CA · FIPS 06 · West · State

California

62% stayed home, and residents fill 77% of California's seats.

3,916

students started dental school

#1 of 52 in the nation

62%

stayed in-state

2,414 students

1,502

left for another state

#1 most leavers

different schools attended

across 36 states

Destinations

Where California's students went

Matriculants from California by the state of their dental school, 2021–2025. Hover a state for the count.

California (stayed home)1–4 students5–19 students20–49 students50–199 students200+ studentsNone

Top 10 schools

The most common picks

In CaliforniaOut of state

University of the PacificCA · Private
56814.5%
Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USCCA · Private
52913.5%
University of California, Los AngelesCA · Public
39510.1%
Loma Linda UniversityCA · Private
3318.5%
Western University of Health SciencesCA · Private
2436.2%
University of California, San FranciscoCA · Public
2215.6%
New York UniversityNY · Private
2115.4%
Midwestern University - AZAZ · Private
1543.9%
California Northstate UniversityCA · Private
1273.2%
Roseman University of Health SciencesUT · Private
1152.9%

The story

What the numbers say

From 2021 to 2025, 3,916 students from California started dental school, 1st in the nation. 62% stayed in California, 16% at an in-state public school.

The 1,502 who left went to 35 other states. The most popular out-of-state school was New York University (NY), with 211 students.

California's dental schools enrolled 3,097 students over the same years, 78% of them residents. Washington (72) and Texas (60) sent the most outsiders.

Stayed in California for dental school62%

Went to an in-state public school16%

Seats at California's schools filled by residents78%

Inbound

Who else comes here

California's 7 dental schools enrolled 3,097 students; 78% were residents. Top out-of-state feeders:

Home schools

Dental schools in California

California Northstate UniversityPrivate127 from CA
Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USCPrivate529 from CA
Loma Linda UniversityPrivate331 from CA
University of California, Los AngelesPublic395 from CA
University of California, San FranciscoPublic221 from CA
University of the PacificPrivate568 from CA
Western University of Health SciencesPrivate243 from CA

All 67 schools California students attended

School	State	Type	Students	Share
University of the Pacific	CA	Private	568	14.5%
Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC	CA	Private	529	13.5%
University of California, Los Angeles	CA	Public	395	10.1%
Loma Linda University	CA	Private	331	8.5%
Western University of Health Sciences	CA	Private	243	6.2%
University of California, San Francisco	CA	Public	221	5.6%
New York University	NY	Private	211	5.4%
Midwestern University - AZ	AZ	Private	154	3.9%
California Northstate University	CA	Private	127	3.2%
Roseman University of Health Sciences	UT	Private	115	2.9%
Touro College of Dental Medicine	NY	Private	114	2.9%
Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health	AZ	Private	105	2.7%
University of Pennsylvania	PA	Private	73	1.9%
Midwestern University - IL	IL	Private	68	1.7%
Tufts University	MA	Private	67	1.7%
University of Nevada, Las Vegas	NV	Public	66	1.7%
LECOM College of Dental Medicine	FL	Private	45	1.1%
Oregon Health & Science University	OR	Public	41	1.0%
Columbia University	NY	Private	39	1.0%
University of Detroit Mercy	MI	Private	29	0.7%
Boston University	MA	Private	26	0.7%
Case Western Reserve University	OH	Private	24	0.6%
University of New England	ME	Private	23	0.6%
Temple University	PA	Public	22	0.6%
University of Michigan	MI	Public	21	0.5%
Creighton University	NE	Private	20	0.5%
University of Maryland	MD	Public	20	0.5%
University of Utah	UT	Public	20	0.5%
University of Washington	WA	Public	20	0.5%
Harvard University	MA	Private	18	0.5%
Nova Southeastern University	FL	Private	13	0.3%
Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health	MO	Private	12	0.3%
University of Louisville	KY	Public	12	0.3%
University of Colorado	CO	Public	11	0.3%
University of Minnesota	MN	Public	11	0.3%
Kansas City University	MO	Private	9	0.2%
Marquette University	WI	Private	9	0.2%
Howard University	DC	Private	7	0.2%
Rutgers School of Dental Medicine	NJ	Public	7	0.2%
University of Pittsburgh	PA	Public	6	0.2%
Meharry Medical College	TN	Private	5	0.1%
University at Buffalo	NY	Public	5	0.1%
Indiana University	IN	Public	4	0.1%
Ohio State University	OH	Public	4	0.1%
Virginia Commonwealth University	VA	Public	4	0.1%
Lincoln Memorial University	TN	Private	3	0.1%
Lyon College School of Dental Medicine	AR	Private	3	0.1%
Texas A&M University	TX	Public	3	0.1%
University of Iowa	IA	Public	3	0.1%
University of Nebraska Medical Center	NE	Public	3	0.1%
University of North Carolina	NC	Public	3	0.1%
High Point University	NC	Private	2	0.1%
Ponce Health Science University	PR	Private	2	0.1%
Stony Brook University	NY	Public	2	0.1%
UT Health San Antonio	TX	Public	2	0.1%
University of Alabama	AL	Public	2	0.1%
University of Illinois Chicago	IL	Public	2	0.1%
University of Missouri, Kansas City	MO	Public	2	0.1%
University of Tennessee	TN	Public	2	0.1%
Augusta University	GA	Public	1	0.0%
Medical University of South Carolina	SC	Public	1	0.0%
Northeast Ohio Medical University	OH	Public	1	0.0%
Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences	WA	Private	1	0.0%
Universidad Ana G. Mendez	PR	Private	1	0.0%
University of Oklahoma	OK	Public	1	0.0%
University of Puerto Rico	PR	Public	1	0.0%
West Virginia University	WV	Public	1	0.0%

