VCU School of Dentistry is in Richmond, Virginia and offers a DDS (4 years). Its FAQ says plainly that Canadian students are encouraged to apply and that the Canadian DAT is accepted[3]. This page lists what VCU 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
| VCU | |
|---|---|
| Degree and length | DDS, 4 years |
| School type | Public |
| Application deadline | December 1 (DAT by November 1)[4] |
| Minimum GPA | None published[4] |
| Minimum DAT | None[4] |
| Canadian DAT | Yes |
| Shadowing | 100 to 150 hours of general practice shadowing is strongly encouraged before you apply. |
| Letters | One committee letter, or 3 letters: two from life-science professors and one from a dentist practising in the US or Canada who has seen you shadow or volunteer. |
| Offers per 100 applications | 7.1[2] |
How it ranks among US dental schools
| Measure, 2025-26 | VCU | Rank | Average of all schools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applications received | 2,574 | 20th of 76 1st = most applications | 1,835 |
| Offers per 100 applications | 7.1 | 13th of 76 1st = most selective | 12.3 |
| Average GPA of the entering class | 3.77 | 22nd of 76 1st = highest | 3.68 |
| Average DAT Academic Average | 430 | 43rd of 70 1st = highest | 437 |
| First-year class size | 97 | 31st of 76 1st = largest | 96 |
| First-year tuition, non-residents | $84,855 | 32nd of 76 1st = most expensive | $80,372 |
| Canadian citizens in the first-year class | 1 | 16th of 76 1st = most Canadians | 2 |
| Share of the class from the home state | 63% | 37th 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 credit hours (145 quarter hours) from a US or Canadian accredited institution by the time you apply. An offer depends on finishing your bachelor’s degree. Up to 60 semester hours may be from a community college.[4]
| Course | Amount required |
|---|---|
| General biology, lab and lecture | 8 semester hours |
| General chemistry, lab and lecture | 8 semester hours |
| Organic chemistry, lab and lecture | 8 semester hours |
| Physics, lab and lecture | 8 semester hours |
| Biochemistry | 3 semester hours |
| Math or statistics | Required |
| English | Required |
You need a C or higher in each; pass/fail grades are not accepted. VCU prefers prerequisites taken within five years of applying. Upper-level biology courses are strongly recommended.[4]
GPA and DAT
Minimum GPA: None published
Minimum DAT: None[4]
What the school reports: Admitted candidates have a DAT Academic Average of 430 to 440.[4]
What the national survey reports for 2025-26: the entering class had an average GPA of 3.77 and a science GPA of 3.70, with an average DAT Academic Average of 430, Total Science of 430 and Perceptual Ability of 430 on the new 200 to 600 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 three years old when you apply are not considered. VCU’s DAT deadline is November 1.[4]
Averages by year
The charts below show every entering class from 2015 to 2025. The average overall GPA went from 3.59 to 3.77 over that time[1].
VCU: 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 | 3.59 | 3.55 | |
| 2016 | 3.52 | 3.43 | |
| 2017 | 3.70 | 3.60 | |
| 2018 | 3.70 | 3.60 | |
| 2019 | 3.63 | 3.51 | |
| 2020 | 3.68 | 3.63 | |
| 2021 | 3.66 | 3.58 | |
| 2022 | 3.62 | 3.54 | |
| 2023 | 3.70 | 3.60 | |
| 2024 | 3.78 | 3.74 | |
| 2025 | 3.77 | 3.70 | [1] |
Source: American Dental Association, Survey of Dental Education, 2015-16 to 2025-26 editions.
VCU: 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 | 20.0 | 20.0 | 20.0 | |
| 2016 | 20.1 | 20.0 | 20.4 | |
| 2017 | 20.0 | 20.0 | 20.0 | |
| 2018 | 21.0 | 20.0 | 20.0 | |
| 2019 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 20.0 | |
| 2020 | 21.4 | 21.0 | 20.5 | |
| 2021 | 21.8 | 21.4 | 21.6 | |
| 2022 | 21.3 | 20.8 | 20.9 | |
| 2023 | 21.7 | 21.4 | 21.0 | |
| 2024 | 21.5 | 21.2 | 20.4 | [1] |
The 2025-26 class is not on this chart because the DAT moved to a 200 to 600 scale. Its averages were 430 Academic Average, 430 Total Science and 430 Perceptual Ability.
