84% stayed home, and residents fill 37% of Kentucky's seats.88% stayed home, and residents fill 39% of Kentucky's seats.94% stayed home, and residents fill 49% of Kentucky's seats.
Matriculants from Kentucky by the state of their dental school, 2021–2025. Hover a state for the count.
From 2021 to 2025, 403 students from Kentucky started dental school, 26th in the nation. 84% stayed in Kentucky, all of them at public schools.
The 66 who left went to 19 other states. The most popular out-of-state school was Lincoln Memorial University (TN), with 20 students.
Kentucky's dental schools enrolled 918 students over the same years, 37% of them residents. Florida (96) and Michigan (48) sent the most outsiders.
Kentucky's 2 dental schools enrolled 918 students; 37% were residents. Top out-of-state feeders:
| School | State | Type | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Kentucky | KY | Public | 195 | 48.4% |
| University of Louisville | KY | Public | 142 | 35.2% |
| Lincoln Memorial University | TN | Private | 20 | 5.0% |
| University of Michigan | MI | Public | 5 | 1.2% |
| University of Detroit Mercy | MI | Private | 4 | 1.0% |
| Midwestern University - IL | IL | Private | 3 | 0.7% |
| New York University | NY | Private | 3 | 0.7% |
| Columbia University | NY | Private | 2 | 0.5% |
| Howard University | DC | Private | 2 | 0.5% |
| LECOM College of Dental Medicine | FL | Private | 2 | 0.5% |
| Medical University of South Carolina | SC | Public | 2 | 0.5% |
| Meharry Medical College | TN | Private | 2 | 0.5% |
| University of Pennsylvania | PA | Private | 2 | 0.5% |
| University of Pittsburgh | PA | Public | 2 | 0.5% |
| Augusta University | GA | Public | 1 | 0.2% |
| Boston University | MA | Private | 1 | 0.2% |
| Case Western Reserve University | OH | Private | 1 | 0.2% |
| Harvard University | MA | Private | 1 | 0.2% |
| Indiana University | IN | Public | 1 | 0.2% |
| Kansas City University | MO | Private | 1 | 0.2% |
| Marquette University | WI | Private | 1 | 0.2% |
| Midwestern University - AZ | AZ | Private | 1 | 0.2% |
| Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health | MO | Private | 1 | 0.2% |
| Northeast Ohio Medical University | OH | Public | 1 | 0.2% |
| Ohio State University | OH | Public | 1 | 0.2% |
| Roseman University of Health Sciences | UT | Private | 1 | 0.2% |
| Touro College of Dental Medicine | NY | Private | 1 | 0.2% |
| Tufts University | MA | Private | 1 | 0.2% |
| University of California, San Francisco | CA | Public | 1 | 0.2% |
| University of North Carolina | NC | Public | 1 | 0.2% |
| University of Texas at Houston | TX | Public | 1 | 0.2% |
Matriculants from Kentucky by the state of their dental school, 2016–2025. Hover a state for the count.
From 2016 to 2025, 805 students from Kentucky started dental school, 24th in the nation. 88% stayed in Kentucky, all of them at public schools.
The 94 who left went to 22 other states. The most popular out-of-state school was Lincoln Memorial University (TN), with 20 students.
Kentucky's dental schools enrolled 1,831 students over the same years, 39% of them residents. Florida (173) and Ohio (98) sent the most outsiders.
Kentucky's 2 dental schools enrolled 1,831 students; 39% were residents. Top out-of-state feeders:
| School | State | Type | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Kentucky | KY | Public | 374 | 46.5% |
| University of Louisville | KY | Public | 337 | 41.9% |
| Lincoln Memorial University | TN | Private | 20 | 2.5% |
| Columbia University | NY | Private | 6 | 0.7% |
| University of Michigan | MI | Public | 6 | 0.7% |
| Indiana University | IN | Public | 5 | 0.6% |
| Midwestern University - IL | IL | Private | 4 | 0.5% |
| New York University | NY | Private | 4 | 0.5% |
| University of Detroit Mercy | MI | Private | 4 | 0.5% |
| Case Western Reserve University | OH | Private | 3 | 0.4% |
| Medical University of South Carolina | SC | Public | 3 | 0.4% |
| Meharry Medical College | TN | Private | 3 | 0.4% |
| University of California, San Francisco | CA | Public | 3 | 0.4% |
| Boston University | MA | Private | 2 | 0.2% |
| Howard University | DC | Private | 2 | 0.2% |
| LECOM College of Dental Medicine | FL | Private | 2 | 0.2% |
| Loma Linda University | CA | Private | 2 | 0.2% |
| Ohio State University | OH | Public | 2 | 0.2% |
| University of Pennsylvania | PA | Private | 2 | 0.2% |
| University of Pittsburgh | PA | Public | 2 | 0.2% |
| Augusta University | GA | Public | 1 | 0.1% |
| Harvard University | MA | Private | 1 | 0.1% |
| Kansas City University | MO | Private | 1 | 0.1% |
| Marquette University | WI | Private | 1 | 0.1% |
| Midwestern University - AZ | AZ | Private | 1 | 0.1% |
| Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health | MO | Private | 1 | 0.1% |
| Northeast Ohio Medical University | OH | Public | 1 | 0.1% |
| Roseman University of Health Sciences | UT | Private | 1 | 0.1% |
| Temple University | PA | Public | 1 | 0.1% |
| Touro College of Dental Medicine | NY | Private | 1 | 0.1% |
| Tufts University | MA | Private | 1 | 0.1% |
| University of Florida | FL | Public | 1 | 0.1% |
| University of Minnesota | MN | Public | 1 | 0.1% |
| University of New England | ME | Private | 1 | 0.1% |
| University of North Carolina | NC | Public | 1 | 0.1% |
| University of Tennessee | TN | Public | 1 | 0.1% |
| University of Texas at Houston | TX | Public | 1 | 0.1% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | VA | Public | 1 | 0.1% |
| Western University of Health Sciences | CA | Private | 1 | 0.1% |
Matriculants from Kentucky by the state of their dental school, 2000–2025. Hover a state for the count.
