Dental Schools in Florida

Key Takeaways:

There are only 3 dental schools in Florida: LECOM, NOVA Southeastern University, and the University of Florida.
Dental school takes 4 years to complete, but students can pursue advanced dentistry programs, which usually take an additional 1 to 3 years.
Applicants should have a strong GPA and high DAT scores to improve admission chances.

According to the American Student Dental Association (ASDA), there are 66 accredited dental schools throughout the United States, with three dental schools in Florida. These include:

The LECOM School of Dental Medicine
NOVA Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine
The University of Florida College of Dentistry.

In this article, we’ve covered what you need to know about dental school, how you can apply, and highlighted some key facts about these three institutions.

What Is Dental School?

Students wishing to become dentists go to dental schools. The post-graduate program lasts about 4 years, though select institutions offer accelerated 3-year programs. The first 2 years are dedicated to biological sciences, including anatomy, microbiology, oral pathology, and pharmacology, among others. The third and fourth years focus on clinical study, patient care, and practice management.

Those who finish dental school receive either a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry or Dental Medicine (DMD). Dentists then need to take the Integrated National Board Dental Examination and get a state license in order to practice.

Dentists may choose to continue their education for another 1 to 3 years and specialize in:

Anesthesiology
Endodontics
Oral and maxillofacial pathology
Oral and maxillofacial radiology
Oral and maxillofacial surgery
Oral medicine
Orofacial pain
Orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics
Pediatric dentistry
Periodontics
Prosthodontics
Public health

How Do You Apply for Dental School?

Overall, only about 53.8% of applicants were accepted to at least one dental school and enrolled in 2024, according to the American Dental Education Association (ADEA). Individual schools have much lower acceptance rates. For example, the University of Florida Dental School only accepts approximately 4.4% of applicants.

Here are some steps you can follow to apply for dental school:

1. Take the Prerequisites

For any dental school, you need to complete specific undergraduate courses, including two semesters each of biology with lab, general chemistry with lab, organic chemistry with lab, and physics with lab. Specific dental schools might require additional courses, such as anatomy or biochemistry.

Some 4-year colleges offer pre-dentistry programs. As with pre-med, it’s not a major, but rather a collection of courses that cover common prerequisites. They can even help you prepare for the Dental Admissions Test (DAT).

In addition, you also have to have a solid GPA. In 2024, the average applicant GPA was a 3.53, or a 3.42 in science courses. Those accepted had a 3.67 average GPA, or a 3.59 in science. And each year, the mean gets higher!

2. Take the DAT

All students have to take the DAT to enroll in dental school. Multiple choice, it covers natural sciences, perceptual ability, reading comprehension, and quantitative reasoning. You can take the test more than once, but you have to ask for permission to retake the exam more than 3 times.

Previously, the DAT was scored 1-30. However, a new scoring system was introduced in March 2025, and scores now range from 200 to 600.

For example, the Academic Average mean was 21 for accepted dental applicants in 2024. This converts to a 440 on the new scale.

3. Start Early

You should apply to dental school a year before you intend to enroll. Applications open in June for the following year, but institutions often use rolling admissions. The earlier you apply, the more likely you’ll be accepted. Each dental school has its own deadlines.

In addition to a strong undergraduate GPA and DAT score, your application should also show job shadowing, leadership roles, community service, research experience, and extracurriculars. You likely will also need to submit letters of evaluation, similar to letters of recommendation, and attend an interview.

There are three dental schools in Florida, all located in Central or South Florida.

LECOM SCHOOL OF DENTAL MEDICINE

The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) offers a DMD degree. Students will complete the first three years at the Bradenton campus, in the Tampa area, before heading to one of the school’s dental clinics in DeFuniak Springs or Erie, Pennsylvania.

The school recommends that applicants have a science and overall GPA above a 3.2. LECOM also stated that competitive candidates scored an 18 or higher on the old DAT scoring system.

Applicants should take courses in Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, and English, but the institution strongly suggests taking anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and physics, too. They also recommend at least 100 hours of job shadowing.

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE

The NOVA Southeastern University (NSU) College of Dental Medicine, located in Ft. Lauderdale, also offers a DMD degree. The first two years cover fundamentals, while the last two are dedicated to rotations and advanced study. In general, the courses focus on Patient Care Foundations, Clinical Practice of Dentistry, Public Health and Primary Care, and Human Biology and Disease.

NSC also has several postdoctoral programs for dentists, which take 1 to 4 years to complete. Some options include Endodontics, Advanced Education in General Dentistry, and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Applicants should have an overall and science GPA of 3.25 or higher.

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY

The University of Florida (UF), College of Dentistry, is in Gainesville. Students can earn a DMD or pursue the DMD-PH.D. combined degree program. The institution states that they had a 100% first-attempt board pass for DMD and specialty programs.

Although the school doesn’t have a specific minimum GPA for applicants, they do require specific DAT scores. For example, students must have a 330 or higher Academic Average and a 350 or higher on General Chemistry.

A few advanced programs UF offers include Endodontics, Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, and Advanced Education in General Dentistry. Some of these programs take place outside Gainesville and take up to 6 years to complete.

Should You Go to Dental School?

If you have a strong interest in healthcare, dental school might be for you! It requires strong science skills, dexterity, and dedication to your education. With your bachelor’s degree, you’re looking at least 8 years of higher education. You could take longer if you pursue an advanced program.

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