Spot an error? Report it. Program Outcomes is independent and not affiliated with any school or CODA. Our independence policy