These Dental Schools with the easiest admission requirements are amongst the easiest dental schools to get into because of their high acceptance rate.
Well, if you want to study dentistry, this list of the easiest dental schools to get into will be a great resource to help you through that journey.
Although, your journey to become an experienced, highly respected and highly paid dentist might not be easy, we have you covered.
Enrolling in dental schools can be a tedious and exhausting process as most dental schools are expensive. Nevertheless, these dental schools listed in this article offer a higher acceptance rate than their counterparts.
Generally, students who wish to study dentistry experience difficulty in the admission and enrollment process. This difficulty arises because most dental schools demand a lot of documents, and a certain level of academic performance from applicants.
However, there is good news for you from the team at World Scholars Hub. In this article, we have carefully researched useful information about the easiest dental schools to get into alongside some tips to help you achieve your quest.
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Why Choose these Listed Dental Schools with the Easiest Admission Requirements?
When choosing a school to enroll in, the most important thing to look out for is the quality and not the cost. However, when the cost and quality intersects finely, then you might have just found the perfect match for yourself.
Dentists diagnose and treat problems with patients’ teeth, gums, and related parts of the mouth. They provide advice and instruction on taking care of the teeth and gums and on diet choices that affect oral health. To be a highly respected and paid dentist, you need the best education available which these schools listed here will give you.
These easiest dental schools to get into could be the stepping stone for you along your journey to becoming the dentist of your dreams.
This article will also help you make the best choice as you read on. Let’s start with answering some of the Frequently Asked Questions to help you make a choice from the 20 dental schools with the easiest admission requirements we have listed.
FAQs
How do you Determine the Easiest Dental Schools to get into?
Here is a quick way to discover Dental Schools with the easiest admission requirements:
1. Acceptance Rate
One determinant of how easy it is to get into a dental school is the acceptance rate. The acceptance rate is the percentage of students admitted into a school annually.
By comparing the acceptance rate of different schools, you can measure how easy it is to get into these Dental Schools.
Most often, the acceptance rate of schools are given as percentages. For example, a school like the University of Missouri has an acceptance rate of 14%. What this means is that for every 100 student applicants, only 14 students will be accepted into the dental school.
The National Association for College Admissions Counseling wrote about the average acceptance rate for all four-year colleges in the U.S. It estimated the acceptance rate of these colleges to be about 66%. The American Dental Association’s (ADA) also created some useful resources with data regarding dental schools and dental education.
2. Residency
Most dental schools will prioritize students who are residents of the same state where the school resides. If you want to attend a dental school out of state, it might be a lot more difficult to get into. Nevertheless, this should not stop you from applying to schools that meet your needs but are not within your state.
3. Qualification
Another thing that determines how easy it is to get into a dental school can be your qualifications. Often, you will need a bachelor’s degree to get into dental school, but some schools have different requirements . Depending on the school’s qualification requirements, some schools might be harder for you to get into than others.
What are the Things To Consider Before Applying To A Dental School?
Like every other school, Dental schools have requirements that should be met by prospective students. Although the acceptance rate for most dental schools is low, there are still some schools with good acceptance rates where one can enroll.
To apply/enroll into the easiest dental schools to get into, you need to consider some vital things first. This includes:
- The kind of Dental program you want to apply to.
- The accreditation of the school.
- The reputation of the school.
- The acceptance rate of the school.
- The cost of studying
- Is the school public or private?
- The Duration of the program.
Before you apply to any school, It is important for you to fully research the institution.
What are the Requirements for Dental School?
Different dental schools have different requirements. However, here are some basic requirements you might need for a dental school:
- A year course in English, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Organic Chemistry and some Laboratory work.
- Undergraduate coursework in anatomy, physiology, microbiology, biochemistry, and English composition.
- Participation in extracurricular activities.
- Volunteering experience in activities under the dental or health care fields.
- You’ll need to job shadow a few dentists before applying to dental school. Most dental programs require applicants to have 100 hours of experience job shadowing multiple dentists so you can see how different offices operate.
