22 schools · Illinois
Dental assistant and hygienist programs in Illinois
22 schools in Illinois offer dental assisting and hygiene programs (16 of them public), with 13 certificate and 13 associate programs between them. Graduates of the typical certificate program here earned $28,553 a year after finishing, compared with $31,046 nationally.
All dental assisting and hygiene programs in Illinois
Sorted by earnings one year after graduation. Click a heading to sort; tuition is the school's yearly tuition and fees (2025-26), in-state for public schools.
| School | Type | Credential | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt | School tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X CollegeChicago, IL | Public community or technical college | Associate degree | 25 | $74,448 | $86,686 | n/a | $4,710 |
| College of Lake CountyGrayslake, IL | Public community or technical college | Associate degree | 22 | $74,156 | $61,864 | n/a | $4,901 |
| William Rainey Harper CollegePalatine, IL | Public community or technical college | Associate degree | 21 | $73,888 | $69,701 | n/a | $4,038 |
| Rock Valley CollegeRockford, IL | Community college | Associate degree | 16 | $68,437 | $76,660 | n/a | $4,324 |
| Lewis and Clark Community CollegeGodfrey, IL | Public community or technical college | Associate degree | 13 | $65,970 | $59,366 | n/a | $4,536 |
| Parkland CollegeChampaign, IL | Community college | Associate degree | 34 | $61,124 | $58,824 | $8,999 | $4,464 |
| Lake Land CollegeMattoon, IL | Public community or technical college | Associate degree | 24 | $54,865 | $59,374 | n/a | $4,620 |
| Carl Sandburg CollegeGalesburg, IL | Community college | Associate degree | 29 | $53,430 | $59,295 | $6,843 | $5,500 |
| First Institute of Travel Inc.Crystal Lake, IL | For-profit trade school | Certificate | 21 | $32,198 | $35,140 | $5,500 | $17,025 |
| Stautzenberger College-Rockford Career CollegeRockford, IL | For-profit trade school | Certificate | 16 | $28,553 | n/a | $13,583 | $16,849 |
| Midwest Technical Institute-IllinoisSpringfield, IL | For-profit trade school | Certificate | 83 | $27,858 | $29,448 | $9,301 | $16,292 |
| College of DuPageGlen Ellyn, IL | Community college | Associate degree | 29 | n/a | $70,554 | $14,573 | $4,680 |
| Prairie State CollegeChicago Heights, IL | Public community or technical college | Associate degree | 34 | n/a | $65,505 | $16,686 | $4,176 |
| Lewis and Clark Community CollegeGodfrey, IL | Public community or technical college | Certificate | 25 | n/a | $59,705 | $6,500 | $4,536 |
| Elgin Community CollegeElgin, IL | Public community or technical college | Certificate | 37 | n/a | n/a | n/a | $3,324 |
| Heartland Community CollegeNormal, IL | Public community or technical college | Certificate | 27 | n/a | n/a | n/a | $5,610 |
| Illinois Central CollegeEast Peoria, IL | Public community or technical college | Associate degree | 20 | n/a | n/a | n/a | $4,800 |
| Illinois Valley Community CollegeOglesby, IL | Public community or technical college | Certificate | 10 | n/a | n/a | n/a | $4,380 |
| Illinois Valley Community CollegeOglesby, IL | Public community or technical college | Associate degree | 7 | n/a | n/a | n/a | $4,380 |
| John A Logan CollegeCarterville, IL | Community college | Certificate | 10 | n/a | n/a | n/a | $4,630 |
| Kaskaskia CollegeCentralia, IL | Public community or technical college | Certificate | 14 | n/a | n/a | n/a | $4,980 |
| Kaskaskia CollegeCentralia, IL | Public community or technical college | Associate degree | 6 | n/a | n/a | n/a | $4,980 |
| MDT College of Health SciencesChicago, IL | For-profit trade school | Certificate | 10 | n/a | n/a | n/a | $21,970 |
| Midwestern Career CollegeChicago, IL | For-profit 2-year college | Certificate | 12 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Prairie State CollegeChicago Heights, IL | Public community or technical college | Certificate | 15 | n/a | n/a | n/a | $4,176 |
| State Career CollegeGurnee, IL | For-profit trade school | Certificate | 4 | n/a | n/a | n/a | $20,932 |
Cities with the most programs: Chicago (3), Rockford (2), Grayslake (1), Palatine (1), Godfrey (1), Champaign (1), Mattoon (1), Galesburg (1), Crystal Lake (1), Springfield (1), Glen Ellyn (1), Chicago Heights (1).
What counts: dental support services: dental assisting, dental hygiene and dental lab technology.
Frequently asked questions
How many dental assistant and hygienist programs are in Illinois?
22 schools in Illinois awarded dental assisting and hygiene certificates or associate degrees recently, according to the U.S. Department of Education: 13 certificate and 13 associate programs.
Which dental assisting and hygiene program in Illinois has the highest earnings?
City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College in Chicago, where associate degree graduates earned a median of $74,448 one year after finishing (programs with at least 5 graduates).
What is the cheapest dental assisting and hygiene school in Illinois?
By yearly tuition and fees, Elgin Community College in Elgin charges $3,324 (2025-26, in-state). Program fees, tools and licensing exams can add to that, so ask the school.
How much do dental assisting and hygiene graduates make in Illinois?
The typical certificate program in Illinois reported median earnings of $28,553 one year after graduation and $35,140 four years after, for graduates who received federal aid and were working.
More in Illinois: all trade schools · colleges
Other trades: Welding · HVAC · Electrician · Carpentry · Construction trades · Auto and diesel mechanic · Heavy equipment mechanic · Truck driving (CDL) · Cosmetology and barbering · Culinary arts · Medical assistant · LPN and CNA · Phlebotomy and medical lab · EMT, surgical tech and imaging · Medical billing and coding · Massage therapy · Paralegal
Dental assistant and hygienist programs nationwide
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (institution and field of study files), data release of October 15, 2026. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid and were working, not enrolled. What each figure covers.