15 Dental Schools with the Highest Acceptance Rates in 2019

If you have decided to apply to dental school, but you are not so thrilled about the high demand and low acceptance rates take a look at the 15 dental schools with the highest acceptance rates in 2019.

With statistics showing that only 50% of applicants are admitted each year, it’s natural that the whole application process is a stressful one. But if you go through with a great determination and strong work ethic, the results will be gratifying. For extra motivation, keep in mind that a career in Dentistry opens up doors to an abundance of possibilities. It grants a wide range of clinical, research and academic opportunities that will allow you to grow both as a professional and as an individual. And to make it even more attractive, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts employment growth of 19% for dental professionals, by the year 2026, which is around 29,300 new dentist jobs.

Nevertheless, choosing to attend dental school implies a lot of compromises. Keep in mind that the academic load is very demanding and of high quality. You will spend four years in lectures, labs, and clinics. The latter is an essential part of high-quality dental education; all dental schools encourage early contact with patients. For this purpose, most dental schools operate a student dental clinic and let’s be honest student clinics are always more affordable than a dentist’s office.  Among the best clinics from dental school are the ones from the University of Michigan and the Indiana University.

An ideal candidate for dental school should have organizational skills and discipline as the career itself demands continues studying in order to stay up to date with new inventions in the field. This is no different in the dental schools with the highest acceptance rates in 2019. Nowadays, it’s necessary to aim for an extraordinary education to be more competitive and well prepared to face an increasingly challenging labor market. Dental schools in the USA are among the top dental schools in the world. For instance, as per QS Top Universities ranking for 2018 the University of Michigan was ranked first among the best dental schools in the US 2018, and third in the world for the same year, followed by Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. The US dental schools rankings for 2018 considered among the top 5 dental schools in the US in 2018 dental schools from the University of Washington and the New York University, aside from the three schools mentioned above.

Out of 66 dental schools distributed in 35 states of the country, California is the state with the highest number of dental schools; it counts 6 of them. Among the best dental schools in California are the University of California, UCLA School of Dentistry and the University of California San Francisco, UCSF School of Dentistry. But if you were looking for the best dental schools in the world, then you might need to travel a little further. The University of Hong Kong is the one with the best dental school in the world, followed by King’s College London Dental Institute.

Since you are preparing to apply and enroll dental school, you must know that all admission processes follow a holistic approach, and many aspects are taken into consideration. Besides accomplishing great DAT and GPA scores, there other relevant facts to consider, starting with the general prerequisite courses. Before applying to dental school, you must have completed a year of chemistry, biology, physics, organic chemistry, each with laboratory work and English. Also, some schools require the applicant to have completed additional courses such as biochemistry, microbiology, and anatomy. Further aspects considered at the application process are volunteering, shadowing a professional, practical experience and participation in research.

The schools with the highest acceptance rates in 2019 are not also the easiest ones; keep in mind that all dental school programs will require the student to comply with the prerequisites and curricular demands.  In a past article we have presented you 10 least competitive dental schools in America based on the average GPA and DAT required, but this time we have prepared the ranking of the 15 dental schools with the highest acceptance rates in 2019, based on the percentage of accepted students versus the number of applicants. Our data was taken from the American Dental Association, which provided charts for the average acceptances by dental schools in the years 2017 and 2018.
Without further ado, we present you 15 dental schools with the highest acceptance rates in 2019:

15. The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Dentistry:

Acceptance rate of 7.1%.

On average, this dental school receives 1458 applications per year, and 104 students get to enroll. Since its foundation in 1905, around 10,000 dental professionals graduated from this university. The school of dentistry offers ten accredited programs, among those, are DDS, dental hygiene and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

14. University of Nebraska Medical Center- UNMC College of Dentistry:

Acceptance rate of 7.2%.

This College of Dentistry offers nine accredited programs. The D.D.S. classes typically have 50 students, and dental hygiene classes 24 students. These relatively small class sizes promote close interaction among the participants. 67% of all Nebraska Dentists are UNMC graduates.

13. The University of Detroit -Mercy School of Dentistry:

Acceptance rate of 8.2%.

On average, Mercy School of Dentistry receives 1764 applications and accepts 144 students. The University of Detroit Mercy is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Also, Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry owns one of the largest dental clinics among the dental schools in the United States.

