Dental Schools in California
7 DDS/DMD dental programs in our catalogue for California. Compare DAT score requirements, GPA profiles, in-state preference and AADSAS application strategy.
About California: Pop. ~39.0M; Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, and Sacramento each host world-class academic medical centres. California has 18 LCME-accredited medical schools — more than any other state.
In-state context: Private schools (Stanford, USC Keck, Loma Linda) admit nationally with no in-state preference. UC schools (UCSF, UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Riverside) have strong in-state preference; out-of-state acceptance is approximately 5–10% at most UC programs. Western University of Health Sciences (DO) and Touro University (DO) admit broadly from the West.
Major health systems: Kaiser Permanente · Dignity Health · Sutter Health · UCSF Health · Cedars-Sinai Medical Center · UCLA Health · Keck Medicine of USC
DDS vs DMD — what is the difference?
Both DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) and DMD (Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry / Doctor of Dental Medicine) are equivalent degrees. The title used depends solely on the university, not on any difference in training, scope of practice, or licensure. All CODA-accredited programs lead to the same dental licence. Applications go through AADSAS (ADEA) for most schools. The DAT (Dental Admission Test) is required by virtually all programs.
7 Dental Programs in California
- UCSF School of Dentistry (DDS)
San Francisco, CA
The UCSF School of Dentistry, founded in 1881, is consistently ranked among the top dental schools in the United States and is the leading public dental school in California. Located on the UCSF Parnassus Heights campus in San Francisco, the school is deeply integrated with UCSF's world-class medical and health sciences research enterprise. UCSF Dentistry produces academic dental leaders and innovative clinician-scientists.
DDS5.0% acceptance - UCLA School of Dentistry (DDS)
Los Angeles, CA
UCLA School of Dentistry, founded in 1964, is one of the top-ranked dental schools in the United States and part of UCLA Health — a major academic medical centre in Los Angeles. Located on the UCLA main campus in Westwood, the school is renowned for its research programmes in craniofacial biology, dental public health, and digital dentistry. The school serves one of the most diverse patient populations in the country through its main clinic and affiliated community health sites across Los Angeles.
DDS5.0% acceptanceStrong in-state pref. - California Northstate University College of Dental Medicine (DMD)
Elk Grove, CA
California Northstate University College of Dental Medicine (CNU CDM), which admitted its charter DMD class in 2022, is a private for-profit dental school located in Elk Grove in the Sacramento Valley, California. CNU CDM was established with a mission to train dentists to serve the diverse communities of Northern California, particularly underserved areas of the Sacramento region and Central Valley. The school benefits from co-location with CNU's College of Medicine, pharmacy, and health sciences programmes, enabling interprofessional education experiences.
DMD5.5% acceptance - Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC (DDS)
Los Angeles, CA
The Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC, founded in 1897, is one of the oldest and largest dental schools in the western United States, located on the USC Health Sciences campus in Los Angeles. USC Ostrow is a private dental school known for its state-of-the-art simulation facilities, strong specialty residency placements, large clinical volume, and active research enterprise. The school benefits from its position within USC's major research university ecosystem and its Los Angeles location, which provides access to one of the most diverse patient populations in the country.
DDS5.0% acceptance - Loma Linda University School of Dentistry (DDS)
Loma Linda, CA
Loma Linda University School of Dentistry, founded in 1953, is a private Seventh-day Adventist dental school located in Loma Linda, California. Known for its whole-person health philosophy, global health mission, and strong specialty programmes, Loma Linda Dentistry trains dentists with a dual emphasis on clinical excellence and humanitarian service. The school has one of the most active international dental mission programmes of any US dental school, sending student teams to underserved communities globally. Loma Linda's Inland Empire location provides access to a large, diverse patient population.
DDS5.5% acceptance - University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry (DDS)
San Francisco, CA
The University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, founded in 1896, is one of the most respected private dental schools in the United States, located in San Francisco, California. Dugoni is particularly known for its accelerated 3-year DDS programme — one of the few three-year dental programmes in the US — which allows students to complete their degree in three calendar years rather than four. The school has a strong culture of humanism in dental education, emphasising the student experience, faculty mentorship, and a collaborative rather than competitive environment.
DDS6.0% acceptance - Western University College of Dental Medicine (DMD)
Pomona, CA
Western University College of Dental Medicine (WesternU CDM), founded in 2009, is a private dental school located at the Western University of Health Sciences Pomona campus in the Inland Empire, California. WesternU CDM is designed as an interprofessional health sciences dental programme — dental students learn alongside osteopathic medical students, pharmacy students, nurses, and other health professionals from the first year. The school emphasises whole-person health care and prepares graduates for collaborative, team-based practice environments.
DMD6.0% acceptance
Applying to dental school in California?
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