NYU Dental School: Requirements, Tuition, and Program Overview

If you want to pursue a career in dentistry, you may be considering the New York University College of Dentistry. This world-renowned institution is the largest dental school in the United States, educating about ten percent of the nation’s dentists - but you'll want to know all about the admission requirements before you apply. In this article, we'll take you through every aspect of the admissions process, from undergraduate requirements to financial aid. Read on to discover everything you need to know about applying to the DDS program at NYU College of Dentistry!

NYU College of Dentistry DDS Class Profile (Class of 2026)

• Class Size: 371
• Applicants: 2,994
• Acceptance Rate: 12.4%
• Average DAT Scores:
  • Academic Average: 21.1
  • Perceptual Ability Test: 20.4
  • Science: 20.7
• Average Overall GPA: 3.51
• Average Science GPA: 3.41
• Female Students: 62.3%

NYU Dentistry DDS Application Overview

Application Deadlines (2025-2026)

Note: All applications must be submitted through AADSAS. Incomplete applications or those received after January 15, 2026, will not be reviewed.

Academic Prerequisites

Like most dental schools, the NYU College of Dentistry requires applicants to submit all materials through the AADSAS. NYU Dentistry highly recommends having completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. or Canadian institution by the time of matriculation. However, the NYU dental school admissions committee will also consider applicants with GPAs of at least 3.5 and 90 or more credits completed by matriculation. Applicants with bachelors’ degrees from foreign institutions must have completed at least 60 credits at an accredited U.S. or Canadian college or university and submit a Credential Evaluation Report from the ECE to be considered.

All applicants must have completed the following prerequisites within the last ten years and before matriculation, with a C or higher:

• Biology with lab: 2 semesters/3 quarters
• Inorganic/General Chemistry with lab: 2 semesters/3 quarters
• Organic Chemistry with lab: 2 semesters/3 quarters
• Physics with lab: 2 semesters/3 quarters
• English/Writing-Intensive: 2 semesters/3 quarters
  • ESL courses may not be used to fulfill this requirement

If a course was taken in spring or summer 2020, pass/fail grades will be accepted.

DAT Scores

You’ll need to submit scores from a Dental Admissions Test (DAT) taken within the last three years. While the New York University College of Dentistry does not have a minimum DAT score requirement, the past few entering classes have averaged around 20. The U.S. version of the DAT is preferred, but Canadian DATs will also be accepted.

Letters of Evaluation

You may choose to submit either one committee evaluation letter or three individual letters of evaluation, with two of those being from science faculty members. This is the only part of your dental application that does not come from you directly, so make sure you choose evaluators who know you well and can speak to your potential to succeed in dental school.

Supplemental Essay Questions

Within the AADSAS, you’ll find one mandatory supplemental essay prompt:

The NYU College of Dentistry’s prompt has a long word count, so you’ll have more room to be detailed. You should write a comprehensive essay showing your passion for the dental profession, knowledge of the opportunities at NYU Dentistry, and unique strengths setting you apart from other applicants.

If you are a reapplicant who did not previously apply to NYU, you’ll need to answer the following:

Other Application Materials

• Shadowing experience is not required, but strongly recommended. NYU Dentistry recommends having at least 100 hours of dental shadowing
• If you are applying as an international student, you’ll need to submit a TOEFL score of at least 100 from the last two years
• You’ll also need to pay an application fee of $80. You may waive this fee if you are a Teach for America alumnus, U.S. military member or veteran, or experiencing financial hardship

NYU College of Dentistry Interview

After submitting your application, you may be invited for an asynchronous virtual interview via Kira Talent. You’ll be given a few minutes to prepare then record your answers to a set of predetermined questions.

Our Tips for the NYU Dentistry Interview:

• It’s important to practice thoroughly to prepare answers to common behavioral questions, such as “Why dentistry?” or “Why NYU Dentistry?” Try practicing with an experienced admissions interviewer, such as an admissions coach
• Show your passion for the dental field, and demonstrate how you align with the NYU Dental community and values
  • NYU Dentistry’s mission is “to partner with students in achieving academic excellence, providing the best oral health care, and engaging in research, scholarship, and creative endeavors to improve the health of the highly diverse populations in New York City and around the world”

For more information about the application process, visit the NYU College of Dentistry official admissions page.

NYU College of Dentistry DDS Program Overview

As a DDS student at NYU, you’ll have access to a rigorous dental education grounded in comprehensive courses and clinical experiences under the guidance of world-class faculty. Upon matriculation, all students are assigned to one of fourteen Academic Societies to experience small-group learning and mentoring under a faculty Senior Mentor.