- Join the Student National Dental Association.
- Take the Dental Admission Test (DAT).
- Create a competitive dental school application.
- Complete an admissions interview.
- Letters of recommendation.
In the U.S.A applying to dental school can be done through a single organization. This means that you can apply to several schools through a single organization. All you need to do is to fill out all the forms once, no matter how many schools you wish to apply to.
What is the Acceptance Rate for Dental Schools?
Every year, there’s a long list of applications, so not every student that submits an application will be accepted. Therefore, you need to also consider the acceptance rate of a school before you apply.
The acceptance rate of a school is usually determined by the ratio of the number of students who are admitted into that university, to the number of students that applied.
Getting into a School of dentistry is quite hard due to the low acceptance rate of most schools. According to research, dental school acceptance rates are estimated to range from as high as 20% to as low as 0.8%.
On admission into a dental school, you will begin a four-year program to earn a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree.
You have to make your application exceptionally good and also make sure you meet the school’s admission requirement to stand a chance.
What is the Cost of a Dental School?
The Cost of a dental school depends on the institution. However, the cost of a dental school isn’t part of the criteria that puts a school amongst the easiest dental schools to get into.
Keep in mind that tuition isn’t the only cost you will pay in a dental school. You will also pay for your instruments, instructional materials, and other fixed costs. And all these costs will differ from school to school.
Also, do not limit your options to just the lowest-priced schools. In some cases, the most expensive schools could be your best option. Go for what’s best for you and your goals.
Try also to apply for scholarships or other financial aids if cost might be a deterring factor for your dental school dreams.
This can help you choose the right school for yourself and also, save costs.
What are the Ranking Criteria for the Dental Schools with the Easiest Admission Requirements?
There are criteria that guides the ranking of the Dental schools with easy admission requirements. These 20 Dental Schools in our list possess all 4 criteria we listed below.
We used the following criteria to rank the easiest dental schools to get into:
1. Accreditation
Without a recognized accreditation of a school, the certificate you get from that school will have no market value. Therefore it is important to know if a school is accredited before applying. Studying in an unaccredited school is a total waste of your time.
2. Reputation
The reputation of your university affects you and your career more than you might think. Attending certain universities could be a turn off for employers. Certain universities could boost your chances of getting a job.
This is why the reputation of a school is a very important factor to be considered. The reputation of a school is often built from its history, location, academic success, physical conditions, and a lot more.
3. Acceptance Rate
Typically, schools with high acceptance rates are easier to get into. You might be thinking that schools with low acceptance rates are the better option because of their highly competitive admissions. That might not always be true, as there are many benefits to attending a university with a higher acceptance rate.
4. The DAT – Dental Admission Test Score
After getting started with the admissions process, you can take the 4.5-hour DAT after your junior year of college. Passing this exam is a requirement to get into dental school.
The exam covers the following sections:
- Survey of the natural sciences: This is a 100-question section on biology and chemistry.
- Perceptual ability: This involves a 90-question section on spatial reasoning.
- Reading comprehension: This is a 50-question section on general topics.
- Quantitative reasoning: This is a 40-question section on statistics, data analysis, algebra and probability.
To pass the DAT, you’ll need to prepare properly and ahead of time.
If you don’t pass on the first try, you’ll have two more chances after 90 days. A DAT score of at least 19 appeals to most dental schools.
List of the Top 20 Dental Schools with the Easiest Admission Requirements
You can find the acceptance rate for a dental school through several ways. However, the longest but most reliable way to do it is to approach each school individually and ask them. The other way is to use websites to compare between dental schools.
However, we won’t let you go through all that stress. Here is a carefully researched list for you on the easiest dental schools you can get into without much hassle.
20 easiest Dental Schools to get into:
- University of Mississippi
- East Carolina University
- University of Missouri – Kansas City
- Ohio State University
- Augusta University
- University of Puerto Rico
- LSU Health Sciences Center
- University of Minnesota
- University of Alabama, Birmingham
- Southern Illinois university
- University of Detroit – Mercy
- University of Iowa
- University of Oklahoma
- Medical University of Southern Carolina
- New York University
- University of Tennessee Health Science center
- Indiana University
- University of Texas at Houston
- UT Health San Antonio
- University of Florida.
