Nearly two-thirds of dental school applicants were accepted in 1980 compared to less than 60% in 2023, according to data from the American Dental Association.
The data compared the percentage of applicants who were accepted into dental school in 1980, 1990, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020 and 2023.
The highest acceptance percentage was 72.4% in 1990 and the lowest percentage was 41.2% in 2010.
Here is the percentage of dental school applicants accepted since 1980:
1980: 66.5%
1990: 72.4%
2000: 54.5%
2005: 42.5%
2010: 41.2%
2015: 50.4%
2020: 57.1%
2023: 58.6%