Let’s make no mistake, getting into any dental school is an extremely difficult accomplishment that one should be proud of. The average acceptance rate of dental schools in America is approximately 7%! However, some dental schools are easier to get into than others in terms of their admission requirements and acceptance rates.
We’ve compiled a list of the 10 easiest dental schools to get into in the USA for both in-state and out-of-state/international students to help you out on your dental school applications. This order has been created by comparing the official acceptance rate information provided by each University and should not solely be used to influence your application decision.
Please note what type of applicant you are when reviewing this information. It is much more difficult for some applicants to some universities to receive an acceptance as an international or out-of-state student. This is because some Universities have a bias towards in-state applicants, as they are more likely to work in the state they are a resident of.
The 10 Easiest Dental School to get into in the USA as an Out-Of-State or International Applicant
#10 Indiana University School of Dentistry
| Acceptance Rate: 5.35% | Mean DAT Score: 19.4 | Mean Total GPA: 3.54 |
Indiana University School of Dentistry (IUSD) fosters an exceptional learning environment in which teaching, research, and community service converge to prepare future dental professionals. IUSD was founded in 1879 as the Indiana Dental College, with operational oversight assumed by Indiana University in 1925. IUSD is one of the oldest dental schools in the nation with more than 13, 000 living alumni located across the United States and approximately 30 other countries.
#9 University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry
| Acceptance Rate: 5.51% | Mean DAT Score: 19.6 | Mean Total GPA: 3.61 |
The University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry Detroit Mercy Dental, an independent Catholic institution, is an urban-based school located in metropolitan Detroit. Detroit Mercy Dental provides opportunities to deliver oral health care to an extensive patient population and to continue its history of community outreach activities.
#8 Creighton University School of Dentistry
| Acceptance Rate: 5.55% | Mean DAT Score: 19.6 | Mean Total GPA: 3.62 |
Creighton University, a private Jesuit school with a total enrollment of approximately 7,000 students, is one of the most diverse educational institutions of its size in the nation. Creighton University School of Dentistry (Creighton SOD) directs its major effort toward its D.D.S. degree program and also offers continuing education courses and cooperates with several local junior colleges in training allied dental professionals.
#7 University of Minnesota School of Dentistry
| Acceptance Rate: 6.41% | Mean DAT Score: 20.9 | Mean Total GPA: 3.62 |
The School of Dentistry (U of M SOD), is part of the Academic Health Center (AHC) at the University of Minnesota, one of the largest, most comprehensive academic health centers in the nation. One of six schools and colleges in the AHC, the School of Dentistry has achieved an international reputation for research, education and service. The School of Dentistry is the only dental school in Minnesota and the only dental school in the northern tier of states between Wisconsin and the Pacific Northwest.
#6 University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine
| Acceptance Rate: 6.50% | Mean DAT Score: 22.4 | Mean Total GPA: 3.75 |
The D.M.D. program and curriculum at Penn Dental Medicine reflect a strong commitment to developing a solid knowledge base in oral science, clinical science, and compassionate oral health care for all individuals.
#5 Howard University College of Dentistry
| Acceptance Rate: 6.86% | Mean DAT Score: 18.2 | Mean Total GPA: 3.24 |
Howard University College of Dentistry (HUCD)—is the nation’s fifth oldest dental school and is a leading teaching and patient care institution. The college has trained thousands of highly skilled dental professionals to serve their communities, particularly the underserved. HUCD’s graduates serve communities in 42 states and 54 countries. HUCD’s staff of over 80 faculty members, who constitute one of the best-trained dental faculties in the world, are committed to producing distinguished, compassionate and culturally sensitive graduates.
#4 University of New England College of Dental Medicine
| Acceptance Rate: 7.26% | Mean DAT Score: 19.3 | Mean Total GPA: 3.45 |
Located in beautiful Portland, ME, the University of New England College of Dental Medicine (UNE CDM) prepares students for careers as dentists in a variety of practice settings. The Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree is awarded after the successful completion of four years of professional study.
#3 University of Missouri – Kansas City, School of Dentistry
| Acceptance Rate: 7.82% | Mean DAT Score: 20.3 | Mean Total GPA: 3.76 |
The University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Dentistry (UMKC SOD) offers a varied and complete range of educational experiences for dental, dental hygiene, graduate and continuing education students. UMKC SOD delivers clinical care to more than 60,000 patients annually. The pre-clinical simulation lab was renovated in the Summer of 2019 and is one of the most advanced labs in the nation replicating actual patient care as closely as possible.
#2 New York University College of Dentistry
| Acceptance Rate: 7.88% | Mean DAT Score: 21.0 | Mean Total GPA: 3.45 |
New York University College of Dentistry (NYU Dentistry) is the third-oldest and the most comprehensive oral health care center in the U.S., educating nearly 10 percent of our nation’s dentists. NYU Dentistry’s tripartite mission — education and training, research and innovation, and patient care — is advanced by 12 academic departments focused on improving the health of the highly diverse populations in New York City and around the world.
