How we compile this directory
We publish a complete, neutral directory of the accredited U.S. dental schools — the schools that award the predoctoral dental degree (DDS or DMD). This page explains who we are, where our facts come from, how we compile and check the directory, and how we stay independent.
Who’s behind this site
List of Dental Schools is an independent publisher operated by VentureCorp Publishing. We are not a dental school, and we are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any school, the American Dental Association, or the Commission on Dental Accreditation. We do not rank schools and we do not promote any single program.
Our audience is prospective and pre-dental students who want accurate, plain-English facts about their options. Every school we list is a real, accredited U.S. dental school — none are invented.
Where our data comes from
| Data | Source | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| School names, parent university, city & state | American Dental Association (ADA) & ADEA | The canonical name, location, and parent institution for each school listing |
| Accreditation status (predoctoral DDS/DMD programs) | Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) — the U.S. dental accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education | Deciding which schools belong in the directory (CODA-accredited predoctoral programs only) |
| Public vs. private control | U.S. Department of Education IPEDS | The public/private classification shown on each school and comparison page |
| Degree awarded (DDS or DMD) & founding year | The ADA/ADEA school directories and each school’s own published history | The degree label and founding-era facts used across the directory and our data study |
The DDS and DMD are equivalent degrees with the same curriculum requirements, accreditation, and licensing exams; which one a school awards is a naming choice, not a difference in training.
How we calculate
We track the predoctoral programs accredited by CODA — the schools that award the entry-level DDS or DMD. For each school we record eight fields: a URL slug, the school name, the parent university, the campus city, the state, public/private control, the degree awarded, and the founding year. We do not estimate or interpolate any of these; each value comes from the sources above.
Newly accredited and applicant programs change over time, so we periodically reconcile our list against the CODA program search and the ADA/ADEA directories, add schools as they reach accreditation, and correct any field that has changed. Our aggregate figures — counts by state, region, public/private split, DDS/DMD breakdown, and founding era — are computed directly from this dataset, so they always match the listings you can browse on the site.
How we compare partners
Our comparison pages present neutral, factual attributes (public/private, degree, founding year, parent university) side by side. We never sell placement, and a school’s position is never for sale. We do not rank schools as ‘best’ or ‘worst.’
Independence & how we make money
List of Dental Schools is free to read. We help prospective students get matched with dental and pre-dental program options, and we may earn a commission from education partners linked on this site, at no extra cost to you. This never changes the facts we show you, the schools we include, or how we present them. Affiliate relationships do not buy a listing, a ranking, or favorable wording — every accredited school is listed on the same neutral terms whether or not a partner is involved. Outbound links to schools and source bodies (ADA, CODA, ADEA, IPEDS) are reference links, not paid placements.
Keeping it current
Accreditation is not static: schools gain accreditation, change their degree branding, or update campus details. We re-check the directory against CODA and the ADA/ADEA listings on a recurring basis and date each review. The ‘last reviewed’ date below reflects the most recent pass. Because details can change between reviews, we ask readers to confirm current admissions requirements, costs, and accreditation directly with each school and with CODA before relying on anything here.
Corrections
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