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Dentist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a dentist. Dentists usually study advanced dentistry and oral sciences, dentistry, or biology. 46% of dentists hold a bachelor's degree, and 39% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 7,450 real dentist resumes to see exactly what dentist education sections show.
The most common colleges for dentists are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online dentist courses to help get the education required to be a dentist.
There are certain dentist certifications that you should consider. These dentist certifications include Dental Assistant (RDA) and Board Certification in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery.
What education do you need to become a dentist?
What degree do you need to be a dentist?
- Bachelor's, 46%
- Doctorate, 39%
- Master's, 5%
- Associate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a dentist?
Most common colleges for dentists
| Dentist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 15.72% |
| University of Southern California | 7.72% |
| University of the Sciences | 7.18% |
| Howard University | 7.18% |
| Boston University | 6.37% |
Best majors for dentists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Advanced Dentistry And Oral Sciences | 42.3% |
| 2 | Dentistry | 23.5% |
| 3 | Biology | 8.0% |
| 4 | Medicine | 6.8% |
| 5 | Dental Assisting | 5.1% |
Best colleges for dentists
The best colleges for dentists are Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A dentist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for dentists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become dentists.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$49,042
Enrollment
5,131
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
8. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ • Private
In-state tuition
$14,974
Enrollment
35,656
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
10. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
20 best online courses for dentists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for dentists
The most affordable schools for dentists are University of Florida, augusta university, and university of north carolina at chapel hill.
If the best universities for dentists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for dentists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Augusta University
Augusta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$8,604
Cost of attendance
20,618
3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
4. University of Missouri - Kansas City
Kansas City, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$8,178
Cost of attendance
20,934
5. University of Colorado Denver
Denver, CO • Private
In-state tuition
$9,283
Cost of attendance
22,243
6. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
7. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Cost of attendance
24,718
8. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Cost of attendance
24,568
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$9,222
Cost of attendance
20,422
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for dentists
The hardest universities for dentists to get into are Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for dentists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for dentists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
6. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,443
7. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for dentists
The easiest schools for dentists to get into are Augusta University, university of colorado denver, and indiana university - purdue university indianapolis.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a dentist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for dentists.
1. Augusta University
Augusta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
80%
SAT average
1,172
2. University of Colorado Denver
Denver, CO • Private
Admissions rate
64%
SAT average
1,132
3. Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,111
4. University of Nevada - Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
1,113
5. University of Detroit Mercy
Detroit, MI • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,163
6. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville, IL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,156
7. University of Oklahoma
Norman, OK • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,249
8. University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
76%
SAT average
1,145
9. Nova Southeastern University
Fort Lauderdale, FL • Private
Admissions rate
79%
SAT average
1,196
10. University of Toledo
Toledo, OH • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
1,145
Average dentist salary by education level
| Dentist education level | Dentist salary |
|---|---|
| Doctorate Degree | $142,728 |
Dentist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025