1. University of Mississippi
Overall Acceptance Rate: 31.81%
The University of Mississippi School of Dentistry, admitted its first class in 1975. This is the only dental school in the state of Mississippi in the U.S.
This school houses an estimated 5,000 square feet of research laboratories where innovative, world-class research is conducted by the faculty.
Spending your four years studying dentistry here would be an amazing opportunity for you. This dental school is part of the ADEA Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS).
With a GPA score of 3.7 and DAT score of 18.0, you are good to apply to the University of Mississippi school of dentistry. The university has the following accreditations.
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation.
2. East Carolina University
Overall Acceptance Rate: 13.75%
East Carolina University is a public research university located at Greenville. The State of North Carolina has funded the ECU School of Dental Medicine in building dental facilities.
These Dental facilities are called community service learning centres (CSLCs), and are in eight rural and underserved locations. These locations include Ahoskie, Brunswick County, Elizabeth City, Davidson County, Lillington, Robeson County, Spruce Pine, and Sylva.
These standalone facilities are used for hands-on learning during your dentistry courses. However, enrollment is limited to residents of North Carolina.
Nevertheless, If you live in North Carolina, and you wish to be considered for admission endeavour to initiate the formal application process in June prior to the desired matriculating year.
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation.
3. University of Missouri – Kansas City
Overall Acceptance Rate : 11.7%
This school boasts of being the largest comprehensive, fully accredited university in the Kansas City area. They accept students from all 50 states in the U.S and over 85countries other countries.
This school possesses more than 125 academic areas, giving their students a lot of opportunities to explore, discover and create their perfect dental career.
The School of Dentistry at this university in Kansas City operates a student dental clinic and community clinic in the UMKC Health Sciences District. You can also find dentistry options in research fields as well as practicing fields.
To be eligible for the Doctor of Dental Surgery program, you need an average DAT Academic Average of at least 19 and an average science and maths GPA of 3.6 and above.
Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission, American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation
4. Ohio State University
Overall Acceptance Rate : 11%
The college of dentistry at Ohio State University boasts of being the fourth largest public dental school in the United States. It consists of ten academic divisions representing all major dental specialties.
These divisions offer both patient care services and academic programs, allowing dentists to train as specialists. Also, they have outreach and engagement activities which includes over 60 active programs and more than 42 extra mural sites.
Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission, American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation
5. Augusta University
Overall Acceptance Rate: 10%
Augusta University’s Dental college of medicine provides dental education to students through hands-on education, innovative research, patient care, and service.
The DCG was founded to provide the people of Georgia with quality dental care by educating students in dentistry.
The Dental College of Georgia is located in Augusta as part of the Augusta University. Students will study on campus and may attend one of the many clinics the dental college serves across Georgia.
Your entire fourth year of studying is dedicated to patient care so you can gain practical experience. They offer two degrees, which includes: The Doctor of Dental Medicine degree and a dual degree in oral biology.
However, 90% of the applicants accepted will be from the Georgia state, while the other 10% will be from other states or countries.
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation.
6. University of Puerto Rico
Overall Acceptance Rate: 10%
The School of Dental Medicine of the UPR is an institution of higher education for the formation of dentists of the highest quality. They offer a Doctor of Dental Medicine program, supplemented by various post-doctoral offerings and an innovative Continuing Education program.
The institution is a leader in research on inequalities in oral and systemic health, fostering critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, and commitment to the needs of people.
The University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine is the dental school of the University of Puerto Rico. It is situated on the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is the only dental school in Puerto Rico. It is accredited by the American Dental Association.
Accreditation: The American Dental Association.
7. LSU Health Sciences Center
Overall Acceptance Rate: 9.28%
According to the LSU Health Sciences Center, three out of every four dentists and dental hygienists practicing in Louisiana today are graduates of the school.
