What Are Dental School Acceptance Rates in 2026?

What Are Dental School Acceptance Rates in 2026?

Dental school acceptance rates vary enormously depending on the program. Elite schools now admit fewer than 5 percent of applicants, while some newer or regional programs admit over 20 percent.

In general, most U.S. dental schools fall between:
5 percent and 15 percent acceptance rates.

Here are some of the most competitive dental schools in 2026:

Harvard School of Dental Medicine
Acceptance rate:
About 3.5 percent.

University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine
Acceptance rate:
About 5.8 percent.

University of California Los Angeles School of Dentistry
Acceptance rate:
About 7.7 percent.

Columbia University College of Dental Medicine
Acceptance rate:
About 5 to 8 percent.

Some schools are significantly easier to enter:

Touro College of Dental Medicine
Acceptance rate:
About 24 percent.

Howard University College of Dentistry
Acceptance rate:
About 19 percent.

Lincoln Memorial University College of Dental Medicine
Acceptance rate:
Nearly 40 percent.

The average accepted student at most dental schools now has:
3.5–3.8 GPA
20–22 DAT score.

For elite schools, averages are often even higher:
3.8–3.9 GPA
23–25 DAT.

Admissions have become more holistic in 2026, though GPA and DAT still dominate. Schools increasingly value:
shadowing,
community service,
research,
leadership,
and communication skills.

Applying early also matters heavily because most dental schools use rolling admissions.