Texas State Technical College, Harlingen Dental Hygiene Program Costs $29,729. Here Is How Its Graduates Do.
An AAS program in Harlingen, Two years after a prerequisite semester.
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 3.6 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
About half of every dollar goes to tuition and institutional fees, five semesters, texas resident. The packet states a total of $29,718, which is $11 less than its own line items.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tuition and institutional fees, five semesters, Texas resident | $17,034 |
| Additional program expenses (instruments, loupes, books, exams and more) | $12,695 |
| Total 1 | $29,729 |
* How we calculated this: Low is the sum of the packet's two stated subtotals.
Not included: living costs. 2027 application packet estimates, Texas resident, no year stated for the estimate.
Jobs and Pay in the Rio Grande Valley Area
About 210 dental hygienists work in the Rio Grande Valley area. The middle half earn between $74,870 and $92,830 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).
Program Facts
- Credential
- AAS
- Length
- Two years after a prerequisite semester
- Schedule
- In person and hybrid, day classes
- Starts
- Fall 2027 (apply by March 1, 2027; about 15 seats)
- Before you apply
- A&P I, Introduction to Chemistry, Composition I and a speech elective, with a 3.0 prerequisite GPA.
- Entrance exam
- ATDH (Admission Test for Dental Hygiene), Sept 1 to Dec 20, 2026
- Accreditation
- CODA, Approval without reporting requirements
- Leads to
- National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE), a clinical licensing exam and a Texas license
Sources and Dates
- TSTC Dental Hygiene 2027 Application Packet, 2027 application packet estimates, Texas resident, no year stated for the estimate.
- 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.
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