Canadian applicants
Is the Canadian DAT accepted? Yes. VCU accepts the Canadian DAT and no longer requires its manual dexterity section.[4]
VCU is one of the clearest schools for Canadians: credits from a Canadian accredited institution count, the Canadian DAT is accepted, and your dentist letter can come from a dentist practising in Canada.[4][3]
How many Canadians are in the class?
In 2025-26, 1 of the 97 first-year students at VCU were Canadian citizens (1% of the class)[2]. That is the 16th highest number of Canadians among US dental schools. Another 8 were citizens of other countries.
VCU: 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 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 1 | [1] |
2 Canadian citizens started at VCU 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: December 1 (DAT by November 1)[4]
- School fee and extra forms: $85.
- Letters: One committee letter, or 3 letters: two from life-science professors and one from a dentist practising in the US or Canada who has seen you shadow or volunteer.
- Shadowing: 100 to 150 hours of general practice shadowing is strongly encouraged before you apply.
- Interview: By invitation and required for admission. Interviews run from mid-September to February. Most applicants who are invited completed their application before September 1.
Who is in the class
63% of the 2025-26 first-year class (61 of 97 students) were residents of Virginia[2]. That leaves 36 seats that went to people from elsewhere. 6 students were not US residents.
VCU: 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 93 with a bachelor’s degree, 1 with a master’s degree, 3 after three years of college[2]. Almost everyone had finished a degree, so plan to complete yours even where the school does not strictly require it.
Women and men: the first-year class had 53 women and 44 men (55% women)[2]. Women sent 1,571 applications and men sent 1,002.
Students in each year of the program:
| 1st year | 2nd year | 3rd year | 4th year | All years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 97 | 103 | 104 | 102 | 406 |
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 VCU 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, Overall GPA, Interview, Professional experience |
| Somewhat important | Non-science GPA, Letters of recommendation, Community service |
| Not applicable | Manual dexterity, Overcoming personal or financial challenges |
VCU 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, VCU received 2,574 applications, made 183 offers and enrolled 97 first-year students[2]. That is 7.1 offers for every 100 applications. Offers are higher than seats because many accepted applicants choose another school.
VCU: offers per 100 applications, by year
Applicants offered a place, divided by applications received.
| Year | Offers per 100 applications | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 8.8 | |
| 2016 | 4.5 | |
| 2017 | 9.7 | |
| 2018 | 12.8 | |
| 2019 | 10.4 | |
| 2020 | 10.0 | |
| 2021 | 10.2 | |
| 2022 | 10.4 | |
| 2023 | 10.8 | |
| 2024 | 9.1 | |
| 2025 | 7.1 | [1] |
VCU: applications received
By academic year (the year shown is when the year started).
| Year | Applications | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 2,368 | |
| 2016 | 2,123 | |
| 2017 | 2,170 | |
| 2018 | 1,670 | |
| 2019 | 2,408 | |
| 2020 | 2,274 | |
| 2021 | 2,207 | |
| 2022 | 2,013 | |
| 2023 | 1,961 | |
| 2024 | 2,188 | |
| 2025 | 2,574 | [2] |
VCU: first-year enrolment
By academic year (the year shown is when the year started).
| Year | First-year students | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 95 | |
| 2016 | 98 | |
| 2017 | 98 | |
| 2018 | 96 | |
| 2019 | 101 | |
| 2020 | 96 | |
| 2021 | 96 | |
| 2022 | 97 | |
| 2023 | 99 | |
| 2024 | 97 | |
| 2025 | 97 | [2] |
The program in numbers
| VCU | |
|---|---|
| Degree | D.D.S. |
| Calendar | Semester system |
| Program type | Four academic years over 48 months |
| Total length | 155 weeks of instruction |
| Total dental students | 406 |
| Graduates in 2025 | 103 |
| Patient visits handled by students in a year | 37,945 |
| New patients screened in a year | 5,780 |
| Combined degree programs | PhD, a combined pre-dental and dental track |
| Dentists trained abroad | Admitted with advanced standing (11 in 2025-26, into 2nd year standing) |
| Transfer students | Not accepted |
Figures are what the school reported for 2025-26[2].
