The number of applicants and enrollees at the U.S. dental schools are on the rise, according to data from the American Dental Association.
Here are 10 stats to know about dental schools and enrollment from the ADA’s Health Policy Institute, which is based on data from multiple sources as of August 2025:
- There are 75 dental schools in the U.S., with two more openings in 2025.
- Since 2001, there have been 21 new dental school openings in the U.S.
- There were 12,491 applicants to U.S. dental schools in 2024, the second-highest since 2000.
- The number of applicants increased 11.5% from 2023 to 2024.
- First-year enrollment surpassed 7,000 students, the highest number of first-year students since 2000.
- Enrollment has increased each year since 1990.
- In 2024, established dental schools accounted for 5,234 students and new schools had 1,779 first-year enrollees.
- In 2004, there were 4,350 U.S. dental school graduates. In 2024, there were 6,872.
- Female dentists represented 55.6% of U.S. dental school graduates in 2024, up from 41.7% in 2004.
- Dentists of historically underrepresented race and ethnicity reached 16.9% of U.S. dental school graduates in 2024.