LSUSD offers degrees in dentistry, dental hygiene and dental laboratory technology. LSU School of Dentistry has confers the following degrees:
- Doctor of Dental Surgery
- Dental Hygienist
- Dental Laboratory Technology
In addition to these academic programs, LSUSD offers advanced training programs in the following areas:
- Endodontics
- General Dentistry Residency
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- Orthodontics
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Periodontics
- Prosthodontics.
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation.
8. University of Minnesota
Overall Acceptance Rate: 9.16%
The University of Minnesota’s School of Dentistry claims to be the only dental school in the state of Minnesota. It is also the only dental school in the northern tier of states between Wisconsin and the Pacific Northwest.
It boasts of 377 Clinical operatories, a 71k Square feet of clinic space and about 1k+ New patients each month.
The School of Dentistry at University of Dentistry educates general dentists, dental specialists, dental therapists, dental hygienists, dental educators and research scientists. They offer the following programs:
- Doctor of Dental Surgery
- Dental Therapy
- Dental Hygiene
- UMN Pass: For International
- Specialty and Advanced Education Programs
- Community Outreach Experience.
Accreditation: American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation.
9. University of Alabama, Birmingham
Overall Acceptance Rate: 8.66%
This school is located within a vibrant and expansive urban campus in the heart of a leading academic medical center. UAB School of Dentistry blends the rich tradition of a school founded in 1948 with cutting-edge technology and contemporary programs and facilities.
The school is comprised of 7 academic departments and a variety of educational programs that span the major dental specialties.
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation.
10. Southern Illinois university
Overall Acceptance Rate:8.3%
The SIU School of Dental Medicine provides the latest technology in oral health care field, a state-of-the-art clinic and the lowest dental school tuition in Illinois.
The SIU School of Dental Medicine is the only dental school in Illinois that is outside the Chicago metropolitan area, and within a 200-mile radius of St. Louis.
Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission, American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation.
11. University of Detroit – Mercy
Overall Acceptance Rate: 8.05%
The University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry is the dental school of the University of Detroit Mercy. It is located in the city of Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is one of two dental schools in the state of Michigan.
Accreditation: American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation
12. University of Iowa
Overall Acceptance Rate: 8%
Dental students at the University of Iowa are admitted into a highly competitive and comprehensive DDS program. Their educational curriculum has been instrumental in educating excellent dentists and specialists across Iowa and the world.They claim that 78% of Iowa dentists are graduates of the college.
Students in their third-year undergo clerkships that offer experiences in a wide range of dental specialties. After four years if study, dental students at Iowa are expected to have clinical experience.
The college has as many recognized ADA dental specialties. For the DAT score, the average of accepted dental students to this university is 20 and GPA of 3.8.
Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission, American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation.
13. University of Oklahoma
Overall Acceptance Rate: 8%
Established in 1971, the College of dentistry has a tradition of educating and training its students to provide the highest quality of clinical care available.
The college offers a Doctor of Dental Surgery program and a Bachelor of Science degree in dental hygiene. There are also graduate and residency programs in advanced general dentistry, orthodontics, periodontics, and oral and maxillofacial surgery.
Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission, American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation.
14. Medical University of Southern Carolina
Overall Acceptance Rate: 7.89%
The College of Dental Medicine is the dental school of the Medical University of South Carolina. This college is located in the city of Charleston, South Carolina, United States. It is the only dental school in South Carolina.
The College of Dental Medicine at MUSC has a very competitive admission. With an estimation of about 900 applications for a class of 70 seats. About 15 of the seats are reserved for out-of-state students, while the remaining 55 seats are reserved for South Carolina residents.
The average cumulative undergraduate GPA stands at 3.6. The average DAT academic average (AA) is at 20, and a perceptual ability (PAT) score of is approximately 20.
Accreditation: American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation.
