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Pediatric dentist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a pediatric dentist. Pediatric dentists usually study advanced dentistry and oral sciences, dental assisting, or dentistry. 30% of pediatric dentists hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 264 real pediatric dentist resumes to see exactly what pediatric dentist education sections show.

The most common colleges for pediatric dentists are the Howard University and the Howard University.

There are also many online pediatric dentist courses to help get the education required to be a pediatric dentist.

There are certain pediatric dentist certifications that you should consider. These pediatric dentist certifications include Board Certification in Pediatric Dentistry (PD) and Dental Assistant (RDA).

What education do you need to become a pediatric dentist?

What degree do you need to be a pediatric dentist?

The most common degree for pediatric dentists is bachelor's degree, with 30% of pediatric dentists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 27% and doctoral degree degree at 13%.
  • Bachelor's, 30%
  • Doctorate, 27%
  • Master's, 13%
  • Associate, 13%
  • Other Degrees, 17%

What should I major in to become a pediatric dentist?

You should major in advanced dentistry and oral sciences to become a pediatric dentist. 34% of pediatric dentists major in advanced dentistry and oral sciences. Other common majors for a pediatric dentist include dental assisting and dentistry.

Most common colleges for pediatric dentists

Pediatric dentists often get their degrees at Howard University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Central State University. Here are the most common colleges for pediatric dentists in the US based on their resumes.
Pediatric dentist common collegePercentages
Howard University15.00%
Virginia Commonwealth University10.00%
Central State University5.00%
Cairn University5.00%
National University5.00%

Best majors for pediatric dentists

Best colleges for pediatric dentists

The best colleges for pediatric dentists are University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A pediatric 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 pediatric 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 pediatric dentists.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

3. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

New Brunswick, NJ • Private

In-state tuition

$14,974

Enrollment

35,656

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$49,042

Enrollment

5,131

6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

7. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

8. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. Augusta University

Augusta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$8,604

Enrollment

5,146

20 best online courses for pediatric dentists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for pediatric dentists

The most affordable schools for pediatric dentists are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and university of north carolina at chapel hill.

If the best universities for pediatric 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 pediatric dentists.

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. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

7. Metropolitan State University

Saint Paul, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$7,879

Cost of attendance

21,223

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

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. University of Colorado Denver

Denver, CO • Private

In-state tuition

$9,283

Cost of attendance

22,243

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for pediatric dentists

The hardest universities for pediatric dentists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for pediatric 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 pediatric 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,443

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for pediatric dentists

The easiest schools for pediatric dentists 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 a pediatric 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 pediatric dentists.

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. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

10. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

Average pediatric dentist salary by education level

Pediatric dentist education levelPediatric dentist salary
Doctorate Degree$161,129

Pediatric dentist education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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