Dental School Admissions
Dental School Admissions: Know Your Real Chances
There are only 67 accredited dental schools in the United States. With fewer seats than law or medicine, building the right list matters enormously. AdmitBase calculates your personalised match score at every dental school using official ADEA and ADA survey data — so you apply strategically, not blindly.
67
US dental schools
30+
International schools
1–30
DAT score range
ADEA
Official data source
How the Match Score Works
Percentile-based, not a simple range lookup
Your DAT and GPA are compared against each school’s 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile admissions data from ADEA official guides and ADA survey data. Dental schools weight DAT at 50% and GPA at 50% — reflecting the equal weight most programs give to academic and scientific aptitude.
Safety (75–100)
Your numbers are above the school's median — a strong candidate for acceptance.
Target (50–74)
You're in range. A well-rounded application makes acceptance realistic.
Reach (25–49)
Below median. Include some of these, but balance your list carefully.
Far Reach (0–24)
A significant stretch numerically. Prioritise schools where you're more competitive.
What You Get
- Instant match scores across all 67 US ADEA-accredited dental schools
- Score calculator: enter your GPA and see exactly what DAT score you need for each school
- Analytics: see your DAT and science GPA plotted inside each school's admitted class distribution
- Application tracker with calendar sync for AADSAS deadlines and interview invitations
- ROI calculator: model total debt, monthly payments, and payback period — critical given $300K+ average debt
- International dental school coverage: Canada, UK, Europe, Asia-Pacific
- Community data: anonymised accepted/waitlisted/rejected outcomes from real applicants
Dental School Admissions Guides
Browse Dental Schools
Compare admission statistics — DAT medians, GPAs, acceptance rates, and tuition — for US dental schools.
View all dental school statisticsFrequently Asked Questions
What DAT score do I need for dental school?▾
A DAT Academic Average of 20 is at the 75th percentile and competitive at most dental schools. Top programs look for 22+ (90th percentile). A 17 is approximately the 50th percentile. AdmitBase calculates your match score against 67 US dental schools.
What GPA do I need for dental school?▾
Top-tier dental schools have median GPAs of 3.65–3.85. Mid-tier schools: 3.40–3.60. The national matriculant average is approximately 3.55. AADSAS calculates cumulative, science, and non-science GPAs separately.
How does AdmitBase calculate dental school match scores?▾
AdmitBase compares your DAT and GPA against each school's percentile data from ADEA admissions reports. The weighting is 50% DAT / 50% GPA, producing a 0–100 match score in four categories: Safety, Target, Reach, and Far Reach.
How much does dental school cost?▾
Average dental school tuition is $40,000–$75,000 per year for four years. Average graduate debt is $297,000+, the highest among professional school programs. AdmitBase's ROI Calculator helps you compare costs across programmes.
What is the dental school acceptance rate?▾
The overall dental school acceptance rate is approximately 55%. However, rates vary significantly by school — from under 5% at the most selective programmes to over 20% at less competitive ones. Your DAT and GPA determine where you fall.
See Your Dental School Chances Now
Free to start. No credit card required. Know your match categories across every US dental school in under two minutes.
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