12. Indiana University School of Dentistry:

Acceptance rate of 8.4%.

Indiana University School of Dentistry receives 1284 applications, on average, while accepting 108. The school takes pride in being one of the oldest dental schools in the USA. The clinical dentistry program at IU is one of the strongest in the country. With the acceptance rate of 8.4% it is the 12th of the 15 dental schools with the highest acceptance rates in 2019.

11. Ohio State University- College of Dentistry:

Acceptance rate of 8.5%.

In OSU College of Dentistry, there are around 1299 applicants to 110 vacancies, on average. It’s the fourth largest public dental school in the USA. Its research funding has doubled over the past five years, to $6.4 million. The school specializes in areas such as mineralized tissues, biomaterials, and neuroscience. The college is ranked 15th in research among all U.S. dental schools.

10. New York University School of Dentistry:

Acceptance rate of 9%.

The school receives 4204 applications yearly to 379 vacancies. The NYU School of Dentistry is one of the most prestigious schools in the USA and the world; it has one of the most active research programs in the country. The College has nearly 1,900 students enrolled in its different pre- and postdoctoral programs.

9. University of Iowa- College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics:

Acceptance rate of 9.2%.

UI College of Dentistry is one of only two dental schools in the nation offering advanced education in all ADA-recognized dental specialties. It has 27 outreach programs that served 96 counties in 2016-2017.

8. University of Minnesota School of Dentistry:

Acceptance rate of 9.4%.

On average, around 1173 applications are received to fulfill 110 spots annually in UMN School of Dentistry. The School now trains about 73% of Minnesota’s dentists and neighboring states. It offers six ADA recognized specialties such as Endodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Pediatrics.

7. Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University:

Acceptance rate of 9.6%.

Since its creation in 1969, the college has graduated nearly 2,500 dentists. Augusta University dental education encourages early exposure to patients. Students begin treating cases as early as sophomore year.

6. East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine:

Acceptance rate of 9.7%.

ECU School of Dental Medicine has programs that include a pre-doctoral program, leading to a doctor of dental medicine degree (DMD), and postgraduate programs in advanced education in general dentistry (AEGD), general practice residency, and pediatric dentistry. Because of the innovative technology utilized in student learning and teledentistry, Apple Corporation named the ECU School of Dental Medicine a Distinguished Program.

Now, our top 5 of the 15 dental schools with the highest acceptance rates in 2019:

5. University of Utah School of Dentistry:

Acceptance rate of 11.1%.

UU School of Dentistry is one of the most modern teaching facilities in the country. The school is continuously improving its methods to provide competitive educational and training programs. It combines research with clinical experience to administer a better educational experience. It offers one graduate degree and one residency program.

4. The University of Missouri- Kansas City School of Dentistry:

Acceptance rate of 11.6%.

On average, Kansas City School of Dentistry receives 937 applications from which 109 candidates get to enroll. It offers eight accredited programs: Doctor of Dental Surgery, Dental Hygiene, Advanced Education in General Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Periodontics, Orthodontics, and Dentofacial Orthopedics and Endodontics.

3. University of Puerto Rico- School of Dental Medicine:

Acceptance rate of 11.7%

This school requires an additional subject to be completed: Spanish, but that doesn’t make it inaccessible. The School of Dental Medicine of the University of Puerto Rico is a leading academic institution and a center for doctoral and post-doctoral education in dentistry in Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, and Latin America.

2. Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Dentistry:

Acceptance rate of 14.8%.

This school focuses on maximizing the faculty development programs to provide its students with excellence in education, research, and service. The LSU offers three degrees DDS, Dental Hygiene Bachelor of Science degree and Dental Laboratory technology. It also offers advanced education certificates in General Dentistry, Pediatric Dentistry, Endodontics, Orthodontics, Periodontics, and Prosthodontics.

And the number of our ranking of the 15 dental schools with the highest acceptance rates in 2019 is:

1. The University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Dentistry:

Acceptance rate 17.4%.

It offers nine programs of study and also postdoctoral programs in general dentistry and pediatric dentistry and Oral/Maxillofacial Surgery. The school counts with laboratories implemented with the most innovative technology. The maximum number of students per class is 40 which allows for closer interaction and observation.

That being said, there were the 15 dental schools with the highest acceptance rates in 2019 to choose from!