7,634

students started dental school

#1 of 52 in the nation

62%

stayed in-state

4,700 students

2,934

left for another state

#1 most leavers

different schools attended

across 38 states

Destinations

Where California's students went

Matriculants from California by the state of their dental school, 2016–2025. Hover a state for the count.

California (stayed home)1–4 students5–19 students20–49 students50–199 students200+ studentsNone

Top 10 schools

The most common picks

In CaliforniaOut of state

University of the PacificCA · Private
1,12614.7%
Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USCCA · Private
1,07514.1%
University of California, Los AngelesCA · Public
76310.0%
Loma Linda UniversityCA · Private
5977.8%
University of California, San FranciscoCA · Public
5577.3%
Western University of Health SciencesCA · Private
4556.0%
New York UniversityNY · Private
3774.9%
Midwestern University - AZAZ · Private
3154.1%
Roseman University of Health SciencesUT · Private
2323.0%
Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral HealthAZ · Private
2122.8%

The story

What the numbers say

From 2016 to 2025, 7,634 students from California started dental school, 1st in the nation. 62% stayed in California, 17% at an in-state public school.

The 2,934 who left went to 37 other states. The most popular out-of-state school was New York University (NY), with 377 students.

California's dental schools enrolled 6,116 students over the same years, 77% of them residents. Washington (144) and Texas (112) sent the most outsiders.

Stayed in California for dental school62%

Went to an in-state public school17%

Seats at California's schools filled by residents77%

Inbound

Who else comes here

California's 7 dental schools enrolled 6,116 students; 77% were residents. Top out-of-state feeders:

Home schools

Dental schools in California

California Northstate UniversityPrivate127 from CA
Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USCPrivate1,075 from CA
Loma Linda UniversityPrivate597 from CA
University of California, Los AngelesPublic763 from CA
University of California, San FranciscoPublic557 from CA
University of the PacificPrivate1,126 from CA
Western University of Health SciencesPrivate455 from CA

