Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and offers a DMD (4 years). It admits 140 first-year students from more than 2,500 applicants and accepts the Canadian DAT[3]. This page lists what Temple asks for on its own admissions pages, with the latest numbers from the American Dental Association and a section for Canadian applicants.
At a glance
| Temple | |
|---|---|
| Degree and length | DMD, 4 years |
| School type | Private/State-Related |
| Application deadline | January 15 (supplemental fee by January 20)[3] |
| Minimum GPA | None published[3] |
| Minimum DAT | None published[3] |
| Canadian DAT | Yes |
| Shadowing | No set number of hours is published. |
| Letters | 2 letters from science professors or pre-health committee members. |
| Offers per 100 applications | 11.2[2] |
How it ranks among US dental schools
| Measure, 2025-26 | Temple | Rank | Average of all schools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applications received | 3,371 | 5th of 76 1st = most applications | 1,835 |
| Offers per 100 applications | 11.2 | 43rd of 76 1st = most selective | 12.3 |
| Average GPA of the entering class | 3.60 | 57th of 76 1st = highest | 3.68 |
| First-year class size | 145 | 9th of 76 1st = largest | 96 |
| First-year tuition, non-residents | $84,420 | 34th of 76 1st = most expensive | $80,372 |
| Canadian citizens in the first-year class | 12 | 3rd of 76 1st = most Canadians | 2 |
| Share of the class from the home state | 47% | 52nd of 76 1st = most in-state | 58% |
Ranks compare the US dental schools that reported each figure to the American Dental Association for 2025-26[2].
Prerequisite courses
At least 90 semester hours at an accredited college or university. Applicants with a completed bachelor’s degree get preference, and a science degree is preferred.[3]
| Course | Amount required |
|---|---|
| Biology, with lab | 8 semester hours |
| General chemistry, with lab | 8 semester hours |
| Organic chemistry, with lab | 8 semester hours |
| Physics, with lab | 8 semester hours |
| English | 6 semester hours |
Advanced science courses, especially anatomy, biochemistry, histology and physiology, are highly recommended.[3]
GPA and DAT
Minimum GPA: None published
Minimum DAT: None published[3]
What the school reports: 140 first-year students are admitted each year from more than 2,500 applicants.[3]
What the national survey reports for 2025-26: the entering class had an average GPA of 3.60 and a science GPA of 3.51. It did not report DAT averages on the new scale[2]. The DAT moved from a 1 to 30 scale to a 200 to 600 scale in 2025, so some school pages still quote old-scale scores; a 20 on the old scale is roughly 420 on the new one.
How long DAT scores last: Scores more than two years old when you apply are not accepted. Temple recommends testing by August 31 of the application year.[3]
Averages by year
The charts below show every entering class from 2015 to 2025. The average overall GPA went from 3.54 to 3.60 over that time[1].
Temple: average GPA of the entering class, by year
Overall GPA and science GPA of first-year students (the year shown is when the academic year started).
| Year | Overall GPA | Science GPA | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 3.54 | 3.46 | |
| 2016 | 3.54 | 3.47 | |
| 2017 | 3.53 | 3.45 | |
| 2018 | 3.55 | 3.48 | |
| 2019 | 3.51 | 3.39 | |
| 2020 | 3.55 | 3.49 | |
| 2021 | 3.51 | 3.44 | |
| 2022 | 3.57 | 3.48 | |
| 2023 | 3.55 | 3.46 | |
| 2024 | 3.58 | 3.49 | |
| 2025 | 3.60 | 3.51 | [1] |
Source: American Dental Association, Survey of Dental Education, 2015-16 to 2025-26 editions.
Temple: average DAT scores of the entering class, by year
Old 1 to 30 scale: Academic Average, Total Science and Perceptual Ability.
| Year | Academic Average | Total Science | Perceptual Ability | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 20.1 | 20.0 | 20.1 | |
| 2016 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 20.0 | |
| 2017 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | |
| 2018 | 21.1 | 21.0 | 20.3 | |
| 2019 | 21.1 | 20.9 | 20.4 | |
| 2020 | 21.2 | 20.8 | 20.6 | |
| 2021 | 21.2 | 21.7 | 20.6 | |
| 2022 | 21.3 | 21.0 | 20.5 | |
| 2023 | 20.8 | 20.6 | 20.0 | |
| 2024 | 21.3 | 21.1 | 20.2 | [1] |
The 2025-26 class is not on this chart because the DAT moved to a 200 to 600 scale. The school did not report averages on the new scale.
