As the dental industry continues to expand, so do the places where it all begins — dental schools.
Below are four U.S. dental school trends to know, per the American Dental Education Association and American Dental Association.
Four U.S. dental school trends to know:
1. The number of U.S. dental schools steadily increased from the 1950s to the 1980s. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a wave of closures occurred. However, since 1997, there has been a net gain of 13 dental schools, with 67 currently open. Eleven of those new schools have opened since 2008.
2. In 1980, 66.5 percent of U.S. dental school applicants were accepted, compared to 57.1 percent in 2020.
3. The percentage of first-year students identifying as female and/or an underrepresented minority enrolled in dental school nearly doubled during the 1980s. Since 1990, the percentage of female students has risen at a slower pace, while the percentage of underrepresented minority students has fluctuated. In 2018, female dental students outnumbered male students for the first time, and continued to increase in the two years following.
4. First-year enrollment has increased nearly every year since 1990. Much, though not all, of the surge has been driven by new schools opening.