D1 Training Themes: Structure, function, development, and mechanisms; introduction to patients and the professions; and pre-clinical skills and simulation

D2 Training Themes: The body and disease, oral and maxillofacial complex and disease, foundations in clinical care, and pre-clinical skills and simulation

D3 Training Themes: principal clinical year/comprehensive care, dental specialties, and foundations in clinical care

D4 Training Themes: continued clinical experiences/comprehensive care, expanded opportunities, practice management/ethics

Clinical Experience

Rotations begin in comprehensive care clinics during D1, providing early exposure to patient interactions under the guidance of a faculty member. D2s move on to specialty clinic rotations covering oral diagnosis, radiology, and disease treatment and pediatric dentistry, as well as gain initial patient care privileges. Second-years will also begin learning private practice management and preparing for the INBDE licensure exam. D3s will continue INBDE preparation and private practice management, while also moving on to more advanced clinical rotations in specialties such as cariology and operative dentistry, endodontics, periodontics, and implant prosthetics. D4s continue similar specialty rotations, while also beginning new specialty rotations in oral medicine and diagnosis, treatment of patients with special needs, urgent care, and oral surgery in a hospital setting. Fourth-years will also prepare for the NERB licensure exam to become a practicing dentist in the Northeast region.

DARE Program

NYU dental students have access to a wide range of basic, behavioral, biomaterials, and clinical research opportunities through the Dental Academic Research Experience (DARE) program. Students in this elective course will take lectures covering topics such as lab safety and procedures, bioethics, and career opportunities and spend about four months participating in a faculty research project. Students may choose to continue their projects or change topics in D2 to D4.

Further Academic Opportunities

• NYU Dentistry Dental Student Leadership Institute: Provided by the NYU Dentistry Center for Oral Health Policy and Management, this three-year experience includes seminars, workshops, internships, shadowing, mentoring, and leadership roles for future leaders looking to revolutionize the dental field
• Student Leadership Mock Congressional Hearing: Participants in this program will develop leadership, advocacy, and public speaking skills and deliver testimony on a health policy issue before a mock congressional panel
• Global Health Care Leaders: Students in this program have the opportunity to travel to an NYU Global Academic Center in Washington, DC or outside the country. Participants in the DC program meet with lawmakers to advocate for oral health-related issues. Participants in the international program will explore the dental field, education, and profession of another country
• NYU Dentistry Leadership Track: This biweekly lecture series includes character-based leadership workshops throughout the academic year
• Honors elective courses: Students in the top 40% of the class may be selected for honors elective courses in a particular specialty or area of interest with a more rigorous level of expected performance. Honors courses include orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, and more
• Dual degree programs:
  • DDS/Online Advanced Certificate in Public Health (CPH)
  • DDS/MPH in Global Health Leadership
  • DDS/MBA
  • BA/DDS with Adelphi University

Community & Global Outreach

• Dental Leaders in Global Public Health: This year-long elective course for D4s covers public health, leadership, program implementation, data collection, and reporting and includes outreach trips to locations such as the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas
• Local Outreach: The NYU Department of Pediatric Dentistry provides care to children throughout New York City through free clinics, a mobile dental care van, health fairs and community events, comprehensive care to foster youth, and more
• Veterans Oral Care Access Resource: VOCARE is a partnership with the US Department of Veterans’ Affairs designed to provide dental care for veterans not eligible for care through the VA
• Saturday Academy: Founded by then-D2s and run by dental faculty and students, the Saturday Academy program aims to improve diversity in dentistry by introducing underrepresented high schoolers to dentistry and to the college application process
• Oral Cancer Walk: This annual event seeks to raise awareness, promote early detection, and support oral cancer patient care and research

Cost of Attendance

The admissions office automatically considers all accepted applicants for scholarships, but students are highly encouraged to apply for financial aid through FAFSA and private loans, scholarships, repayment plans, and grants.

Key Takeaways

• The DDS program at NYU provides early clinical experience, with specialty clinical experiences beginning in D2, global and community outreach experiences, student research opportunities, and leadership programs
• To apply, you’ll need to meet the academic requirements and submit letters of evaluation, DAT scores, and a supplemental essay. If invited, you’ll also need to participate in an asynchronous interview

For more information as you apply to dental school, check out these resources:

• Writing a Winning Dental School Personal Statement
• Harvard School of Dental Medicine–Program and Application Overview
• University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine: An Overview of Admissions Requirements
• University of the Pacific Dental School: Application Requirements and Program Overview

FAQs About NYU Dental School

Is NYU dental school hard to get into?

• Yes, NYU College of Dentistry is highly competitive. With a large applicant pool and limited seats, applicants typically need strong academic records, high DAT scores, and well-rounded experiences to stand out.

What is the #1 dental school in the US?

• While rankings vary by source, schools like the University of Michigan, Harvard, and UCSF frequently appear at the top. NYU is consistently ranked among the leading dental institutions due to its size, clinical training, and global reputation.

What GPA do I need for NYU dental?

• A GPA of 3.5 or higher is generally competitive. However, successful applicants often also present strong science GPAs, high DAT scores, and compelling personal statements or experiences.

Is dental school at NYU free?

• No, NYU dental school is not free. It has one of the highest tuition rates among U.S. dental schools, though financial aid, scholarships, and loan programs are available for eligible students.