Updated
How Many Dental Schools Should I Apply To? The Average Is About 10
Dental school applicants sent about 10 applications each for the 2025 entering class: 135,646 applications from 13,657 applicants in ADEA's data (our math). Our advice is 8 to 12 schools, starting with every in-state school you qualify for.
Below are ADEA's numbers, why your home state matters so much, list sizes by profile, what each size costs in AADSAS fees and how to choose the schools. Facts checked on November 1, 2026.
How many dental schools does the average applicant apply to?
About 9.9 for the 2025 entering class, up from about 9.6 for 2024. Both are our math from the totals in ADEA's 2025 and 2024 applicant workbooks. The 2025 one covers applicants to 74 accredited US dental schools.
For 2025, ADEA counted 13,657 applicants and 7,073 first-time, first-year enrollees, so 52% of applicants enrolled. Across all schools, that is about 19 applications for every seat filled (our math), so fit matters more than count.
Why your in-state dental schools come first
In the 2025 data, 19% of applications went to a school in the applicant's home state, but 53% of first-time enrollees started at one (our math from ADEA's counts). Home-state applications turn into seats far more often than the rest. Some schools show it starkly:
| School | Type | In-state applications | In-state enrollees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama (UAB) | Type: Public | In-state applications: 9% (130 of 1,397) | In-state enrollees: 69% (56 of 81) |
| West Virginia University | Type: Public | In-state applications: 5% (57 of 1,051) | In-state enrollees: 63% (30 of 48) |
| Marquette (Wisconsin) | Type: Private | In-state applications: 6% (175 of 3,106) | In-state enrollees: 49% (49 of 100) |
| A.T. Still (Arizona) | Type: Private | In-state applications: 5% (155 of 3,435) | In-state enrollees: 15% (12 of 78) |
Public schools like UAB and West Virginia fill most of their seats from home. Private schools like A.T. Still draw from everywhere. So apply to every school in your state that you meet the requirements for, then add schools that take many out-of-state students.
How many dental schools should you apply to?
ADEA sets no target number. These are the ranges we suggest:
| Your situation | Schools | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Your GPA and DAT are above your schools' averages and you have an in-state school | Schools: 6 to 8 | Why: Your in-state schools plus a few you clearly fit. |
| Your numbers sit near your schools' averages | Schools: 8 to 12 | Why: The default, close to the national average of about 10. |
| Your GPA or DAT sits below most schools' averages | Schools: 12 to 15 | Why: More schools, weighted to ones that admit your profile, and an early submission. |
| Your state has no dental school | Schools: 10 to 15 | Why: No home-state edge, so favor schools that enroll many out-of-state students. ADEA's workbook shows each school's in-state share. |
| You're reapplying | Schools: Your last count, plus a few better fits | Why: Fix the weak spot (DAT, GPA, shadowing) before you add schools. |
Within your number, put most schools where your GPA and DAT sit near or above their averages, and a few where they sit below. For context on your numbers, ADEA's 2025 first-time enrollees averaged a 3.68 overall GPA, against 3.53 for all applicants. Our average GPA for dental school guide has the detail, and what is a good DAT score covers the test.
How much does it cost to apply to more dental schools?
ADEA AADSAS charges $264 for your first school and $115 for each one after it. Here is what common list sizes cost, with and without the fee waiver (our math):
| Schools | AADSAS fees | With a fee waiver |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | AADSAS fees: $724 | With a fee waiver: $230 |
| 8 | AADSAS fees: $1,069 | With a fee waiver: $575 |
| 10 | AADSAS fees: $1,299 | With a fee waiver: $805 |
| 12 | AADSAS fees: $1,529 | With a fee waiver: $1,035 |
| 15 | AADSAS fees: $1,874 | With a fee waiver: $1,380 |
| 20 | AADSAS fees: $2,449 | With a fee waiver: $1,955 |
The ADEA Fee Assistance Program covers your first 3 schools, worth $494, for a limited number of eligible applicants. It is closed for the 2026-27 cycle and reopens in April 2027 for 2027-28. Awards must be used within 30 calendar days.
