University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry is in Detroit, Michigan and offers a DDS (4 years). It sits across the river from Windsor, Ontario, and has rules written specifically for students at Canadian universities[3]. This page lists what Detroit Mercy 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
| Detroit Mercy | |
|---|---|
| Degree and length | DDS, 4 years |
| School type | Private nonprofit |
| Application deadline | December 31[3] |
| Minimum GPA | 3.0 science and 3.0 overall. A GPA of 3.5 or higher is described as competitive.[3] |
| Minimum DAT | No fixed cut-off. The school suggests about 390 in each section as a target minimum, with about 420 or better as competitive.[3] |
| Canadian DAT | Yes for 2026-27, then no |
| Shadowing | 100 hours minimum with a general dentist who is not a relative and who was educated and practises in the US or Canada. Dental assisting hours are accepted in place of shadowing. |
| Letters | 3 letters: two from science professors who taught you in a graded course, and one from a general dentist you shadowed in the US or Canada. |
| Offers per 100 applications | 18.2[2] |
How it ranks among US dental schools
| Measure, 2025-26 | Detroit Mercy | Rank | Average of all schools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applications received | 2,356 | 23rd of 76 1st = most applications | 1,835 |
| Offers per 100 applications | 18.2 | 67th of 76 1st = most selective | 12.3 |
| Average GPA of the entering class | 3.73 | 31st of 76 1st = highest | 3.68 |
| Average DAT Academic Average | 440 | 25th of 70 1st = highest | 437 |
| First-year class size | 166 | 5th of 76 1st = largest | 96 |
| First-year tuition, non-residents | $83,620 | 39th of 76 1st = most expensive | $80,372 |
| Canadian citizens in the first-year class | 27 | 2nd of 76 1st = most Canadians | 2 |
| Share of the class from the home state | 56% | 45th 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 credit hours from an accredited school in the US or Canada. Credits from outside the US and Canada are not accepted.[3]
| Course | Amount required |
|---|---|
| General biology or zoology, with lab | 8 semester hours |
| Inorganic or general chemistry, with lab | 8 semester hours |
| Organic chemistry, with lab | 8 semester hours |
| Physics, with lab | 8 semester hours |
| English | 6 semester hours |
| Biochemistry | 3 semester hours |
| Microbiology | Required |
Prerequisites must be within seven years: for the 2026-27 cycle, dated 2019 or later. Grades of C or higher are expected. For students at Canadian universities, 6 credit hours (a full-year course) count as the 8 US hours in each science, because Canadian labs are built into the lecture course.[3]
GPA and DAT
Minimum GPA: 3.0 science and 3.0 overall. A GPA of 3.5 or higher is described as competitive.
Minimum DAT: No fixed cut-off. The school suggests about 390 in each section as a target minimum, with about 420 or better as competitive.[3]
What the national survey reports for 2025-26: the entering class had an average GPA of 3.73 and a science GPA of 3.66, with an average DAT Academic Average of 440, Total Science of 450 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: Only scores from the last two years count, measured back from the date you apply. Scores received after December 31 are not accepted.[3]
Averages by year
The charts below show every entering class from 2015 to 2025. The average overall GPA went from 3.53 to 3.73 over that time[1].
Detroit Mercy: 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 | 3.53 | 3.53 | |
| 2016 | 3.63 | 3.56 | |
| 2017 | 3.66 | 3.57 | |
| 2018 | 3.65 | 3.59 | |
| 2019 | 3.60 | 3.55 | |
| 2020 | 3.62 | 3.57 | |
| 2021 | 3.58 | 3.53 | |
| 2022 | 3.66 | 3.59 | |
| 2023 | 3.68 | 3.60 | |
| 2024 | 3.71 | 3.61 | |
| 2025 | 3.73 | 3.66 | [1] |
Source: American Dental Association, Survey of Dental Education, 2015-16 to 2025-26 editions.
Detroit Mercy: 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 | 20.0 | 20.5 | 20.5 | |
| 2017 | 20.6 | 20.5 | 20.0 | |
| 2018 | 20.0 | 20.0 | 20.0 | |
| 2019 | 20.0 | 19.8 | 19.7 | |
| 2020 | 19.7 | 19.8 | 19.5 | |
| 2021 | 20.0 | 20.0 | 20.0 | |
| 2022 | 20.2 | 20.2 | 20.0 | |
| 2023 | 20.0 | 20.0 | 19.5 | |
| 2024 | 20.0 | 20.0 | 19.0 | [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 430 Perceptual Ability.