Canadian applicants
Is the Canadian DAT accepted? Yes. Temple asks applicants who take the Canadian DAT to send a Canadian DAT score report.[3]
Temple names the Canadian DAT directly, and its rule for foreign-educated applicants treats Canada like the United States: only students educated outside the US and Canada must complete a year of college and all prerequisites in the US or Canada. English proficiency is judged from your interview, essays and DAT Reading Comprehension score.[3][4]
How many Canadians are in the class?
In 2025-26, 12 of the 145 first-year students at Temple were Canadian citizens (8% of the class)[2]. That is the 3rd highest number of Canadians among US dental schools. Another 15 were citizens of other countries.
Temple: Canadian citizens in the first-year class
Number of first-year students who were Canadian citizens (the year shown is when the academic year started).
| Year | Canadian first-year students | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 3 | |
| 2021 | 4 | |
| 2022 | 9 | |
| 2023 | 6 | |
| 2024 | 13 | |
| 2025 | 12 | [1] |
48 Canadian citizens started at Temple over these 7 years.
Comparing schools? Our table of all 76 US dental schools lets you sort by applications, GPA, DAT and tuition, and our Canadian dental school requirements cover the ten schools at home.
How to apply
- Application: through ADEA AADSAS, the shared application for US dental schools.
- Deadline: January 15 (supplemental fee by January 20)[3]
- School fee and extra forms: A supplementary application is emailed after AADSAS verifies your application.
- Letters: 2 letters from science professors or pre-health committee members.
- Shadowing: No set number of hours is published.
- Interview: Highly qualified candidates are invited to a formal interview. Decisions start December 1 and are rolling after that.
Who is in the class
47% of the 2025-26 first-year class (68 of 145 students) were residents of Pennsylvania[2]. That leaves 77 seats that went to people from elsewhere. 1 students were not US residents.
Temple: where first-year students live
Home state and the five most common other states or provinces, 2025-26.
Education before dental school: first-year students entered 77 with a bachelor’s degree, 4 with a master’s degree, 30 after four years of college without a degree, 31 after three years of college, 3 after two years[2]. A meaningful number were admitted without a finished degree.
Women and men: the first-year class had 84 women and 61 men (58% women)[2]. Women sent 2,076 applications and men sent 1,292.
Students in each year of the program:
| 1st year | 2nd year | 3rd year | 4th year | All years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 145 | 141 | 160 | 150 | 597 |
What the school says it weighs
Each year the American Dental Association asks every dental school how important each part of an application is. This is how Temple answered for 2025-26[2].
DAT sections
| Rating | DAT sections |
|---|---|
| Very important | Academic Average, Total Science, Biology, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry |
| Somewhat important | Perceptual Ability, Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension |
Grades and other factors
| Rating | Factors |
|---|---|
| Very important | Science GPA, Interview, Community service, Overcoming personal or financial challenges |
| Somewhat important | Non-science GPA, Overall GPA, Letters of recommendation, Manual dexterity, Professional experience |
Temple rated 9 of the 17 items as very important. It did not rate any item as unimportant, so a weak area is unlikely to be overlooked.
Applications and class size over time
In 2025-26, Temple received 3,371 applications, made 376 offers and enrolled 145 first-year students[2]. That is 11.2 offers for every 100 applications. Offers are higher than seats because many accepted applicants choose another school.
Temple: offers per 100 applications, by year
Applicants offered a place, divided by applications received.
| Year | Offers per 100 applications | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 11.0 | |
| 2016 | 10.2 | |
| 2017 | 11.6 | |
| 2018 | 11.5 | |
| 2019 | 12.0 | |
| 2020 | 13.1 | |
| 2021 | 14.5 | |
| 2022 | 15.5 | |
| 2023 | 16.5 | |
| 2024 | 14.2 | |
| 2025 | 11.2 | [1] |
Temple: applications received
By academic year (the year shown is when the year started).
| Year | Applications | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 3,005 | |
| 2016 | 3,180 | |
| 2017 | 3,007 | |
| 2018 | 3,173 | |
| 2019 | 3,048 | |
| 2020 | 2,766 | |
| 2021 | 2,910 | |
| 2022 | 2,808 | |
| 2023 | 2,780 | |
| 2024 | 2,858 | |
| 2025 | 3,371 | [2] |
Temple: first-year enrolment
By academic year (the year shown is when the year started).
| Year | First-year students | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 140 | |
| 2016 | 140 | |
| 2017 | 139 | |
| 2018 | 140 | |
| 2019 | 142 | |
| 2020 | 141 | |
| 2021 | 142 | |
| 2022 | 142 | |
| 2023 | 139 | |
| 2024 | 143 | |
| 2025 | 145 | [2] |
The program in numbers
| Temple | |
|---|---|
| Degree | D.M.D. |
| Calendar | Semester system |
| Program type | Four academic years over 48 months |
| Total length | 175 weeks of instruction |
| Total dental students | 597 |
| Graduates in 2025 | 152 |
| Patient visits handled by students in a year | 68,129 (416 at sites outside the school) |
| New patients screened in a year | 6,198 |
| Combined degree programs | None reported |
| Dentists trained abroad | Admitted with advanced standing (26 in 2025-26, into other) |
| Transfer students | Accepted in principle; none in 2025-26 |
Figures are what the school reported for 2025-26[2].
