CO · FIPS 08 · West · State

Colorado

60% stayed home, and residents fill 59% of Colorado's seats.

387

students started dental school

#27 of 52 in the nation

56%

stayed in-state

216 students

171

left for another state

#24 most leavers

different schools attended

across 30 states

Destinations

Where Colorado's students went

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

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

Top 10 schools

The most common picks

In ColoradoOut of state

University of ColoradoCO · Public
21655.8%
Creighton UniversityNE · Private
235.9%
Midwestern University - AZAZ · Private
143.6%
Roseman University of Health SciencesUT · Private
143.6%
Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral HealthAZ · Private
82.1%
Columbia UniversityNY · Private
71.8%
New York UniversityNY · Private
61.6%
Loma Linda UniversityCA · Private
51.3%
Nova Southeastern UniversityFL · Private
51.3%
University of the PacificCA · Private
51.3%

The story

What the numbers say

From 2021 to 2025, 387 students from Colorado started dental school, 27th in the nation. 56% stayed in Colorado, all of them at public schools.

The 171 who left went to 29 other states. The most popular out-of-state school was Creighton University (NE), with 23 students.

Colorado's dental school enrolled 395 students over the same years, 55% of them residents. Florida (24) and Arizona (16) sent the most outsiders.

Stayed in Colorado for dental school56%

Went to an in-state public school56%

Seats at Colorado's schools filled by residents55%

Inbound

Who else comes here

Colorado's dental school enrolled 395 students; 55% were residents. Top out-of-state feeders:

Home schools

Dental schools in Colorado

University of ColoradoPublic216 from CO

All 50 schools Colorado students attended

School	State	Type	Students	Share
University of Colorado	CO	Public	216	55.8%
Creighton University	NE	Private	23	5.9%
Midwestern University - AZ	AZ	Private	14	3.6%
Roseman University of Health Sciences	UT	Private	14	3.6%
Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health	AZ	Private	8	2.1%
Columbia University	NY	Private	7	1.8%
New York University	NY	Private	6	1.6%
Loma Linda University	CA	Private	5	1.3%
Nova Southeastern University	FL	Private	5	1.3%
University of the Pacific	CA	Private	5	1.3%
Western University of Health Sciences	CA	Private	5	1.3%
Oregon Health & Science University	OR	Public	4	1.0%
Touro College of Dental Medicine	NY	Private	4	1.0%
University of California, San Francisco	CA	Public	4	1.0%
University of Minnesota	MN	Public	4	1.0%
University of Nevada, Las Vegas	NV	Public	4	1.0%
University of Utah	UT	Public	4	1.0%
Boston University	MA	Private	3	0.8%
University of New England	ME	Private	3	0.8%
University of Oklahoma	OK	Public	3	0.8%
University of Pennsylvania	PA	Private	3	0.8%
California Northstate University	CA	Private	2	0.5%
Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC	CA	Private	2	0.5%
Kansas City University	MO	Private	2	0.5%
LSU Health Sciences Center	LA	Public	2	0.5%
Lincoln Memorial University	TN	Private	2	0.5%
Medical University of South Carolina	SC	Public	2	0.5%
Midwestern University - IL	IL	Private	2	0.5%
Tufts University	MA	Private	2	0.5%
University of Detroit Mercy	MI	Private	2	0.5%
University of Iowa	IA	Public	2	0.5%
University of Maryland	MD	Public	2	0.5%
University of Michigan	MI	Public	2	0.5%
University of Missouri, Kansas City	MO	Public	2	0.5%
University of Nebraska Medical Center	NE	Public	2	0.5%
Harvard University	MA	Private	1	0.3%
High Point University	NC	Private	1	0.3%
Howard University	DC	Private	1	0.3%
LECOM College of Dental Medicine	FL	Private	1	0.3%
Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health	MO	Private	1	0.3%
Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences	WA	Private	1	0.3%
Southern Illinois University	IL	Public	1	0.3%
UT Health San Antonio	TX	Public	1	0.3%
Universidad Ana G. Mendez	PR	Private	1	0.3%
University of Alabama	AL	Public	1	0.3%
University of Florida	FL	Public	1	0.3%
University of Pittsburgh	PA	Public	1	0.3%
University of Washington	WA	Public	1	0.3%
Virginia Commonwealth University	VA	Public	1	0.3%
West Virginia University	WV	Public	1	0.3%

