Top 10 Cheapest Dental Schools of 2025

Dentistry is ranked as one of the best jobs in America.It’s a great career path that many of our clients choose.However, dental school tuition can be expensive.The typical dental school graduates we consult with have around $400,000 in student loan debt.

That amount would be much lower had they looked into lower-cost dental schools.If you’re considering this career path, here’s a list of the cheapest dental schools.Methodology for the cheapest dental schools To create our list of the cheapest dental schools, we analyzed the most recent data from the 2023-2024 ADA Health Policy Institute findings.As we analyzed the survey results, we were interested in the total cost for dentists.

This includes dental school tuition, fees, supplies and health services.The list also includes a breakdown of annual resident tuition costs.Top 10 cheapest dental schools for residents 10.University of Tennessee College of Dentistry Total cost (four years): $184,584 Annual tuition (first year): $30,844 9.

University of Kentucky Total cost (four years): $185,862 Annual tuition (first year): $36,168 8.University of Oklahoma Total cost (four years): $173,506 Annual tuition (first year): $29,868 7.University of Mississippi Total cost (four years): $167,494 Annual tuition (first year): $34,600 6.Texas A&M University Total cost (four years): $161,711 Annual tuition (first year): $28,584 5.

University of Alabama Total cost (four years): $159,455 Annual tuition (first year): $31,902 4.East Carolina University Total cost (four years): $157,962 Annual tuition (first year): $31,444 3.University of Texas (UT) Health Science Center at San Antonio Total cost (four years): $148,786 Annual tuition (first year): $29,550 2.Augusta University Total cost (four years): $142,900 Annual tuition (first year): $26,344 1.

University of Puerto Rico Total cost (four years): $98,378 Annual tuition (first year): $17,000 Private vs.public dental schools As you look at the list, you’ll notice that all of these universities are public schools.In general, public schools cost less than private schools.You won’t find a private school on the list until you get down to Howard University at No.

25.Howard University has a total four-year cost of $244,470.The University of Puerto Rico is by far the cheapest dental school.In fact, it ranked No.

1 on our list of the cheapest medical schools, too.Residents of Texas have several inexpensive dental school options with three schools in the top 15 overall.Top 10 cheapest dental schools for non-residents 10.Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) School of Dental Medicine Total cost (four years): $289,441 9.

Meharry Medical College Total cost (four years): $287,441 8.University of Texas at Houston Total cost (four years): $272,654 7.Howard University Total cost (four years): $244,470 6.Southern Illinois University Total cost (four years): $215,587 5.

Texas A&M University Total cost (four years): $204,911 4.UT Health Science Center at San Antonio Total cost (four years): $191,986 3.University of Puerto Rico Total cost (four years): $181,678 2.University of Mississippi Total cost (four years): $167,494 1.

East Carolina University Total cost (four years): $157,962 Going to school in your own state of residence is often the cheapest option.But if you’re looking outside of your state, there are great dental school options on this list.Many of the same schools made both the resident and non-resident lists.Also note that several private schools also made our list of cheapest dental schools for non-residents: Howard University, Meharry Medical College and LECOM School of Dental Medicine.

Cheapest private dental schools 5.Temple University Resident total cost (four years): $303,915 Non-resident total cost (four years): $341,947 4.LECOM School of Dental Medicine Resident total cost (four years): $289,306 Non-resident total cost (four years): $289,306 3.Meharry Medical College Resident total cost (four years): $284,055 Non-resident total cost (four years): $287,441 2.

Marquette University Resident total cost (four years): $258,820 Non-resident total cost (four years): $293,580 1.Howard University Resident total cost (four years): $244,470 Non-resident total cost (four years): $244,470 As we analyzed private dental schools, the five schools listed above stood out as the cheapest program options overall.Considering the most expensive private school program is more than $450,000 for four years, these schools are cost-effective options if you’re looking for a private school education.Most expensive dental schools Keep in mind this does not include living expenses.

Otherwise, NYU dental might top the list.5.Midwestern University — Glendale, Arizona Campus Resident (four years): $440,032 Non-resident (four years): $440,032 4.New York University Resident (four years): $443,232 Non-resident (four years): $443,232 3.

Tufts University Resident (four years): $445,506 Non-resident (four years): $445,506 2.Midwestern University — Downers Grove, Illinois Campus Resident (four years): $450,169 Non-resident (four years): $450,169 1.University of Southern California Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry Resident (four years): $468,939 Non-resident (four years): $468,939 If you’re looking to graduate from dental school with the smallest amount of debt possible, these schools are not for you.For most private dental schools, there’s no difference in cost for if you’re a resident or not.

The University of the Pacific (no longer listed in top No.5) stands out as one of the few dental schools in the U.S.that offers a three-year Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) program.The scary thing about dental school debt is that published dental school costs might not even be correct.

It’s possible that you could finish school with more debt than what’s listed in this survey.How to repay dental school loans No matter where you end up going to dental school, most likely you’ll graduate with a large amount of student loan debt.Dental school tuition fees are high, but there are a lot of extra costs that create more debt.When it comes to the best way to repay your loans, there’s no perfect answer.

The right choice for you could be the worst one for someone else.However, you do have repayment options to consider.Income driven-repayment plans If you have big debt from federal student loans, it might make sense to sign up for one of the four income-driven repayment (IDR) plans available: Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE), formerly REPAYE Income-Based Repayment (IBR) Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) On each of these plans, borrowers pay 10% to 20% of their discretionary income.After 20 to 25 years of payments (depending on the plan), your remaining balance will be forgiven.

Note that unlike Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), IDR loan forgiveness isn’t tax-free.This forgiveness is considered disposable income and is taxable.If you go this route, it’s smart to set aside extra money so you’re ready when your loan balance is forgiven.This is an especially good strategy if your debt is large in relation to your income.

Private loans for dental school If you’re attending one of the lower-cost dental schools, you may find that private student loans are the way to go.Normally, we’d advise against this.But because these schools cost less, it's possible that you could score a much lower interest rate with a private loan, depending on the specific program you gain admission to.If you go down this road, check out our private loan page for cash-back bonuses, which will put some of that money back in your pocket.

Refinance your dental school loans If your debt-to-income ratio is moderate, it might be smart to refinance your dental school loans.By doing this, you can cut thousands of dollars of interest payments off your loans and get them paid off faster.Keep in mind that when you refinance, your federal loans will turn into private loans.This means you’ll lose access to loan forgiveness, IDR plans and other federal protections.

Make sure you don’t need these programs before refinancing.Get help with a loan repayment plan If you’ve already taken on student loans to pay for dental school tuition but aren’t sure of the best way to pay them off, let us help.We’ve consulted on over $4.3 billion in student debt and have seen people’s lives change by coming up with a more effective repayment plan.A quick investment of your time and a one-time fee could potentially lead to thousands in savings and fewer headaches related to your debt.

Book a consultation today.If you're thinking about attending dental school and are concerned about graduating with massive six-figure debt, we’d love to help you.Our pre-debt consult will ease some of the stress and anxiety you’re feeling.We’ll work together to create a custom loan repayment plan that makes sense for you and your long-term goals.