All 71 schools California students attended

School	State	Type	Students	Share
University of the Pacific	CA	Private	1,126	14.7%
Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC	CA	Private	1,075	14.1%
University of California, Los Angeles	CA	Public	763	10.0%
Loma Linda University	CA	Private	597	7.8%
University of California, San Francisco	CA	Public	557	7.3%
Western University of Health Sciences	CA	Private	455	6.0%
New York University	NY	Private	377	4.9%
Midwestern University - AZ	AZ	Private	315	4.1%
Roseman University of Health Sciences	UT	Private	232	3.0%
Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health	AZ	Private	212	2.8%
Touro College of Dental Medicine	NY	Private	188	2.5%
Tufts University	MA	Private	149	2.0%
University of Nevada, Las Vegas	NV	Public	139	1.8%
Midwestern University - IL	IL	Private	131	1.7%
University of Pennsylvania	PA	Private	129	1.7%
California Northstate University	CA	Private	127	1.7%
University of Detroit Mercy	MI	Private	82	1.1%
Columbia University	NY	Private	75	1.0%
Oregon Health & Science University	OR	Public	75	1.0%
Boston University	MA	Private	71	0.9%
LECOM College of Dental Medicine	FL	Private	70	0.9%
Temple University	PA	Public	49	0.6%
Case Western Reserve University	OH	Private	45	0.6%
University of Maryland	MD	Public	40	0.5%
University of New England	ME	Private	39	0.5%
Creighton University	NE	Private	38	0.5%
University of Michigan	MI	Public	38	0.5%
University of Utah	UT	Public	37	0.5%
Harvard University	MA	Private	35	0.5%
University of Minnesota	MN	Public	29	0.4%
Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health	MO	Private	28	0.4%
University of Washington	WA	Public	23	0.3%
Nova Southeastern University	FL	Private	22	0.3%
University of Colorado	CO	Public	22	0.3%
University of Louisville	KY	Public	21	0.3%
Marquette University	WI	Private	20	0.3%
University of Pittsburgh	PA	Public	20	0.3%
Indiana University	IN	Public	19	0.2%
Ohio State University	OH	Public	14	0.2%
Rutgers School of Dental Medicine	NJ	Public	13	0.2%
Meharry Medical College	TN	Private	11	0.1%
University at Buffalo	NY	Public	11	0.1%
Stony Brook University	NY	Public	10	0.1%
University of Iowa	IA	Public	10	0.1%
Virginia Commonwealth University	VA	Public	10	0.1%
Howard University	DC	Private	9	0.1%
Kansas City University	MO	Private	9	0.1%
University of Kentucky	KY	Public	8	0.1%
Medical University of South Carolina	SC	Public	6	0.1%
University of North Carolina	NC	Public	5	0.1%
University of Tennessee	TN	Public	5	0.1%
University of Nebraska Medical Center	NE	Public	4	0.1%
Lincoln Memorial University	TN	Private	3	0.0%
Lyon College School of Dental Medicine	AR	Private	3	0.0%
Texas A&M University	TX	Public	3	0.0%
UT Health San Antonio	TX	Public	3	0.0%
University of Alabama	AL	Public	3	0.0%
University of Missouri, Kansas City	MO	Public	3	0.0%
Augusta University	GA	Public	2	0.0%
High Point University	NC	Private	2	0.0%
Ponce Health Science University	PR	Private	2	0.0%
University of Connecticut	CT	Public	2	0.0%
University of Illinois Chicago	IL	Public	2	0.0%
University of Oklahoma	OK	Public	2	0.0%
University of Texas at Houston	TX	Public	2	0.0%
West Virginia University	WV	Public	2	0.0%
LSU Health Sciences Center	LA	Public	1	0.0%
Northeast Ohio Medical University	OH	Public	1	0.0%
Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences	WA	Private	1	0.0%
Universidad Ana G. Mendez	PR	Private	1	0.0%
University of Puerto Rico	PR	Public	1	0.0%

18,478

students started dental school

#1 of 52 in the nation

64%

stayed in-state

11,832 students

6,646

left for another state

#1 most leavers

different schools attended

across 38 states

Destinations

Where California's students went

Matriculants from California by the state of their dental school, 2000–2025. Hover a state for the count.

