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School Statistics

Iowa

Admissions Statistics for Iowa Dental School Requirement

Background Information

  • Location: Iowa City, IA
  • Location: Iowa City, IA
  • Campus Setting: Urban
  • Dental Doctoral Degree:Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S)
  • Mission Statement: “To educate dentists for Iowa and beyond through excellence in patient care, education, and research.”
  • Year Opened:1882
  • Number of Months to Earn Degree: 48
  • Campus Housing Available: Yes
  • Class Size: 80
  • Term Type: Semester

Combined degrees offered:

B.A./B.S.
M.B.A.
M.P.H.
M.S.
Ph.D.
Other Degrees

International Dental Graduate Programs:

Traditional Predoctoral Program for IDGs
Advanced Standing Program for IDGs
Yes
Yes

Admissions Statistics: (2023 Applicant and Entering Class Data)

  • Mean Age of First-Time, First-Year Enrollees: 23

Acceptance Rates by Location:

Number of Applicants
Number of Enrollees
Enrollment Rate
Overall
1069
78
7.30%
In-State
101
54
53.47%
Out-State
944
24
2.54%
International
24
0
0%

Class Breakdown by Residency:

Number of Enrollees
Percentage of Incoming Class
In-State
54
69.23%
Out-State
24
30.77%
International
0
0%

Academic Averages for Acceptance:

DAT Academic Average
DAT Perceptual Ability
Cumulative GPA
Science GPA
21.3
21.3
3.71
3.61

Range of Academic Averages for Acceptance:

5th Percentile of Enrollees
95th Percentile of Enrollees
DAT Academic Average
18
25
Cumulative GPA
3.21
4.00
Science GPA
2.96
4.00

Prerequisites

Preferred
Strongly Preferred
Required
Baccalaureate is:

Required Coursework:

Required Course
Credits (Semesters/Quarters)
Required Lab
Biology
8/12
Inorganic Chemistry
8/12
Organic Chemistry
8/12
Physics
8/12
Biochemistry
3/5
Electives
Must meet undergraduate requirements
  • Recommended courses include: Anatomy, Cell Biology, Histology, Immunology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology/Genetics, Physiology, Zoology, Mathematics, and other upper-level biology courses

Community College Coursework and Advanced Placement Credit:

Prerequisites
Electives
AP Credit Accepted
Yes
Yes
Community College Coursework Accepted
Yes
Yes

Maximum number of Community College Credit Hours:

  •  60

Required Shadowing Hours:

  • Shadowing is strongly recommended, but not required.

Letters of Recommendation: 

  • Three letters are required, but four are accepted. The letters can be from individuals of the applicant’s choice, but instructors, dentists, academic advisors, and employers are typical.

Dental Admissions Test Requirements:

Mandatory DAT
Canadian DAT Accepted?
Applicants Evaluated Before Official DAT Submission?
DAT Score Considered
Yes
Yes
No
Only most recent score

Supplemental Information:

Participation in ADEA AADSAS
Required Supplemental Application
Supplemental Application Fee
Yes
Yes
Yes: $60 for in and out of state applicants. $100 for international applicants.

Interview Format

  • Closed-file 2-on-one panel interviews. Mostly in person with limited virtual options available.

Finances and Application Logistics

Financial Estimations for students starting Fall 2024:

Year
In-State Tuition
Out-State Tuition
Additional Fees
Estimated Living Expenses
D1
$51,689
$76,827
$11,975
$20,976
D2
$51,689
$76,827
$11,975
$20,976
D3
$51,689
$76,827
$11,975
$20,976
D4
$51,689
$76,827
$11,975
$20,976

University Offerings

1. Academic Offerings 

  • Pre-Dental Opportunities
    • Summer Health Professions Program
    • Iowa American Student Summer Dental Association Summer Academy
    • The Hawkeye Pre-Dental Experience
  • Research
    • University of Iowa was ranked 10th in the country for the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research funding in 2020
    • The Dental Student Research Program allows over 40 dental students to participate in research each year. 
    • Students have the opportunity to be first authors on the publications of their own research projects.
    • Research opportunities may be clinical or translational

2. Clinical Experiences

  • Clinical Curriculum Overview
    • D1: Students learn basic sciences along with an introduction to clinical experiences.
    • D2: Students continue basic science and technical skill courses. Clinical patient treatment begins this year.
    • D3: Students rotate through a series of clerkships encompassing all of the clinical disciplines.
    • D4: Students deliver comprehensive patient care and participate in extramural programs throughout the Midwest. 
  • Postdoctoral and Residency Programs
    • Post-doc specialty  Programs:
      • Dental Public Health
      • Endodontics
      • General Practice
      • Geriatric and Special Needs
      • Operative Dentistry residency
      • Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
      • Oral Pathology, Radiology, and Medicine
      • Orthodontics
      • Oral Science
      • Pediatric Dentistry
      • Periodontics
      • Prosthodontics
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