Temple: total students and graduates
All dental students enrolled, and graduates each year.
| Year | Total dental students | Graduates | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 559 | 134 | |
| 2016 | 555 | 138 | |
| 2017 | 555 | 139 | |
| 2018 | 581 | 133 | |
| 2019 | 586 | 151 | |
| 2020 | 583 | 149 | |
| 2021 | 582 | 149 | |
| 2022 | 584 | 141 | |
| 2023 | 575 | 157 | |
| 2024 | 584 | 149 | |
| 2025 | 597 | 152 | [2] |
Tuition and cost
Temple: cost in US dollars, 2025-26
Canadians pay the non-resident amount at public schools.
Figures are in US dollars and do not include living costs. Program totals are the school's estimate for a student starting in 2025-26.
Temple: first-year tuition and fees by year
US dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
| Year | Non-residents | Residents | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 59,512 | 51,308 | |
| 2016 | 61,170 | 54,024 | |
| 2017 | 63,788 | 56,586 | |
| 2018 | 66,304 | 58,814 | |
| 2019 | 67,612 | 59,972 | |
| 2020 | 70,288 | 62,342 | |
| 2021 | 72,022 | 64,184 | |
| 2022 | 75,183 | 66,397 | |
| 2023 | 78,537 | 69,029 | |
| 2024 | 82,404 | 71,746 | |
| 2025 | 85,680 | 74,594 | [2] |
Non-resident first-year tuition and fees went from $59,512 in 2015 to $85,680 in 2025, a change of +44%.
Tuition for each year of the program
| Year of the program | Tuition, residents | Tuition, non-residents |
|---|---|---|
| 1st year | $73,334 | $84,420 |
| 2nd year | $73,334 | $84,420 |
| 3rd year | $73,334 | $84,420 |
| 4th year | $73,334 | $84,420 |
| All years | $293,336 | $337,680 |
Fees and other required costs over the whole program
| Cost | Total for all years |
|---|---|
| Mandatory general fees | $4,905 |
| Instruments | $29,098 |
| Health services | $436 |
| All fees and required costs | $34,439 |
These are on top of tuition and do not include rent, food or travel[2]. Canadians pay in US dollars, so the exchange rate adds to the cost.
See how this compares in our guide to dental school costs in the USA.
Frequently asked questions
Does Temple accept the Canadian DAT?
Yes. Temple asks applicants who take the Canadian DAT to send a Canadian DAT score report.[3]
What GPA do you need for Temple dental school?
How many shadowing hours does Temple require?
No set number of hours is published.[3]
When is the Temple dental school application deadline?
January 15 (supplemental fee by January 20). Applying earlier helps because interviews are offered on a rolling basis.[3]
How hard is it to get into Temple dental school?
In 2025-26 it received 3,371 applications, made 376 offers and enrolled 145 students, about 11.2 offers per 100 applications.[2]
How many Canadians go to Temple dental school?
In 2025-26, 12 of the 145 first-year students were Canadian citizens. From 2019 to 2025, 48 Canadians started there.[2]
What share of Temple dental students are from out of state?
In 2025-26, 47% of the first-year class (68 of 145) were residents of Pennsylvania, so 53% came from elsewhere.[2]
How important is the DAT Perceptual Ability section at Temple?
Temple told the American Dental Association that the Perceptual Ability score is somewhat important in its admissions decisions for 2025-26.[2]
Does Temple have a program for dentists trained outside the US?
Yes. In 2025-26 Temple admitted 26 internationally trained dentists with advanced standing. That is a separate application from the regular program described on this page.[2]
How much does Temple dental school cost for the whole program?
Tuition for all years totals $337,680 for non-residents in 2025-26 dollars, plus about $34,439 in fees, instruments and other required costs. Living costs are extra.[2]
Sources
- American Dental Association: Survey of Dental Education, Report 2, editions 2015-16 to 2025-26
- American Dental Association: Survey of Dental Education 2025-26, Reports 1 and 2
- Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry: DMD admissions
- Temple University Bulletin: Dentistry DMD
Figures were checked against these sources on November 11, 2026. Schools change their numbers every cycle, so confirm on the official site before you apply.
Are Canadians considered international or out of state