#1 University of Utah School of Dentistry
| Acceptance Rate: 8.21% | Mean DAT Score: 21.3 | Mean Total GPA: 3.67 |
The University of Utah School of Dentistry (U of U SOD), is part of the University of Utah Health Sciences, the Intermountain West’s only academic medical center. The university offers advanced education in dentistry science and practice
The 10 Easiest Dental School to get into in the USA as an In-State Applicant
#10 The Ohio State University College of Dentistry
| Acceptance Rate: 41.39% | Mean DAT Score: 20.8 | Mean Total GPA: 3.65 |
The Ohio State University College of Dentistry (OSU COD), the nation’s fourth-largest public dental school, consists of 10 academic divisions representing all major dental specialties. As part of a research-intensive university, faculty and students engage in basic, clinical and applied research in a research program that draws extensive support from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation
#9 Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry
| Acceptance Rate: 41.76% | Mean DAT Score: 20.8 | Mean Total GPA: 3.69 |
Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry (OHSU SOD) is located in a state-of-the-art facility on the bank of the Willamette River on OHSU’s South Waterfront Campus. OHSU SOD’s objectives are to impart the scientific knowledge and clinical skills needed in the practice of dentistry; instill standards of professional conduct as a way of life; and promote a dedication to continuous, lifelong professional study and self-improvement.
#8 Medical University of South Carolina James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine
| Acceptance Rate: 43.31% | Mean DAT Score: 20.3 | Mean Total GPA: 3.61 |
The James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine is a strong, academically progressive, financially stable institution with a committed faculty and staff that serves a uniquely talented cohort of students and patients across South Carolina. Through academic excellence, innovation and discovery, and a commitment to serving patients with the highest level of care, we are changing what’s possible in dental education.
#7 University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine
| Acceptance Rate: 45.24% | Mean DAT Score: 17.5 | Mean Total GPA: 3.51 |
On June 21, 1956, the legislature of Puerto Rico, on the recommendation of the University’s Superior Education Council, approved legislation establishing the School of Dental Medicine. The first class started in August 1957. The School of Dental Medicine (SDM) is one of the faculties forming the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) and is located in the Medical Sciences Campus in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico.
#6 Louisiana State University Health New Orleans School of Dentistry
| Acceptance Rate: 45.31% | Mean DAT Score: 20.8 | Mean Total GPA: 3.57 |
The Louisiana State University Health New Orleans School of Dentistry (LSUSD) admitted its first class in September 1968. The $16 million dental school building was dedicated in 1972. The dental school complex provides excellent basic sciences, preclinical and clinical facilities. LSUSD is a public, state-supported institution and an integral part of the Louisiana State University (LSU) Health Sciences Center, New Orleans.
#5 University of Missouri – Kansas City, School of Dentistry
| Acceptance Rate: 48.76% | Mean DAT Score: 20.3 | Mean Total GPA: 3.76 |
The University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Dentistry (UMKC SOD) offers a varied and complete range of educational experiences for dental, dental hygiene, graduate and continuing education students. UMKC SOD delivers clinical care to more than 60,000 patients annually. The pre-clinical simulation lab was renovated in the Summer of 2019 and is one of the most advanced labs in the nation replicating actual patient care as closely as possible.
#4 University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry
| Acceptance Rate: 52.46% | Mean DAT Score: 20.5 | Mean Total GPA: 3.68 |
The University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry (UNMC COD), located in Lincoln (population 285,000), has a total student enrollment of 303, including 48 two-year dental hygiene students and 50 advanced dental education and graduate students. The advanced dental education programs include advanced education in general dentistry, endodontics, general practice residency, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, and periodontics.
#3 University of Nevada, Las Vegas, School of Dental Medicine
| Acceptance Rate: 54.02% | Mean DAT Score: 21.3 | Mean Total GPA: 3.56 |
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, School of Dental Medicine (UNLV SDM), located on the new Shadow Lane Campus, occupies 154,000 square feet in three buildings, including an 84-seat, state-of-the-art simulation laboratory, smart classrooms and 231 ultramodern operatories. With one of the most diverse faculties in dental education, UNLV SDM is dedicated to serving the Las Vegas community and has touched the lives of more than 175,000 citizens.
#2 The University of Iowa College of Dentistry & Dental Clinics
| Acceptance Rate: 55.67% | Mean DAT Score: 21.0 | Mean Total GPA: 3.68 |
The University of Iowa (UI) is a state-supported institution with an enrollment of more than 30,000, located on a 1,700-acre campus spanning the Iowa River Valley and merging with the business center of Iowa City, a community of 70,000. The Dental Science Building includes patient care clinics, academic classrooms, a simulation clinic and preclinical research laboratories. In addition to the D.D.S. program, the College of Dentistry is one of several dental schools that offers advanced dental education programs in all dental specialties recognized by the American Dental Association.
#1 West Virginia University School of Dentistry
| Acceptance Rate: 64.15% | Mean DAT Score: 19.2 | Mean Total GPA: 3.62 |
The West Virginia University School of Dentistry (WVU SOD) enrolls approximately 300 students in the school’s various programs, D.D.S., B.S. and M.S. in dental hygiene, and training in several post-doctoral dental specialties. The small class size allows for more personalized faculty-student interaction. WVU SOD was one of three schools in the United States and Canada initially selected to establish a Center for Research and Education in Technology (CRET) Innovation Center, featuring newly developed, high-tech equipment.
Closing Thoughts
Choosing the dental school you apply to should not only be based on the acceptance rates of each University. Applicants should also consider both the cost of each dental school as well as the requirements for each dental school. For more information on either of those topics click on the links above.
For students looking for help applying to dental schools consider checking our articles on the Dental Admission Tests and try our free Practice Tests to prepare you for the DAT.
