This is the most comprehensive and accurate information that can be found on the internet regarding the admission requirements for each of the 10 dental schools in Canada for the 2024 application cycle. Every year 25% of applications to dental schools are rejected because not all the requirements are met.
The admission requirements are similar between the different dental schools and are categorized here in the priority of what an applicant must submit to be considered:
Each dental school in Canada has different requirements within each of the above categories.
This blog post compares and contrasts the dental school admission requirements for all 10 dental schools in Canada in one place to help you determine which school is the best fit for you. It will also help guide your undergraduate studies by helping you to figure out which courses you should be taking.
If you would like an in-depth analysis of the dental school requirements for a specific dental school in Canada including average admitted GPA and DAT scores as well as detailed information about the interview, autobiographical sketch, and admissions weighting statistics, click on the links below:
All students applying to each of the Canadian dental schools must meet certain prerequisite course requirements. The number in the box represents the length of study for each prerequisite (0.5 indicates a half-course and 1 indicates a full course).
| Prerequisite Course | UofT | UWO | UofA | UofM | UBC | UofS | Laval | McGill | UdeM | Dal |
| Organic Chemistry | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | |
| General Chemistry | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Biology | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Physics | 1 | 1 | 1.5 | 1 | 1.5 | 1 | ||||
| Biochemistry | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | |||
| Physiology | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Life Science | 2 | |||||||||
| MicroBiology | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | |||||||
| Nutrition | 0.5 | |||||||||
| Humanities or Social Sciences | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||
| Writing Course | 1 | |||||||||
| English | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| Statistics | 0.5 | |||||||||
| Mathematics | 1 | 1 |
Each dental school requires that you take each prerequisite course for a certain number of credits. Some dental schools only require a half-year course, others require a full year (2 half-year courses) course of study.
| UofT | UWO | UofA | UofM | UBC | UofS | Laval | McGill | UdeM | Dal | |
| Minimum Years of Undergrad Study | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| Minimum GPA to apply | 3.0 | 3.7 | 3.0 | N/R | 2.8 | 3.0 | N/R | N/R | N/R | N/R |
| Average GPA of accepted students | 3.94 | 3.9 | 3.87 | 3.92* | N/R | 3.7 | N/R | 3.82 | N/R | N/R |
| Lowest GPA Admitted | 3.85 | N/R | 3.74 | N/R | N/R | 3.3 | N/R | N/R | N/R | N/R |
N/R means the information is Not Released by the University
* University of Manitoba uses a 4.5 GPA scale
If you’re looking for tricks to improve your undergraduate grades check out our post on the top study habits to get maximum grades in minimum time!
| UofT | UWO | UofA | UofM | UBC | UofS | Laval | McGill | UdeM | Dal | |
| CASPer Required | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||
| DAT Required | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| U.S. DAT Accepted | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| Mean Academic Average Score | 22.0 | 21.0 | N/R | 20.6 | N/R | 19.0 | N/R | N/R | N/R | N/R |
| Mean Perceptual Ability Test | 21.0 | 20.0 | 22.1 | 21.1 | N/R | 19.6 | N/R | N/R | N/R | N/R |
Students looking to test their knowledge in preparation for the DAT can click on this link to access our free practice tests for both the Canadian DAT and American DAT. For those looking for DAT prep courses, we recommend those offered by the Princeton Review. They are a reputable long standing company that offers a variety of different course options to meet individual needs.
Each university has different deadlines for CASPer and DAT submissions. Use the links at the bottom of this post to access specific information on the University you are looking to apply to.
| UofT | UWO | UofA | UofM | UBC | UofS | Laval | McGill | UdeM | Dal |
| Autobiographical Sketch Required | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| MMI Interview | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| Traditional Interview | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
All dental schools in Canada require an interview in their admission process, which is granted to the most qualified applicants. There are two main types of interviews, multi-mini interviews and traditional interviews. If you are looking for interview practice check out our posts on both MMI Practice Questions and Standard Interview Practice Questions.
Some Universities require specific autobiographical sketches, with their own unique questions, to be completed by applicants.
Every dental school weighs each section of your application differently when making the final admission decisions. This will play a large role in your application process and should be taken into consideration. All this information can be found above in any of the links listed for the university you are interested in.
If you would like an in-depth view of the dental school requirements for a specific dental school in Canada, including average admitted GPA and DAT scores as well as detailed information about the interview, autobiographical sketch, and admissions weighting statistics, click on the links below:
For those interested in applying for Canadian medical schools check out our page on the requirements for medical schools in Canada.
The lowest GPA admitted to a dental school in Canada ranges 3.3-3.7 depending on which school. To get in with a low GPA the other aspects of the application must be exceptional. A competitive GPA for admission, which is the average GPA of admitted students, is between 3.7-3.95 depending on the school.
Math is not a requirement for admission for most dental schools in Canada. However, two dental schools: Université Laval and Université de Montréal do require university level math as a prerequisite. Both of these Universities are French-speaking.
In 2020 there were approximately 4,000 applicants to all dental schools in Canada combined for 523 spots.
The admission requirements are similar between the different dental schools: prerequisite courses, GPA requirements, DAT and CASPer testing, as well as interviews and personal statements.
Both medical and dental schools are very competitive to get into. From the perspective of admission rates, medical school is harder to be admitted to than dental school. There are more medical schools than there are dental schools, but there are far more applicants to medical schools than there are to dental schools.
Dental schools in Canada are extremely competitive. Successful applicants must meet a significant number of requirements before even being considered including prerequisite courses, GPA requirements, DAT and CASPer testing, as well as interviews and personal statements.
The lowest admitted GPA of any dental school candidate in Canada is 3.3 from the University of Saskatchewan. However, competitive applicants regularly received a GPA between 3.7-3.95.
All dental schools in Canada, with one exception, are 4 years. The Université de Montréal dental program is 5 years because it accepts applicants straight out of high school.
No. Students are not required to take the MCAT for admission to any dental schools. Instead, prospective applicants must complete the Dental Admission Test (DAT). The DAT is similar in content to the MCAT but different in format.
Yes. Most dental schools in the United States and Canada will require at least one full year of biology courses as a part of their prerequisites.
There are no prerequisite high school courses needed to become a dentist in Canada. Only university-level courses are taken into consideration when applying.
The undergraduate degree that you can get in Canada has no effect on the likelihood of gaining entrance into a dental school. The undergraduate degree best for an individual student is the one that satisfies all prerequisite course requirements and allows the applicant to get the highest GPA possible.