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Oral and maxillofacial surgeon education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons usually study advanced dentistry and oral sciences, biology, or dentistry. 33% of oral and maxillofacial surgeons hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 281 real oral and maxillofacial surgeon resumes to see exactly what oral and maxillofacial surgeon education sections show.
The most common colleges for oral and maxillofacial surgeons are the Meharry Medical College and the Meharry Medical College.
There are also many online oral and maxillofacial surgeon courses to help get the education required to be an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
There are certain oral and maxillofacial surgeon certifications that you should consider. These oral and maxillofacial surgeon certifications include Board Certification in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and Dental Assistant (RDA).
What education do you need to become an oral and maxillofacial surgeon?
What degree do you need to be an oral and maxillofacial surgeon?
- Bachelor's, 33%
- Doctorate, 21%
- Associate, 15%
- Diploma, 9%
- Other Degrees, 22%
What should I major in to become an oral and maxillofacial surgeon?
Most common colleges for oral and maxillofacial surgeons
| Oral and maxillofacial surgeon common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Meharry Medical College | 9.38% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 9.38% |
| Howard University | 9.38% |
| Stockton University | 6.25% |
| Palm Beach State College | 6.25% |
Best majors for oral and maxillofacial surgeons
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Advanced Dentistry And Oral Sciences | 23.9% |
| 2 | Biology | 10.3% |
| 3 | Dentistry | 9.4% |
| 4 | Nursing | 8.5% |
| 5 | Dental Assisting | 6.8% |
Best colleges for oral and maxillofacial surgeons
The best colleges for oral and maxillofacial surgeons are University of Southern California, Case Western Reserve University, and New York University.
An oral and maxillofacial surgeon with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for oral and maxillofacial surgeons. 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 oral and maxillofacial surgeons.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
3. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ • Private
In-state tuition
$14,974
Enrollment
35,656
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. Augusta University
Augusta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$8,604
Enrollment
5,146
6. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$49,042
Enrollment
5,131
7. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
20 best online courses for oral and maxillofacial surgeons
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Top 10 most affordable universities for oral and maxillofacial surgeons
The most affordable schools for oral and maxillofacial surgeons are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and university of north carolina at chapel hill.
If the best universities for oral and maxillofacial surgeons 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 oral and maxillofacial surgeons.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
4. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
5. University of Missouri - Kansas City
Kansas City, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$8,178
Cost of attendance
20,934
6. Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$7,879
Cost of attendance
21,223
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
9. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
10. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$9,233
Cost of attendance
18,110
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for oral and maxillofacial surgeons
The hardest universities for oral and maxillofacial surgeons to get into are University of Southern California, Case Western Reserve University, and New York University.
Some great schools for oral and maxillofacial surgeons 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 oral and maxillofacial surgeons 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
2. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,443
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for oral and maxillofacial surgeons
The easiest schools for oral and maxillofacial surgeons to get into are AdventHealth University, d'youville college, and nyack college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon 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 oral and maxillofacial surgeons.
1. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
4. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
5. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
8. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
10. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
Average oral and maxillofacial surgeon salary by education level
| Oral and maxillofacial surgeon education level | Oral and maxillofacial surgeon salary |
|---|---|
| Doctorate Degree | $408,843 |
Oral and maxillofacial surgeon education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025