WesternU (WesternU CDM)
Western University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine
Western University of Health Sciences
School Information
Mission Statement
WesternU CDM strives to educate diverse, competent, and socially responsible oral health professionals who provide high quality, evidence-based care to patients, families, and communities.
International Student Programs
Other Paths:
- Doctor of Dental Medicine – International (DMD-IDP) - An advanced standing program for dentists with a degree from a foreign school; includes a 10-week intensive preparatory course before students join the final two years of the predoctoral curriculum.
Degree Requirements
Coursework Requirements
| Subject | Credits (Sem) | Lab Required | Min Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| biology | 8 | Yes | C |
| general chem | 8 | Yes | C |
| organic chem | 8 | Yes | C |
| physics | 8 | Yes | C |
| english | 6 | Unknown | C |
Credit Policies
Experience Requirements
Letters of Recommendation
Required Types:
- science professor (2)
- other (1)
Test Requirements
Application Logistics
Admissions Cycle
2024-2025
Mean Age
25
Class Size
70
GPA Statistics
Cumulative GPA
3.47
Science GPA
3.38
DAT Scores
Primary Scores
Academic Average
20.0
Total Science
19.8
PAT
20.0
Entering Class Percentile Ranges
Reported 5th, median, and 95th percentile values for the entering class. Missing points were not reported.
DAT Academic Average
Entering-class percentile
- 5th
- 17
- 50th
- 20
- 95th
- 23
Lower
Median
Upper
Cumulative GPA
Entering-class percentile
- 5th
- 2.88
- 50th
- 3.47
- 95th
- 3.91
Lower
Median
Upper
Science GPA
Entering-class percentile
- 5th
- 2.79
- 50th
- 3.38
- 95th
- 3.93
Lower
Median
Upper
Applicants & Enrollees
| Category | Applicants | Enrollees | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| overall | 2,544 | 70 | 2.8% |
| in state | 1,047 | 54 | 5.2% |
| out of_state | 1,381 | 16 | 1.2% |
| international | 116 | 0 | - |
Class Composition
Out-of-State Enrollee Origins
Home states represented by enrolled students from outside the school's local state.
16 students reported
Academic Year
2026-2027
Tuition & Fees (Program Total, In-State)
$450,347
Cost by Program Year
Detailed Cost Breakdown
| Year | In-State Tuition | Out-of-State | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| D1 | $98,950 | $98,950 | $13,518 |
| D2 | $98,950 | $98,950 | $13,518 |
| D3 | $98,950 | $98,950 | $13,518 |
| D4 | $98,950 | $98,950 | $13,993 |
| Total (4 Years) | $395,800 | $395,800 | $54,547 |
Research Opportunities
Research Themes:
Clinical Experiences
A student-centered, humanistic, and interprofessional curriculum that features early direct patient care beginning in the first two years and continues through intensive community-based rotations in the final two years.
Clinical Rotations:
- WesternU Health sites - Clinical training at university sites in Pomona and Rancho Mirage (We Care Dental).
- School-Based Oral Health Centers (SBOHC) - Includes sites like Village@Indian Hill, Mendoza Center, and Palomares Academy of Health Sciences.
- Community-Based Dental Education (CBDE) Network - Rotations at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), nonprofit community clinics, and Indian Health Services sites across the West Coast.
Postdoctoral Programs
- Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD)