The Ohio State University College of Dentistry is in Columbus, Ohio and offers a DDS (4 years (11 semesters)). It is one of the few schools that publishes hard cut-offs: your application is not reviewed unless you meet every minimum[3]. This page lists what Ohio State 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
| Ohio State | |
|---|---|
| Degree and length | DDS, 4 years (11 semesters) |
| School type | Public |
| Application deadline | October 1[3] |
| Minimum GPA | 3.0 total and 3.0 science. An exception is possible with a 3.5 in an advanced degree or in your last 45 hours.[3] |
| Minimum DAT | Academic Average 370, Perceptual Ability 360, Survey of Natural Sciences 380[3] |
| Canadian DAT | No |
| Shadowing | 40 hours of dental experience minimum, completed before you apply. Admitted students average about 120 hours, usually with five or six practitioners. Paid dental work counts if you observed patient care. |
| Letters | At least 2 letters (4 at most), one from a college faculty member. |
| Offers per 100 applications | 12.0[2] |
How it ranks among US dental schools
| Measure, 2025-26 | Ohio State | Rank | Average of all schools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applications received | 1,344 | 50th of 76 1st = most applications | 1,835 |
| Offers per 100 applications | 12.0 | 50th of 76 1st = most selective | 12.3 |
| Average GPA of the entering class | 3.71 | 39th of 76 1st = highest | 3.68 |
| Average DAT Academic Average | 440 | 25th of 70 1st = highest | 437 |
| First-year class size | 120 | 16th of 76 1st = largest | 96 |
| First-year tuition, non-residents | $102,436 | 7th of 76 1st = most expensive | $80,372 |
| Canadian citizens in the first-year class | 0 | 24th of 76 1st = most Canadians | 2 |
| Share of the class from the home state | 84% | 17th 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 60 semester (90 quarter) hours at an accredited institution. You must have 8 of the 12 prerequisite courses done before you apply, and all of them before classes start.[3]
| Course | Amount required |
|---|---|
| Biology | 2 courses |
| General chemistry | 2 courses |
| Organic chemistry | 2 courses |
| Biochemistry | 1 course |
| Anatomy | 1 course |
| Physiology | 1 course |
| Microbiology | 1 course |
| Physics | 1 course |
| English composition | 1 course |
You need a C or better in each. Courses must be taken at an accredited English-speaking institution in the United States or Canada. Science prerequisites must be within 10 years of your application. A lab is needed only where it is part of the course itself.[3]
GPA and DAT
Minimum GPA: 3.0 total and 3.0 science. An exception is possible with a 3.5 in an advanced degree or in your last 45 hours.
Minimum DAT: Academic Average 370, Perceptual Ability 360, Survey of Natural Sciences 380[3]
What the school reports: Class of 2029: 120 students, total GPA 3.73, science GPA 3.65.[4]
What the national survey reports for 2025-26: the entering class had an average GPA of 3.71 and a science GPA of 3.65, with an average DAT Academic Average of 440, Total Science of 450 and Perceptual Ability of 450 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 up to three years old from the date your application is received.[3]
Averages by year
The charts below show every entering class from 2015 to 2025. The average overall GPA went from 3.54 to 3.71 over that time[1].
Ohio State: 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 | 3.49 | |
| 2016 | 3.60 | 3.49 | |
| 2017 | 3.61 | 3.52 | |
| 2018 | 3.61 | 3.52 | |
| 2019 | 3.59 | 3.51 | |
| 2020 | 3.61 | 3.67 | |
| 2021 | 3.65 | 3.56 | |
| 2022 | 3.63 | 3.57 | |
| 2023 | 3.72 | 3.64 | |
| 2024 | 3.73 | 3.66 | |
| 2025 | 3.71 | 3.65 | [1] |
Source: American Dental Association, Survey of Dental Education, 2015-16 to 2025-26 editions.
Ohio State: 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 | 20.7 | |
| 2016 | 20.3 | 19.9 | 21.2 | |
| 2017 | 20.3 | 19.8 | 20.6 | |
| 2018 | 20.1 | 19.8 | 19.7 | |
| 2019 | 21.0 | 20.7 | 21.6 | |
| 2020 | 20.4 | 20.0 | 21.3 | |
| 2021 | 21.0 | 20.5 | 21.5 | |
| 2022 | 20.9 | 20.5 | 21.3 | |
| 2023 | 21.0 | 20.6 | 20.9 | |
| 2024 | 21.1 | 20.7 | 20.5 | [1] |
The 2025-26 class is not on this chart because the DAT moved to a 200 to 600 scale. Its averages were 440 Academic Average, 450 Total Science and 450 Perceptual Ability.
Canadian applicants
Is the Canadian DAT accepted? No. Ohio State does not accept the Canadian DAT. You must write the US DAT.[3]
Prerequisites from an English-speaking Canadian institution are accepted. The main obstacle for Canadians is the test: the Canadian DAT is not accepted, so you need the US DAT and must clear all three section minimums.[3][4]
How many Canadians are in the class?
In 2025-26, none of the 120 first-year students at Ohio State were Canadian citizens[2]. 6 were citizens of other countries.
Ohio State: 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 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 0 | [1] |
1 Canadian citizens started at Ohio State 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: October 1[3]
- School fee and extra forms: A supplemental application is sent if you meet the minimums; it is due two weeks later.
- Letters: At least 2 letters (4 at most), one from a college faculty member.
- Shadowing: 40 hours of dental experience minimum, completed before you apply. Admitted students average about 120 hours, usually with five or six practitioners. Paid dental work counts if you observed patient care.
- Interview: By invitation, in October and November. Ohio State expects to interview more than 250 applicants, with offers on or after December 15.
Who is in the class
84% of the 2025-26 first-year class (101 of 120 students) were residents of Ohio[2]. That leaves 19 seats that went to people from elsewhere. 2 students were not US residents.
Ohio State: 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 116 with a bachelor’s degree, 4 with a master’s degree[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 77 women and 43 men (64% women)[2]. Women sent 755 applications and men sent 588.
Students in each year of the program:
| 1st year | 2nd year | 3rd year | 4th year | All years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 | 125 | 117 | 118 | 483 |
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 Ohio State answered for 2025-26[2].
DAT sections
| Rating | DAT sections |
|---|---|
| Very important | Academic Average, Perceptual Ability, Total Science |
| Somewhat important | Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Biology, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry |
Grades and other factors
| Rating | Factors |
|---|---|
| Very important | Science GPA, Overall GPA, Interview, Community service |
| Somewhat important | Non-science GPA, Letters of recommendation, Professional experience, Overcoming personal or financial challenges |
| Not applicable | Manual dexterity |
Ohio State rated 7 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, Ohio State received 1,344 applications, made 161 offers and enrolled 120 first-year students[2]. That is 12.0 offers for every 100 applications. Offers are higher than seats because many accepted applicants choose another school.
Ohio State: offers per 100 applications, by year
Applicants offered a place, divided by applications received.
| Year | Offers per 100 applications | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 15.7 | |
| 2016 | 15.3 | |
| 2017 | 12.9 | |
| 2018 | 20.7 | |
| 2019 | 20.3 | |
| 2020 | 23.3 | |
| 2021 | 20.5 | |
| 2022 | 19.2 | |
| 2023 | 15.2 | |
| 2024 | 16.7 | |
| 2025 | 12.0 | [1] |
Ohio State: applications received
By academic year (the year shown is when the year started).
| Year | Applications | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 986 | |
| 2016 | 1,038 | |
| 2017 | 1,299 | |
| 2018 | 811 | |
| 2019 | 797 | |
| 2020 | 776 | |
| 2021 | 958 | |
| 2022 | 1,148 | |
| 2023 | 1,138 | |
| 2024 | 1,263 | |
| 2025 | 1,344 | [2] |
Ohio State: first-year enrolment
By academic year (the year shown is when the year started).
