by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 67 U.S. colleges awarded 7,062 degrees and certificates in Dentistry. Doctorates are the most popular award, at 100% of graduates. College Factual ranks 65 schools in its 2027 Best Dentistry Schools ranking and compares their cost in a Best Value ranking. Graduates earn a median $116,673 one year after completing, rising to $172,476 after four years.
A degree in Dentistry covers Dentistry.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Nationwide, dentistry draws strong interest, with 7,062 degrees awarded annually. 67 colleges award dentistry degrees, an average of 105 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 391.
By level, the 7,062 awards include 30 master’s degrees and 7,032 doctorates.
Women earned 58% of dentistry degrees and certificates in the latest year (4,058 of 7,062). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (3,151) and Asian (1,636), and international students earned 487.
College Factual ranks 65 schools in its 2027 Best Dentistry Schools ranking, including 63 for doctorates. It also ranks dentistry schools within 37 states. In all, 67 colleges offer dentistry programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value Dentistry Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
The most common dentistry credential is the doctorate: 7,032 of the 7,062 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to dentistry call most for Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making and Reading Comprehension, and for knowledge of Medicine and Dentistry, English Language and Customer and Personal Service, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Oral Expression, Deductive Reasoning and Written Comprehension.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long a dentistry degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 30 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 7,032 |
Doctoral degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to dentistry, at 64.9%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Doctoral degree | 64.9% |
| Master’s degree | 14.6% |
| Post-doctoral training | 5.6% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 5.3% |
| Some college courses | 5.1% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 3.7% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 0.8% |
Source: O*NET Online.
2 occupations are related to Dentistry, with an average median salary of $102,132; the strongest outlook belongs to Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary, at 10.7% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Public Health Dentist, Dentist, Dental Surgery Doctor (DDS) and Pediatric Dentist.
The occupation related to dentistry with the most projected jobs is Dentists, General, at 2,950,097.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Dentists, General | 2,950,097 | 1.1% |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,335,407 | 10.7% |
Dentistry graduates earn a median $116,673 one year after completing their program, $172,476 after four years and $156,915 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $116,673 |
| 4 years | $172,476 |
| 5 years | $156,915 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The same occupation is also the highest-paying one related to dentistry, with a median salary of $157,602.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Dentists, General | $157,602 |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $46,663 |
Dentistry includes 1 concentration; by graduates, the largest is Dentistry (7,062). It has 30 similar majors in the Health Professions field, which together award 1,030,398 degrees a year; the largest are Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (318,053), Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants (110,132) and Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (98,474). Browse all Health Professions majors or the full list of college majors.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Dentistry | 7,062 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