772

students started dental school

#26 of 52 in the nation

60%

stayed in-state

464 students

308

left for another state

#24 most leavers

different schools attended

across 34 states

Destinations

Where Colorado's students went

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

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

Top 10 schools

The most common picks

In ColoradoOut of state

University of ColoradoCO · Public
46460.1%
Creighton UniversityNE · Private
395.1%
Roseman University of Health SciencesUT · Private
273.5%
Midwestern University - AZAZ · Private
253.2%
Columbia UniversityNY · Private
111.4%
Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral HealthAZ · Private
101.3%
University of UtahUT · Public
101.3%
University of the PacificCA · Private
91.2%
Loma Linda UniversityCA · Private
81.0%
Oregon Health & Science UniversityOR · Public
81.0%

The story

What the numbers say

From 2016 to 2025, 772 students from Colorado started dental school, 26th in the nation. 60% stayed in Colorado, all of them at public schools.

The 308 who left went to 33 other states. The most popular out-of-state school was Creighton University (NE), with 39 students.

Colorado's dental school enrolled 784 students over the same years, 59% of them residents. Florida (38) and Arizona (33) sent the most outsiders.

Stayed in Colorado for dental school60%

Went to an in-state public school60%

Seats at Colorado's schools filled by residents59%

Inbound

Who else comes here

Colorado's dental school enrolled 784 students; 59% were residents. Top out-of-state feeders:

Home schools

Dental schools in Colorado

University of ColoradoPublic464 from CO

All 59 schools Colorado students attended

School	State	Type	Students	Share
University of Colorado	CO	Public	464	60.1%
Creighton University	NE	Private	39	5.1%
Roseman University of Health Sciences	UT	Private	27	3.5%
Midwestern University - AZ	AZ	Private	25	3.2%
Columbia University	NY	Private	11	1.4%
Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health	AZ	Private	10	1.3%
University of Utah	UT	Public	10	1.3%
University of the Pacific	CA	Private	9	1.2%
Loma Linda University	CA	Private	8	1.0%
Oregon Health & Science University	OR	Public	8	1.0%
LECOM College of Dental Medicine	FL	Private	7	0.9%
New York University	NY	Private	7	0.9%
University of Pennsylvania	PA	Private	7	0.9%
Western University of Health Sciences	CA	Private	7	0.9%
Boston University	MA	Private	6	0.8%
Midwestern University - IL	IL	Private	6	0.8%
Nova Southeastern University	FL	Private	6	0.8%
Touro College of Dental Medicine	NY	Private	6	0.8%
University of Minnesota	MN	Public	6	0.8%
University of Nevada, Las Vegas	NV	Public	6	0.8%
Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC	CA	Private	5	0.6%
University of Michigan	MI	Public	5	0.6%
University of Nebraska Medical Center	NE	Public	5	0.6%
Indiana University	IN	Public	4	0.5%
Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health	MO	Private	4	0.5%
Tufts University	MA	Private	4	0.5%
University of California, San Francisco	CA	Public	4	0.5%
University of Detroit Mercy	MI	Private	4	0.5%
University of Iowa	IA	Public	4	0.5%
University of New England	ME	Private	4	0.5%
Case Western Reserve University	OH	Private	3	0.4%
Marquette University	WI	Private	3	0.4%
Medical University of South Carolina	SC	Public	3	0.4%
UT Health San Antonio	TX	Public	3	0.4%
University of Louisville	KY	Public	3	0.4%
University of Maryland	MD	Public	3	0.4%
University of Oklahoma	OK	Public	3	0.4%
California Northstate University	CA	Private	2	0.3%
Harvard University	MA	Private	2	0.3%
Howard University	DC	Private	2	0.3%
Kansas City University	MO	Private	2	0.3%
LSU Health Sciences Center	LA	Public	2	0.3%
Lincoln Memorial University	TN	Private	2	0.3%
Ohio State University	OH	Public	2	0.3%
University of California, Los Angeles	CA	Public	2	0.3%
University of Missouri, Kansas City	MO	Public	2	0.3%
University of North Carolina	NC	Public	2	0.3%
Virginia Commonwealth University	VA	Public	2	0.3%
High Point University	NC	Private	1	0.1%
Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences	WA	Private	1	0.1%
Southern Illinois University	IL	Public	1	0.1%
Texas A&M University	TX	Public	1	0.1%
Universidad Ana G. Mendez	PR	Private	1	0.1%
University of Alabama	AL	Public	1	0.1%
University of Florida	FL	Public	1	0.1%
University of Kentucky	KY	Public	1	0.1%
University of Pittsburgh	PA	Public	1	0.1%
University of Washington	WA	Public	1	0.1%
West Virginia University	WV	Public	1	0.1%