California (stayed home)1–4 students5–19 students20–49 students50–199 students200+ studentsNone

Top 10 schools

The most common picks

In CaliforniaOut of state

University of the PacificCA · Private
2,90915.7%
Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USCCA · Private
2,81315.2%
University of California, Los AngelesCA · Public
2,00810.9%
University of California, San FranciscoCA · Public
1,6899.1%
Loma Linda UniversityCA · Private
1,5168.2%
New York UniversityNY · Private
1,0275.6%
Western University of Health SciencesCA · Private
7704.2%
Tufts UniversityMA · Private
5082.7%
Midwestern University - AZAZ · Private
4602.5%
Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral HealthAZ · Private
3962.1%

The story

What the numbers say

From 2000 to 2025, 18,478 students from California started dental school, 1st in the nation. 64% stayed in California, 20% at an in-state public school.

The 6,646 who left went to 37 other states. The most popular out-of-state school was New York University (NY), with 1,027 students.

California's dental schools enrolled 15,274 students over the same years, 78% of them residents. Washington (420) and Arizona (303) sent the most outsiders.

Stayed in California for dental school64%

Went to an in-state public school20%

Seats at California's schools filled by residents78%

Inbound

Who else comes here

California's 7 dental schools enrolled 15,274 students; 78% were residents. Top out-of-state feeders:

Home schools

Dental schools in California

California Northstate UniversityPrivate127 from CA
Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USCPrivate2,813 from CA
Loma Linda UniversityPrivate1,516 from CA
University of California, Los AngelesPublic2,008 from CA
University of California, San FranciscoPublic1,689 from CA
University of the PacificPrivate2,909 from CA
Western University of Health SciencesPrivate770 from CA

