Dental Schools With the Highest Acceptance Rates in 2026
Dental Schools With the Highest Acceptance Rates in 2026
Dental school remains highly competitive, but several programs consistently admit a larger percentage of applicants than elite schools like Harvard or Columbia. These schools often focus more on regional applicants, holistic admissions, or larger class sizes.
Here are some of the dental schools with the highest acceptance rates in 2026.
University of Mississippi School of Dentistry
Estimated acceptance rate:
20–40% depending on applicant pool and residency status.
The school strongly favors Mississippi residents and students interested in rural healthcare.
University of Minnesota School of Dentistry
Estimated acceptance rate:
24–38%.
Minnesota has one of the larger public dental programs and strong regional preference.
Louisiana State University Health School of Dentistry
Estimated acceptance rate:
15–41%.
LSU strongly favors Louisiana residents and has historically higher acceptance rates than national averages.
Touro College of Dental Medicine
Estimated acceptance rate:
About 24%.
Touro has become popular for students with solid but not elite GPA and DAT profiles.
East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine
Estimated acceptance rate:
15–27%.
The school heavily prioritizes North Carolina applicants interested in underserved communities.
University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry
Estimated acceptance rate:
About 24–28%.
Detroit Mercy is known for holistic admissions and somewhat lower average DAT scores.
Howard University College of Dentistry
Estimated acceptance rate:
About 19%.
Howard values community service, resilience, and mission alignment heavily.
Kansas City University College of Dental Medicine
Estimated acceptance rate:
About 19%.
KCU is one of the newer dental schools and has rapidly grown applicant interest.
Ohio State University College of Dentistry
Estimated acceptance rate:
Around 10–13%.
While still competitive, Ohio State’s larger class size helps increase overall acceptance numbers.
New York University College of Dentistry
Estimated acceptance rate:
About 12–26% depending on methodology used.
NYU has the largest dental school class in the United States, which creates more available seats than most competitors.
Even these “easier” schools still usually expect:
3.3–3.7 GPA
19–21 DAT
shadowing,
volunteering,
and strong interviews.
In 2026, applicants with lower GPAs often improve their chances most by:
scoring well on the DAT,
applying early,
and targeting mission-driven schools with regional preferences.
