Dental · DDS/DMD

University of Southern California dental school (DDS): cost, class size and admission

University of Southern California is on the CODA list with the status Approval without Reporting Requirements, next accreditation visit 2030. The program reports a class size of 144. IPEDS counts 180 dental degrees conferred by the institution in 2024-25.

Los Angeles, CA CODA: Approval without Reporting Requirements, next review 2030 Checked Oct 2026

Listed by CODA as: Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of the University of Southern California

University of Southern California at a glance

Source: the school's own pages, IPEDS, CODA list
Class size
144Program page, Class of 2030
Dental degrees conferred
180IPEDS, 2024-25
CODA status
Approval without Reporting RequirementsNext visit 2030
Program length
Not published

INBDE results are not published by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations.

Cost, size and outcomes

  • Cost of attendanceProgram pageNot published
  • Class sizeProgram page, Class of 2030144
  • Dental degrees conferred by the institutionIPEDS completions, 2024-25 (provisional), CIP 51.0401180
  • Median earnings, 1 year after completionCollege Scorecard, Dentistry, first professional degree, graduates of 2020-21 and 2021-22$93,656
  • Median earnings, 4 years after completionCollege Scorecard, Dentistry, first professional degree, graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19$123,341
  • Median federal loan debtCollege Scorecard, Dentistry, first professional degreeNot published
  • General dentists, median wage, CaliforniaBLS OEWS, May 2025, context only$165,950

What it asks of applicants

  • Application service and deadlineAs the program states it, check the program's pageADEA AADSAS · February 1
  • Minimum overall GPANot published
  • Program lengthNot published
  • Program startsNot published
  • Admission testAs the program states it, Date not statedDAT required; applicants are required to take the DAT
  • Prerequisite coursesAs the program states it, Date not statedGeneral biology, general physics, inorganic/general chemistry, organic chemistry (each lecture and lab, 1 year); English composition (1 year); philosophy, history or fine arts (1 year)

Accreditation

  • StatusCODA list, fetched 2026-10-28Approval without Reporting Requirements
  • Last accreditation visit2023
  • Next accreditation review2030
  • Program websiteVisit

Nearby dental schools

What the numbers say

The Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry counts 144 members in its class of 2030. In 2024-25 the university conferred 180 dental degrees, according to IPEDS. INBDE pass rates by school are not published by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, so this page carries no board exam figure for USC. Applicants use ADEA AADSAS, and USC gives February 1 as the AADSAS deadline without naming a cycle, so check the program's page before planning around it. Every applicant must take the DAT, and the required sciences are a year each of general biology, general physics, inorganic or general chemistry and organic chemistry, all with lab. A year of English composition and a year of philosophy, history or fine arts complete the list. The Commission on Dental Accreditation status is Approval without Reporting Requirements, based on a 2023 site visit, with the next review due in 2030. College Scorecard puts median earnings at $93,656 1 year after completion for graduates of USC's dentistry program who finished in 2020-21 and 2021-22. Among graduates of the same program who finished in 2017-18 and 2018-19, the College Scorecard median 4 years after completion was $123,341. The BLS median wage for dentists across California was $165,950 in May 2025.

Sources

  1. Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA): Search for Dental Programs, predoctoral (DDS/DMD) programs (JavaScript page, rendered), fetched 28 Oct 2026
  2. dentistry.usc.edu: Doctor of Dental Surgery DDS - Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC, fetched 29 Oct 2026
  3. National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Completions, awards by program and award level, 2024-25 (provisional release), 21 Jul 2026, fetched 26 Oct 2026
  4. U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data, 15 Oct 2026, fetched 26 Oct 2026
  5. Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE): INBDE results are reported to candidates and their schools; pass rates by school are not published
  6. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, state estimates, May 2025, 15 May 2026, fetched 26 Oct 2026