1,761

students started dental school

#27 of 52 in the nation

59%

stayed in-state

1,040 students

721

left for another state

#23 most leavers

different schools attended

across 36 states

Destinations

Where Colorado's students went

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

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

Top 10 schools

The most common picks

In ColoradoOut of state

University of ColoradoCO · Public
1,04059.1%
Creighton UniversityNE · Private
844.8%
Midwestern University - AZAZ · Private
523.0%
Roseman University of Health SciencesUT · Private
331.9%
Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral HealthAZ · Private
251.4%
Loma Linda UniversityCA · Private
231.3%
Tufts UniversityMA · Private
231.3%
Columbia UniversityNY · Private
221.2%
New York UniversityNY · Private
221.2%
Boston UniversityMA · Private
191.1%

The story

What the numbers say

From 2000 to 2025, 1,761 students from Colorado started dental school, 27th in the nation. 59% stayed in Colorado, all of them at public schools.

The 721 who left went to 35 other states. The most popular out-of-state school was Creighton University (NE), with 84 students.

Colorado's dental school enrolled 1,698 students over the same years, 61% of them residents. Arizona (144) and New Mexico (81) sent the most outsiders.

Stayed in Colorado for dental school59%

Went to an in-state public school59%

Seats at Colorado's schools filled by residents61%

Inbound

Who else comes here

Colorado's dental school enrolled 1,698 students; 61% were residents. Top out-of-state feeders:

Home schools

Dental schools in Colorado

University of ColoradoPublic1,040 from CO

All 66 schools Colorado students attended

School	State	Type	Students	Share
University of Colorado	CO	Public	1,040	59.1%
Creighton University	NE	Private	84	4.8%
Midwestern University - AZ	AZ	Private	52	3.0%
Roseman University of Health Sciences	UT	Private	33	1.9%
Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health	AZ	Private	25	1.4%
Loma Linda University	CA	Private	23	1.3%
Tufts University	MA	Private	23	1.3%
Columbia University	NY	Private	22	1.2%
New York University	NY	Private	22	1.2%
Boston University	MA	Private	19	1.1%
Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC	CA	Private	18	1.0%
Nova Southeastern University	FL	Private	18	1.0%
Marquette University	WI	Private	16	0.9%
Temple University	PA	Public	16	0.9%
University of Iowa	IA	Public	16	0.9%
University of Minnesota	MN	Public	16	0.9%
Midwestern University - IL	IL	Private	14	0.8%
University of Nebraska Medical Center	NE	Public	14	0.8%
Howard University	DC	Private	13	0.7%
Indiana University	IN	Public	13	0.7%
University of Nevada, Las Vegas	NV	Public	13	0.7%
University of Pennsylvania	PA	Private	13	0.7%
University of the Pacific	CA	Private	13	0.7%
Western University of Health Sciences	CA	Private	13	0.7%
Oregon Health & Science University	OR	Public	12	0.7%
University of Maryland	MD	Public	12	0.7%
LECOM College of Dental Medicine	FL	Private	11	0.6%
University of Michigan	MI	Public	11	0.6%
University of Utah	UT	Public	10	0.6%
Case Western Reserve University	OH	Private	9	0.5%
University of California, Los Angeles	CA	Public	9	0.5%
University of Pittsburgh	PA	Public	9	0.5%
Harvard University	MA	Private	8	0.5%
Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health	MO	Private	7	0.4%
University of California, San Francisco	CA	Public	7	0.4%
University of New England	ME	Private	7	0.4%
Virginia Commonwealth University	VA	Public	7	0.4%
Touro College of Dental Medicine	NY	Private	6	0.3%
UT Health San Antonio	TX	Public	6	0.3%
University of Detroit Mercy	MI	Private	6	0.3%
University of Louisville	KY	Public	6	0.3%
Medical University of South Carolina	SC	Public	5	0.3%
University at Buffalo	NY	Public	5	0.3%
University of Missouri, Kansas City	MO	Public	5	0.3%
University of North Carolina	NC	Public	5	0.3%
University of Oklahoma	OK	Public	5	0.3%
University of Washington	WA	Public	5	0.3%
Ohio State University	OH	Public	4	0.2%
University of Florida	FL	Public	4	0.2%
University of Kentucky	KY	Public	4	0.2%
Meharry Medical College	TN	Private	3	0.2%
California Northstate University	CA	Private	2	0.1%
Kansas City University	MO	Private	2	0.1%
LSU Health Sciences Center	LA	Public	2	0.1%
Lincoln Memorial University	TN	Private	2	0.1%
Southern Illinois University	IL	Public	2	0.1%
Stony Brook University	NY	Public	2	0.1%
Texas A&M University	TX	Public	2	0.1%
University of Connecticut	CT	Public	2	0.1%
West Virginia University	WV	Public	2	0.1%
High Point University	NC	Private	1	0.1%
Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences	WA	Private	1	0.1%
Rutgers School of Dental Medicine	NJ	Public	1	0.1%
Universidad Ana G. Mendez	PR	Private	1	0.1%
University of Alabama	AL	Public	1	0.1%
University of Texas at Houston	TX	Public	1	0.1%

Staying home, 2000–2025

Are more Colorado students staying in-state?

In the last five years, 56% of Colorado'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

ColoradoU.S.

Dentist workforce, 2001–2025

Dentists working in Colorado

4,077 dentists work in Colorado: 67.8 per 100,000 people, above the U.S. rate of 60.0. That's #11 of 51 for dentists per person. The number of dentists is up 44% since 2001.

4,077dentists, 2025

67.8per 100,000 people (U.S. 60.0)

#11of 51 in dentists per person

2,838dentists in 2001 (64.1 per 100K)

Dentists per 100,000 people

ColoradoU.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 Colorado?

Colorado gained a net 65 dentists from other states from 2019 to 2024 (+2.0% of its 2019 dentists), #15 of 51. The state's overall population changed by +0.2% from domestic migration (2020–2025).

All dentists+2.0%+65 net · #15 of 51425 moved in, 360 moved out

Early career (under 10 yrs)+4.1%+52 net · #17 of 51284 moved in, 232 moved out

10+ years in practice+0.6%+13 net · #21 of 51141 moved in, 128 moved out

Early-career specialists+8.3%+15 net · #14 of 5155 moved in, 40 moved out

Net dentists Colorado 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

Texas57
California35
Illinois31
Florida23
New York15

Moved to

Texas40
California27
Arizona21
Utah20
North Carolina18

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

What dentists earn in Colorado →