15. New York University
Overall Acceptance Rate: 7.4%
The NYU College of Dentistry boasts of being the third oldest and the largest dental school in the United States, educating nearly 10 percent of our nation’s dentists.
To be accepted by this dental school, you will need a bachelor’s degree OR a GPA of 3.5 and 90+ credits. You will also need 100 hours of shadowing (i.e observing a working dentist) and three individual letters of evaluation. You will also need a DAT score of 21.
Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education, American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation.
16. University of Tennessee Health Science center
Overall Acceptance Rate: 7.2%
The UTHSC College of Dentistry embraces the value of diversity in dental education. The University of Tennessee College of Dentistry is the dental school of the University of Tennessee. It is in Memphis, Tennessee, United States.
This college has facilities which are part of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. The college has a four-year program and approximately 320 students.
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation.
17. Indiana University
Overall Acceptance Rate: 7%
The Indiana University School of Dentistry (IUSD) is the dental school of Indiana University. It is located on the Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis campus in downtown Indianapolis. It is the only dental school in Indiana.
Accreditation: American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation.
18. University of Texas at Houston
Overall Acceptance Rate: 6.6%
UT Dentists is the multidisciplinary faculty practice of UTHealth School of Dentistry at Houston. They have expert general dentists, specialists and dental hygienists care for patients with every type of dental problem.
What’s interesting is that their UT Dentists providers also teach at the School of Dentistry and are tuned-in to the newest approaches in dentistry.
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation.
19. UT Health San Antonio
Overall Acceptance Rate: 6.6%
The University of Texas Health San Antonio School of Dentistry is sometimes called the Dental School at the University of Texas Health Science Center. It is located at San Antonio, and is one of three dental schools in the state of Texas.
The following are the minimum admission standard for the DDS program:
- GPA of 2.8
- DAT of 17
- At least 90 total hours of course credit.
- Grade of C or higher for all required courses.
- Shadowing for Multiple offices
- Healthcare-related Community Service.
- 2 Letters of Recommendation or HPE packet
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation.
20. University of Florida
Overall Acceptance Rate: 6.33%
The University of Florida College of Dentistry is one of the top dental schools in the United States, featuring a nationally ranked research enterprise. It dental specialties are ADA recognized. This school is also a recipient of the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award for six consecutive years.
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation.
Some Useful Tips that Would help you to Easily get into any Dental School
5 Tips to pass the DAT Exams:
To pass the DAT Exams, you’ll need to strategize properly. Below we’ve offered some suggestions that could aid you through the process:
- Prioritize the most difficult sections.
- Research the perceptual ability test.
- Study complex passages.
- Take practice tests.
- Get to exam day early.
3 Tips to help you for Dental School Acceptance
Finally, here are some tips to help you ace your application and optimize your dental school application process. Good luck!
- Start Early
The time between your application submission date and your enrollment date should be at least 12 months. Get started early and make sure you have all you need.
- Prepare for the interview
Practice thoroughly and prepare properly for your interview. Most dental schools will use the interview to assess your capabilities and qualities. It’s also a chance for you to ask any questions you have about the school.
- Check out the Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS)
This is a service that allows you to submit one application to multiple dental schools at once. This saves you a lot of time, as you can use one profile for all your applications.
Most schools will only accept applications through this program.
However, you should know that it costs a fee and your application might not be as personalized as you might wish. Therefore, we suggest you customize each application statements and letters to the specific schools to improve your chances.
Valuable Sites to help your application into the Dental Schools with the Easiest Admission Requirements
Visit the following sites below to assist you and get to useful information and resources:
For more information about dentists, including information on accredited dental schools and state boards of dental examiners, visit:
For information about admission to dental schools, visit:
For more information about general dentistry or on a specific dental specialty, you can visit the following:
- Academy of General Dentistry
- American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
- American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
- American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
- American Academy of Periodontology
- American Association of Endodontists
- American Association of Orthodontists
- American Association of Public Health Dentistry
- American College of Prosthodontists
- American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists
- Bureau of Labor Statistics.
To know your dental school’s acceptance rate, visit:
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