All 73 schools California students attended

School	State	Type	Students	Share
University of the Pacific	CA	Private	2,909	15.7%
Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC	CA	Private	2,813	15.2%
University of California, Los Angeles	CA	Public	2,008	10.9%
University of California, San Francisco	CA	Public	1,689	9.1%
Loma Linda University	CA	Private	1,516	8.2%
New York University	NY	Private	1,027	5.6%
Western University of Health Sciences	CA	Private	770	4.2%
Tufts University	MA	Private	508	2.7%
Midwestern University - AZ	AZ	Private	460	2.5%
Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health	AZ	Private	396	2.1%
Boston University	MA	Private	363	2.0%
Roseman University of Health Sciences	UT	Private	323	1.7%
Columbia University	NY	Private	299	1.6%
University of Pennsylvania	PA	Private	295	1.6%
University of Nevada, Las Vegas	NV	Public	275	1.5%
Temple University	PA	Public	200	1.1%
Touro College of Dental Medicine	NY	Private	188	1.0%
Midwestern University - IL	IL	Private	175	0.9%
University of Michigan	MI	Public	157	0.8%
Harvard University	MA	Private	154	0.8%
University of Detroit Mercy	MI	Private	153	0.8%
Nova Southeastern University	FL	Private	139	0.8%
Case Western Reserve University	OH	Private	136	0.7%
California Northstate University	CA	Private	127	0.7%
University of Pittsburgh	PA	Public	112	0.6%
Oregon Health & Science University	OR	Public	102	0.6%
Creighton University	NE	Private	99	0.5%
University of Maryland	MD	Public	93	0.5%
LECOM College of Dental Medicine	FL	Private	81	0.4%
Indiana University	IN	Public	76	0.4%
University at Buffalo	NY	Public	65	0.4%
Howard University	DC	Private	63	0.3%
Marquette University	WI	Private	54	0.3%
Rutgers School of Dental Medicine	NJ	Public	52	0.3%
Meharry Medical College	TN	Private	49	0.3%
University of Minnesota	MN	Public	44	0.2%
University of New England	ME	Private	43	0.2%
University of Colorado	CO	Public	40	0.2%
University of Utah	UT	Public	39	0.2%
University of Washington	WA	Public	38	0.2%
Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health	MO	Private	35	0.2%
University of Louisville	KY	Public	33	0.2%
University of Nebraska Medical Center	NE	Public	33	0.2%
Ohio State University	OH	Public	27	0.1%
Virginia Commonwealth University	VA	Public	26	0.1%
Stony Brook University	NY	Public	18	0.1%
University of Kentucky	KY	Public	17	0.1%
University of Connecticut	CT	Public	16	0.1%
University of Iowa	IA	Public	13	0.1%
University of North Carolina	NC	Public	12	0.1%
Medical University of South Carolina	SC	Public	11	0.1%
University of Missouri, Kansas City	MO	Public	11	0.1%
West Virginia University	WV	Public	11	0.1%
University of Florida	FL	Public	10	0.1%
Kansas City University	MO	Private	9	0.0%
UT Health San Antonio	TX	Public	9	0.0%
University of Illinois Chicago	IL	Public	9	0.0%
University of Tennessee	TN	Public	9	0.0%
University of Oklahoma	OK	Public	8	0.0%
Texas A&M University	TX	Public	6	0.0%
Lincoln Memorial University	TN	Private	3	0.0%
Lyon College School of Dental Medicine	AR	Private	3	0.0%
University of Alabama	AL	Public	3	0.0%
Augusta University	GA	Public	2	0.0%
High Point University	NC	Private	2	0.0%
LSU Health Sciences Center	LA	Public	2	0.0%
Ponce Health Science University	PR	Private	2	0.0%
University of Puerto Rico	PR	Public	2	0.0%
University of Texas at Houston	TX	Public	2	0.0%
Northeast Ohio Medical University	OH	Public	1	0.0%
Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences	WA	Private	1	0.0%
Southern Illinois University	IL	Public	1	0.0%
Universidad Ana G. Mendez	PR	Private	1	0.0%

Staying home, 2000–2025

Are more California students staying in-state?

In the last five years, 62% of California's first-year dental students stayed in-state, about the same as in 2000–2004. Nationally, 57% stayed home in 2025, down from 66% in 2000.

Share of first-year students who stayed in-state

CaliforniaU.S.

Dentist workforce, 2001–2025

Dentists working in California

30,647 dentists work in California: 77.9 per 100,000 people, above the U.S. rate of 60.0. That's #4 of 51 for dentists per person. The number of dentists is up 35% since 2001.

30,647dentists, 2025

77.9per 100,000 people (U.S. 60.0)

#4of 51 in dentists per person

22,677dentists in 2001 (65.8 per 100K)

Dentists per 100,000 people

CaliforniaU.S.

Dentists working in dentistry, counted where they work. *The ADA advises caution with 2023–2025 figures. Source: ADA.

Dentist migration, 2019–2024

Are dentists moving to California?

California gained a net 5 dentists from other states from 2019 to 2024 (0.0% of its 2019 dentists), #25 of 51. The state's overall population changed by −4.1% from domestic migration (2020–2025).

All dentists0.0%+5 net · #25 of 51954 moved in, 949 moved out

Early career (under 10 yrs)+2.3%+139 net · #21 of 51685 moved in, 546 moved out

10+ years in practice−0.6%−134 net · #38 of 51269 moved in, 403 moved out

Early-career specialists+8.2%+70 net · #16 of 51124 moved in, 54 moved out

Net dentists California gained from / lost to each state:+15 or more+5 to 14+1 to 4−1 to 4−5 to 14−15 or more

Came from

Texas150
New York86
Illinois54
Massachusetts52
Washington48

Moved to

Texas143
Washington80
Arizona62
Nevada58
Florida53

Dentists active in both 2019 and 2024, so new graduates and retirees are not counted. Source: ADA.

What dentists earn in California →