Women Are a Majority of New Entrants to U.S. Dental Schools

A new report by researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and the American Dental Education Association finds an increase in women applicants to U.S. dental schools and an increase in women enrollments. The data shows that in the past four years, the number of women applying to dental school has increased while the number of male applicants has declined.

In 2014, 5,925 men applied to U.S. dental schools, the lowest number since 2004. That year, 5,686 women applied to dental schools. The number of women applying to U.S. dental schools has increased by 82 percent since 2000. During the same period male applicants to dental schools increased by 27.8 percent.

In 2014, women made up 51.2 percent of all new enrollees at U.S. dental schools. There were four dental schools where women made up 60 percent or more of new enrollments.

The report, “U.S. Dental School Applicants and Enrollees, 2014 Entering Class,” was published in the November issue of the Journal of Dental Education. It may be accessed here.