Some schools add their own fee. Michigan, for example, charges a $75 supplemental fee paid directly to the school. Canadian schools in AADSAS get a 25% discount, issued in late April 2027. Beyond fees, each school you add can mean another supplemental essay, interview travel and, once you accept, a seat deposit, which ADEA notes most schools require.
Applying to Texas dental schools
Four Texas dental schools took applications through TMDSAS, not AADSAS, for the 2025 entering class, per ADEA. They count toward your list, but they are a separate application with its own fee. If you live in Texas, they are your in-state schools, so treat them the same way.
How to pick each dental school on your list
A school counts toward your number only after it passes these checks:
- Prerequisites. Every course the school requires, with labs. Our dental school requirements guide compares schools.
- Your numbers. Your GPA and DAT against the school's published averages or minimums. Check your AADSAS GPA with our AADSAS GPA calculator.
- Shadowing and hours. Some schools set a minimum. Michigan, for example, requires 100 hours of dental shadowing by the time you submit and won't review applicants without it.
- Residency. How many out-of-state students the school takes. ADEA's workbook shows each school's in-state share.
- Cost. Tuition and the supplemental fee, since a seat you can't afford doesn't help.
Our dental school guides cover each school's interview format, so you can see what each one on your list will ask of you.
Apply early, not just widely
The ADEA AADSAS cycle generally opens on or around June 1, and ADEA says an early application significantly enhances your chances of being reviewed early. Offers start going out after December 1. So a well-built list submitted in June is worth more than extra schools added in the fall. Our AADSAS guide has every date for this cycle.
Practice the question every school asks
Each school on your list may ask why you chose it. Write down two specific reasons per school as you build the list, and they'll be ready when interviews come.
Our school interview guides give each school's format, dates and mission: ATSU Arizona (ASDOH), ATSU Missouri (MOSDOH), California Northstate, Case Western, Creighton, Dental College of Georgia, East Carolina, Florida, High Point, Howard, Indiana, Iowa, LECOM, Louisville, Meharry, Michigan, Midwestern Arizona, Mississippi (UMMC), MUSC, Nebraska (UNMC), Nova Southeastern, NYU, OHSU, Oklahoma, Pacific Dugoni, SIU, Tennessee (UTHSC), Texas A&M, Texas Tech El Paso (Hunt), Touro, UAB, UConn, UCSF, UIC, VCU, West Virginia (WVU).
“Why do you want to attend our dental school?”
Each school on your list can ask it. Give two reasons that only fit this school, link each to something you have done and end with what you would add to the class.
Example answer written by Confetto (the applicant is invented)
Two things brought me here. Your students start seeing patients in the first year, and I learn best with my hands: I spent two years as a dental assistant in a community clinic, and the patients are why I'm applying.
Your school also runs the mobile clinic that visits rural schools in the state, which is where I grew up. My first dentist was on a van like that. I'd bring my chairside experience and my Spanish to that program and to my classmates.
Sources: ADEA's U.S. Dental School Applicants and Enrollees workbooks (2025 and 2024 entering classes), ADEA's timeline page, Liaison's ADEA AADSAS fee page and Michigan's dental admissions page, linked throughout and checked as of November 1, 2026. Averages, shares and fee totals are our own math, and list sizes are our advice.
Frequently asked questions
How many dental schools does the average applicant apply to?
About 10. For the 2025 entering class, ADEA counted 135,646 applications from 13,657 applicants, which works out to 9.9 each (our math). See ADEA's applicant data.
How many dental schools should I apply to?
Our advice is 8 to 12 for most applicants, starting with every in-state school you qualify for. Go to 12 to 15 if your GPA or DAT is below most of your schools' averages. ADEA sets no target number. Compare your GPA.
How much does it cost to apply to 10 dental schools?
$1,299 in ADEA AADSAS fees: $264 for the first school and $115 for each of the other nine. Some schools add a supplemental fee, such as Michigan's $75. See the AADSAS fees.
Should I apply to my in-state dental school?
Yes, if you meet its requirements. In ADEA's 2025 data, 19% of applications went to in-state schools, but 53% of first-time enrollees started at a school in their home state (our math from ADEA's counts). See ADEA's data.
Do Texas dental schools use AADSAS?
Four Texas dental schools took applications through TMDSAS for the 2025 entering class, per ADEA. If you apply to those and to other states, you file both applications. See ADEA's report.