| Year | First-year students | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 110 | |
| 2016 | 110 | |
| 2017 | 110 | |
| 2018 | 120 | |
| 2019 | 120 | |
| 2020 | 120 | |
| 2021 | 120 | |
| 2022 | 120 | |
| 2023 | 120 | |
| 2024 | 120 | |
| 2025 | 120 | [2] |
The program in numbers
| Ohio State | |
|---|---|
| Degree | D.D.S. |
| Calendar | Semester system |
| Program type | Four academic years over 48 months |
| Total length | 156 weeks of instruction |
| Total dental students | 483 |
| Graduates in 2025 | 121 |
| Patient visits handled by students in a year | 37,187 (8,287 at sites outside the school) |
| New patients screened in a year | 4,217 |
| Combined degree programs | PhD, Master of Public Health, other degrees |
| Dentists trained abroad | Not admitted with advanced standing in 2025-26 |
| Transfer students | Accepted in principle; none in 2025-26 |
Figures are what the school reported for 2025-26[2].
Ohio State: total students and graduates
All dental students enrolled, and graduates each year.
| Year | Total dental students | Graduates | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 444 | 108 | |
| 2016 | 439 | 110 | |
| 2017 | 439 | 108 | |
| 2018 | 452 | 104 | |
| 2019 | 457 | 108 | |
| 2020 | 467 | 108 | |
| 2021 | 474 | 110 | |
| 2022 | 480 | 111 | |
| 2023 | 485 | 118 | |
| 2024 | 486 | 116 | |
| 2025 | 483 | 121 | [2] |
Tuition and cost
Ohio State: 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.
Ohio State: first-year tuition and fees by year
US dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
| Year | Non-residents | Residents | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 72,478 | 33,290 | |
| 2016 | 76,086 | 36,886 | |
| 2017 | 77,532 | 37,548 | |
| 2018 | 44,135 | 38,588 | |
| 2019 | 46,556 | 41,347 | |
| 2020 | 49,109 | 44,209 | |
| 2021 | 90,774 | 45,770 | |
| 2022 | 48,257 | 48,164 | |
| 2023 | 99,121 | 49,958 | |
| 2024 | 58,045 | 51,917 | |
| 2025 | 109,028 | 54,848 | [2] |
Non-resident first-year tuition and fees went from $72,478 in 2015 to $109,028 in 2025, a change of +50%.
Tuition for each year of the program
| Year of the program | Tuition, residents | Tuition, non-residents |
|---|---|---|
| 1st year | $48,256 | $102,436 |
| 2nd year | $59,920 | $130,842 |
| 3rd year | $59,920 | $130,842 |
| 4th year | $59,920 | $130,842 |
| All years | $228,016 | $494,962 |
Fees and other required costs over the whole program
| Cost | Total for all years |
|---|---|
| Mandatory general fees | $28,246 |
| Instruments | $3,663 |
| Instructional materials | $13,978 |
| Other fixed costs | $4,128 |
| All fees and required costs | $50,015 |
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 Ohio State accept the Canadian DAT?
No. Ohio State does not accept the Canadian DAT. You must write the US DAT.[3]
What GPA do you need for Ohio State dental school?
What DAT score do you need for Ohio State?
How many shadowing hours does Ohio State require?
40 hours of dental experience minimum, completed before you apply. Admitted students average about 120 hours, usually with five or six practitioners. Paid dental work counts if you observed patient care.[3]
When is the Ohio State dental school application deadline?
October 1. Applying earlier helps because interviews are offered on a rolling basis.[3]
How hard is it to get into Ohio State dental school?
In 2025-26 it received 1,344 applications, made 161 offers and enrolled 120 students, about 12.0 offers per 100 applications.[2]
How many Canadians go to Ohio State dental school?
In 2025-26, none of the 120 first-year students were Canadian citizens. From 2019 to 2025, 1 Canadians started there.[2]
What share of Ohio State dental students are from out of state?
In 2025-26, 84% of the first-year class (101 of 120) were residents of Ohio, so 16% came from elsewhere.[2]
How important is the DAT Perceptual Ability section at Ohio State?
Ohio State told the American Dental Association that the Perceptual Ability score is very important in its admissions decisions for 2025-26.[2]
How much does Ohio State dental school cost for the whole program?
Tuition for all years totals $494,962 for non-residents in 2025-26 dollars, plus about $50,015 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
- Ohio State College of Dentistry: how to apply to the DDS program
- Ohio State College of Dentistry: Doctor of Dental Surgery
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.