Canadian applicants
Is the Canadian DAT accepted? Yes for 2026-27, then no. The Canadian DAT is accepted in the 2026-27 cycle for students at Canadian colleges and universities. Starting with the 2027-28 cycle it will no longer be accepted, and everyone must take the US DAT.[3]
Detroit Mercy is a private school with no limits on international students. It accepts Canadian credits, counts 6 Canadian credit hours as 8, and accepts shadowing and a dentist letter from Canada. The one change to plan for: the Canadian DAT ends after the 2026-27 cycle, so anyone applying in 2027 or later needs the US DAT.[3][4]
How many Canadians are in the class?
In 2025-26, 27 of the 166 first-year students at Detroit Mercy were Canadian citizens (16% of the class)[2]. That is the 2nd highest number of Canadians among US dental schools. Another 13 were citizens of other countries.
Detroit Mercy: 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 | 11 | |
| 2020 | 16 | |
| 2021 | 16 | |
| 2022 | 16 | |
| 2023 | 24 | |
| 2024 | 22 | |
| 2025 | 27 | [1] |
132 Canadian citizens started at Detroit Mercy 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 31[3]
- School fee and extra forms: $125.
- Letters: 3 letters: two from science professors who taught you in a graded course, and one from a general dentist you shadowed in the US or Canada.
- Shadowing: 100 hours minimum with a general dentist who is not a relative and who was educated and practises in the US or Canada. Dental assisting hours are accepted in place of shadowing.
- Interview: Required. If you are invited, you must first complete a Kira online assessment. The Casper test is no longer required.
Who is in the class
56% of the 2025-26 first-year class (93 of 166 students) were residents of Michigan[2]. That leaves 73 seats that went to people from elsewhere. 13 students were not US residents.
Detroit Mercy: 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 145 with a bachelor’s degree, 9 with a master’s degree, 1 after four years of college without a degree, 8 after three years of college, 3 after two years[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 107 women and 59 men (64% women)[2]. Women sent 1,398 applications and men sent 956.
Students in each year of the program:
| 1st year | 2nd year | 3rd year | 4th year | All years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 166 | 147 | 145 | 151 | 609 |
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 Detroit Mercy answered for 2025-26[2].
DAT sections
| Rating | DAT sections |
|---|---|
| Very important | Academic Average, Total Science, Reading Comprehension, Biology, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry |
| Somewhat important | Perceptual Ability, Quantitative Reasoning |
Grades and other factors
| Rating | Factors |
|---|---|
| Very important | Science GPA, Overall GPA, Letters of recommendation, Community service |
| Somewhat important | Professional experience, Overcoming personal or financial challenges |
| Not important | Non-science GPA, Interview, Manual dexterity |
Detroit Mercy rated 10 of the 17 items as very important. It gives the least weight to: non-science gpa, interview, manual dexterity.
Applications and class size over time
In 2025-26, Detroit Mercy received 2,356 applications, made 429 offers and enrolled 166 first-year students[2]. That is 18.2 offers for every 100 applications. Offers are higher than seats because many accepted applicants choose another school.
Detroit Mercy: offers per 100 applications, by year
Applicants offered a place, divided by applications received.
| Year | Offers per 100 applications | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 24.9 | |
| 2016 | 21.9 | |
| 2017 | 14.7 | |
| 2018 | 20.9 | |
| 2019 | 28.7 | |
| 2020 | 24.8 | |
| 2021 | 22.7 | |
| 2022 | 22.6 | |
| 2023 | 24.1 | |
| 2024 | 19.5 | |
| 2025 | 18.2 | [1] |
Detroit Mercy: applications received
By academic year (the year shown is when the year started).
| Year | Applications | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 1,570 | |
| 2016 | 1,664 | |
| 2017 | 1,764 | |
| 2018 | 1,621 | |
| 2019 | 1,557 | |
| 2020 | 1,543 | |
| 2021 | 1,783 | |
| 2022 | 1,824 | |
| 2023 | 1,843 | |
| 2024 | 2,150 | |
| 2025 | 2,356 | [2] |
Detroit Mercy: first-year enrolment
By academic year (the year shown is when the year started).
