Dental School Admissions in 2025 with a look back at the last 75 years

In 2025-26, 53% of the 13,657 applicants to dental school enrolled at one of the 76 dental schools in the United States and Puerto Rico. That’s a record 7,296 first-year students, and also the most applicants since 2007.

When I first wrote this article four years ago, I said it would keep getting easier to get into dental school. For two years, it did. Then the applicants came back. Before exploring the present day, let’s take a brief look at the last 75 years in dental education.

ApplicantsEnrolled

1950 to 1975: Expansion

Following World War II, dental education saw an unparalleled expansion for 30 straight years. A rapidly growing population led to the perception that there was a shortage of health care providers, including dentists.

This led the federal government to give hundreds of millions of dollars to dental schools. They passed 2 different acts (Health Professions Educational Assistance Act, 1963 and The Comprehensive Health Manpower Act, 1971) that gave $786 million in federal aid to dental education between 1965 and 1981. Construction grants contributed to the building of 13 new dental schools and the renovation of 34 existing schools. Additional grant money was provided to schools that expanded their class size. In the mid to late 1970’s, applicants rose to a level that has not been seen since, and enrollment rose to a level that was only passed in the last few years.

1975 to 1990: Oversupply of Dentists, Contraction

The population leveled off in the 1970’s and there was a recession in the early 1980’s.¹ Equally important was a widespread belief that fluoridation had caused a decrease in the demand for dentistry.² When the federal subsidies ended in 1981, dental schools were forced to compensate with increased tuition.² A perceived shortage of dentists had now turned into an oversupply of dentists.

Over the next decade and a half, the number of applicants dropped by more than 2/3, from more than 15,000 people to less than 5,000. There was a corresponding drop in enrollment from over 6,300 to less than 4,000. Many schools contracted in size in response to an increasingly poor applicant pool.² Six private dental schools closed in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.

1990 to 2021: Recovery

These 30 years saw new schools open and enrollment increase. 14 new dental schools opened with only 1 closure. While applicants generally rose in the 1990s and early 2000’s, there was a downward trend after 2007. This was no doubt in response to an increased concern about high tuition and the student loan debt that dental students graduate with.

From 2007, when less than 35% of applicants enrolled, to 2020, this number rose every single year. By 2021-22, it stood at 54%. With more seats and fewer applicants, everything pointed to a very friendly environment for anyone seeking admission to dental school.

2021 to 2025: The Trend Reverses

9 new dental schools have opened in the last 4 years, compared with 14 in the 31 years before that. California Northstate and Lincoln Memorial welcomed their first classes in 2022, Kansas City University in 2023, High Point, Ponce Health Sciences and Universidad Ana G. Méndez in 2024, and Lyon College, Pacific Northwest and Northeast Ohio Medical in 2025. First-year enrollment grew by about 1,000 students to an all-time high, and the ADA reports that 1 in 4 first-year students in 2024 was at a school that opened in 1997 or later.

At first, things played out as expected. By 2023-24, 59.9% of applicants enrolled, the highest share in 30 years.

Then the long decline in applicants ended. Applicants jumped 22% in just 2 years, from 11,198 to 13,657. That’s 2,459 more applicants competing for only 588 more seats, or more than 4 new applicants for every new seat. The share who enrolled fell right back to 53.4%, erasing all of the gains since 2021.

Entering class	Schools	Applicants	Enrolled	% of applicants enrolled	Offers per 100 applications
2021-22	67	11,756	6,295	53.5%	11.6
2022-23	69	11,180	6,513	58.3%	12.3
2023-24	70	11,198	6,708	59.9%	13.1
2024-25	73	12,491	7,013	56.1%	12.0
2025-26	76	13,657	7,296	53.4%	10.8

It got more competitive in other ways too. Applicants sent more applications, and schools received 27% more of them in just 2 years. Only 10.8% of applications ended with an offer in 2025-26, down from 13.1% in 2023-24. The average GPA of the entering class rose from 3.59 in 2021-22 to 3.68 in 2025-26, and science GPA rose from 3.51 to 3.60. DAT scores moved to a new 200-600 scale in 2025, so they can’t be compared directly with earlier years, but you can convert old and new scores here.

What Does This Mean for Aspiring Dentists?

There are more 1^st year positions than ever, but also more competition for them than at any time since 2007. About 1 in 2 applicants still enrolls, which is far better than the roughly 1 in 3 of 2007. Just don’t assume the numbers are moving in your favor anymore.

Two forces will decide what happens next.

More seats. First-year enrollment has set a new record every year since 2021.

The cost. First-year tuition and fees at the average school reached $62,239 for residents and $80,372 for non-residents in 2025-26, up from $53,242 and $71,411 in 2021-22. The class of 2025 graduated with an average of $297,800 in debt among those who borrowed. And the rules just changed. For students starting on or after July 1, 2026, Grad PLUS loans are gone, and federal loans are capped at $50,000 a year and $200,000 in total. Once you count living costs, every one of the 76 schools costs more than that, even at in-state rates. See the private loan gap at your school.

The fall 2026 class is the first under these limits, and the national numbers for that class aren’t out yet. I said it before and I’ll say it again: as more attention is placed on the financial burden of attending dental school, potential applicants may seek other professional paths. Last time, the applicants came back anyway. We’ll see if they do again.

In the meantime, see where your numbers stand, check the 2026 Admissions Rankings, and find every school on the dental school map.

Data: American Dental Association and other published sources, compiled by Dr. Charley Levy, Path32.