From 2000 to 2025, 2,201 students from Kentucky started dental school, 22nd in the nation. 94% stayed in Kentucky, all of them at public schools.
The 132 who left went to 24 other states. The most popular out-of-state school was Lincoln Memorial University (TN), with 20 students.
Kentucky's dental schools enrolled 4,260 students over the same years, 49% of them residents. Florida (264) and Utah (255) sent the most outsiders.
Kentucky's 2 dental schools enrolled 4,260 students; 49% were residents. Top out-of-state feeders:
| School | State | Type | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Louisville | KY | Public | 1,056 | 48.0% |
| University of Kentucky | KY | Public | 1,013 | 46.0% |
| Lincoln Memorial University | TN | Private | 20 | 0.9% |
| Indiana University | IN | Public | 9 | 0.4% |
| New York University | NY | Private | 9 | 0.4% |
| Meharry Medical College | TN | Private | 7 | 0.3% |
| University of Michigan | MI | Public | 7 | 0.3% |
| Case Western Reserve University | OH | Private | 6 | 0.3% |
| Columbia University | NY | Private | 6 | 0.3% |
| Midwestern University - IL | IL | Private | 5 | 0.2% |
| Ohio State University | OH | Public | 5 | 0.2% |
| University of Detroit Mercy | MI | Private | 5 | 0.2% |
| University of Pittsburgh | PA | Public | 5 | 0.2% |
| Medical University of South Carolina | SC | Public | 4 | 0.2% |
| University of Pennsylvania | PA | Private | 4 | 0.2% |
| Loma Linda University | CA | Private | 3 | 0.1% |
| Tufts University | MA | Private | 3 | 0.1% |
| University of California, San Francisco | CA | Public | 3 | 0.1% |
| Boston University | MA | Private | 2 | 0.1% |
| Harvard University | MA | Private | 2 | 0.1% |
| Howard University | DC | Private | 2 | 0.1% |
| LECOM College of Dental Medicine | FL | Private | 2 | 0.1% |
| Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health | MO | Private | 2 | 0.1% |
| University of Minnesota | MN | Public | 2 | 0.1% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | VA | Public | 2 | 0.1% |
| Augusta University | GA | Public | 1 | 0.0% |
| Kansas City University | MO | Private | 1 | 0.0% |
| LSU Health Sciences Center | LA | Public | 1 | 0.0% |
| Marquette University | WI | Private | 1 | 0.0% |
| Midwestern University - AZ | AZ | Private | 1 | 0.0% |
| Northeast Ohio Medical University | OH | Public | 1 | 0.0% |
| Nova Southeastern University | FL | Private | 1 | 0.0% |
| Roseman University of Health Sciences | UT | Private | 1 | 0.0% |
| Temple University | PA | Public | 1 | 0.0% |
| Touro College of Dental Medicine | NY | Private | 1 | 0.0% |
| University of Florida | FL | Public | 1 | 0.0% |
| University of New England | ME | Private | 1 | 0.0% |
| University of North Carolina | NC | Public | 1 | 0.0% |
| University of Tennessee | TN | Public | 1 | 0.0% |
| University of Texas at Houston | TX | Public | 1 | 0.0% |
| University of Washington | WA | Public | 1 | 0.0% |
| Western University of Health Sciences | CA | Private | 1 | 0.0% |
In the last five years, 84% of Kentucky's first-year dental students stayed in-state, down from 98% in 2000–2004. Nationally, 57% stayed home in 2025, down from 66% in 2000.
2,458 dentists work in Kentucky: 53.4 per 100,000 people, below the U.S. rate of 60.0. That's #29 of 51 for dentists per person. The number of dentists is up 6% since 2001.
Dentists working in dentistry, counted where they work. *The ADA advises caution with 2023–2025 figures. Source: ADA.
Kentucky lost a net 96 dentists to other states from 2019 to 2024 (−4.3% of its 2019 dentists), #47 of 51. The state's overall population changed by +0.8% from domestic migration (2020–2025).
Dentists active in both 2019 and 2024, so new graduates and retirees are not counted. Source: ADA.
Path