| Year | First-year students | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 144 | |
| 2016 | 144 | |
| 2017 | 144 | |
| 2018 | 144 | |
| 2019 | 144 | |
| 2020 | 144 | |
| 2021 | 144 | |
| 2022 | 144 | |
| 2023 | 144 | |
| 2024 | 149 | |
| 2025 | 166 | [2] |
The program in numbers
| Detroit Mercy | |
|---|---|
| Degree | D.D.S. |
| Calendar | Semester system |
| Program type | Four academic years over 48 months |
| Total length | 166 weeks of instruction |
| Total dental students | 609 |
| Graduates in 2025 | 155 |
| Patient visits handled by students in a year | 41,472 |
| New patients screened in a year | 2,296 |
| Combined degree programs | a combined pre-dental and dental track |
| Dentists trained abroad | Admitted with advanced standing (4 in 2025-26, into 3rd year standing) |
| Transfer students | Accepted (2 in 2025-26) |
Figures are what the school reported for 2025-26[2].
Detroit Mercy: total students and graduates
All dental students enrolled, and graduates each year.
| Year | Total dental students | Graduates | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 567 | 92 | |
| 2016 | 567 | 141 | |
| 2017 | 577 | 135 | |
| 2018 | 567 | 145 | |
| 2019 | 571 | 138 | |
| 2020 | 574 | 140 | |
| 2021 | 573 | 139 | |
| 2022 | 586 | 151 | |
| 2023 | 592 | 147 | |
| 2024 | 601 | 148 | |
| 2025 | 609 | 155 | [2] |
Tuition and cost
Detroit Mercy: cost in US dollars, 2025-26
Private school: the same tuition for everyone.
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.
Detroit Mercy: first-year tuition and fees by year
US dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
| Year | First-year tuition | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 66,998 | |
| 2016 | 69,188 | |
| 2017 | 71,051 | |
| 2018 | 72,815 | |
| 2019 | 74,630 | |
| 2020 | 76,726 | |
| 2021 | 81,777 | |
| 2022 | 83,367 | |
| 2023 | 85,337 | |
| 2024 | 83,238 | |
| 2025 | 84,147 | [2] |
Non-resident first-year tuition and fees went from $66,998 in 2015 to $84,147 in 2025, a change of +26%.
Tuition for each year of the program
| Year of the program | Tuition |
|---|---|
| 1st year | $83,620 |
| 2nd year | $83,620 |
| 3rd year | $83,620 |
| 4th year | $83,620 |
| All years | $334,480 |
Fees and other required costs over the whole program
| Cost | Total for all years |
|---|---|
| Mandatory general fees | $2,036 |
| Instruments | $32,528 |
| Instructional materials | $124 |
| Health services | $1,200 |
| Other fixed costs | $3,111 |
| All fees and required costs | $38,999 |
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 Detroit Mercy accept the Canadian DAT?
Yes for 2026-27, then no. The Canadian DAT is accepted in the 2026-27 cycle for students at Canadian colleges and universities. Starting with the 2027-28 cycle it will no longer be accepted, and everyone must take the US DAT.[3]
What GPA do you need for Detroit Mercy dental school?
What DAT score do you need for Detroit Mercy?
How many shadowing hours does Detroit Mercy require?
100 hours minimum with a general dentist who is not a relative and who was educated and practises in the US or Canada. Dental assisting hours are accepted in place of shadowing.[3]
When is the Detroit Mercy dental school application deadline?
December 31. Applying earlier helps because interviews are offered on a rolling basis.[3]
How hard is it to get into Detroit Mercy dental school?
In 2025-26 it received 2,356 applications, made 429 offers and enrolled 166 students, about 18.2 offers per 100 applications.[2]
How many Canadians go to Detroit Mercy dental school?
In 2025-26, 27 of the 166 first-year students were Canadian citizens. From 2019 to 2025, 132 Canadians started there.[2]
What share of Detroit Mercy dental students are from out of state?
In 2025-26, 56% of the first-year class (93 of 166) were residents of Michigan, so 44% came from elsewhere.[2]
How important is the DAT Perceptual Ability section at Detroit Mercy?
Detroit Mercy told the American Dental Association that the Perceptual Ability score is somewhat important in its admissions decisions for 2025-26.[2]
Does Detroit Mercy have a program for dentists trained outside the US?
Yes. In 2025-26 Detroit Mercy admitted 4 internationally trained dentists with advanced standing. That is a separate application from the regular program described on this page.[2]
How much does Detroit Mercy dental school cost for the whole program?
Tuition for all years totals $334,480 for non-residents in 2025-26 dollars, plus about $38,999 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
- University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry: DDS admission
- University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry: DDS FAQs
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.
Hi are Canadian students considered out of state or international?