VCU: total students and graduates
All dental students enrolled, and graduates each year.
| Year | Total dental students | Graduates | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 392 | 104 | |
| 2016 | 399 | 98 | |
| 2017 | 407 | 103 | |
| 2018 | 405 | 104 | |
| 2019 | 411 | 100 | |
| 2020 | 410 | 102 | |
| 2021 | 409 | 105 | |
| 2022 | 409 | 103 | |
| 2023 | 410 | 101 | |
| 2024 | 409 | 104 | |
| 2025 | 406 | 103 | [2] |
Tuition and cost
VCU: 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.
VCU: first-year tuition and fees by year
US dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
| Year | Non-residents | Residents | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 68,370 | 42,756 | |
| 2016 | 70,355 | 43,716 | |
| 2017 | 74,675 | 46,171 | |
| 2018 | 75,647 | 45,152 | |
| 2019 | 75,823 | 44,113 | |
| 2020 | 78,596 | 45,617 | |
| 2021 | 74,646 | 41,667 | |
| 2022 | 74,084 | 41,105 | |
| 2023 | 89,688 | 55,232 | |
| 2024 | 103,757 | 68,198 | |
| 2025 | 107,931 | 71,234 | [2] |
Non-resident first-year tuition and fees went from $68,370 in 2015 to $107,931 in 2025, a change of +58%.
Tuition for each year of the program
| Year of the program | Tuition, residents | Tuition, non-residents |
|---|---|---|
| 1st year | $48,158 | $84,855 |
| 2nd year | $48,158 | $84,855 |
| 3rd year | $48,158 | $84,855 |
| 4th year | $48,158 | $84,855 |
| All years | $192,632 | $339,420 |
Fees and other required costs over the whole program
| Cost | Total for all years |
|---|---|
| Mandatory general fees | $82,097 |
| Instruments | $400 |
| Instructional materials | $1,085 |
| Other fixed costs | $1,360 |
| All fees and required costs | $84,942 |
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 VCU accept the Canadian DAT?
Yes. VCU accepts the Canadian DAT and no longer requires its manual dexterity section.[4]
What GPA do you need for VCU dental school?
What DAT score do you need for VCU?
How many shadowing hours does VCU require?
100 to 150 hours of general practice shadowing is strongly encouraged before you apply.[4]
When is the VCU dental school application deadline?
December 1 (DAT by November 1). Applying earlier helps because interviews are offered on a rolling basis.[4]
How hard is it to get into VCU dental school?
In 2025-26 it received 2,574 applications, made 183 offers and enrolled 97 students, about 7.1 offers per 100 applications.[2]
How many Canadians go to VCU dental school?
In 2025-26, 1 of the 97 first-year students were Canadian citizens. From 2019 to 2025, 2 Canadians started there.[2]
What share of VCU dental students are from out of state?
In 2025-26, 63% of the first-year class (61 of 97) were residents of Virginia, so 37% came from elsewhere.[2]
How important is the DAT Perceptual Ability section at VCU?
VCU told the American Dental Association that the Perceptual Ability score is somewhat important in its admissions decisions for 2025-26.[2]
Does VCU have a program for dentists trained outside the US?
Yes. In 2025-26 VCU admitted 11 internationally trained dentists with advanced standing. That is a separate application from the regular program described on this page.[2]
How much does VCU dental school cost for the whole program?
Tuition for all years totals $339,420 for non-residents in 2025-26 dollars, plus about $84,942 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
- VCU School of Dentistry: DDS frequently asked questions
- VCU School of Dentistry: DDS admission requirements
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.