The 10 Top Best Dental Schools in Australia

Australia is the only country in the world that spans an entire continent. It is located in the Southern Hemisphere between the Pacific and Indian seas. Aside from its appealing megacities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth, as well as its wide-open spaces, beaches, and deserts, Australia is also recognized as the world’s third-best higher education system in the 2023 QS World University Rankings by Subject. Hence, you may be confident that studying in any of the top dental schools in Australia will provide you with an education of the highest caliber, internationally recognized credentials, and numerous job opportunities.

A dental school is a tertiary educational institution—or a division of one—that instructs aspiring dentists and sometimes other dental assistants in the practice of dentistry. Graduates from dental schools in a state receive the license to practice dentistry in the said state. Hence attending a dental school in Australia allows you to practice dentistry in Australia. According to Indeed, a dentist makes on average $162,831 annually in Australia, making it an additional reason for you to go over the top dental schools in Australia and attend any of them.

Your choice of dental school plays a huge role in your career as a dentist hence we have put together a list of the top dental schools in Australia; what makes them stand out, their admission requirement, and cost. If this is something you would like to know, then make sure to read till the end.

The 10 Top Dental Schools in Australia

  • The University of Sydney School of Dentistry
  • University of Melbourne Dental School
  • University of Queensland School of Dentistry
  • Griffith University School of Dentistry and Oral Health
  • University of Adelaide School of Dentistry
  • University of Western Australia School of Dentistry
  • La Trobe University, School of Dentistry and Oral Health 
  • James Cook University, School of Dentistry
  • Charles Sturt University School of Dentistry
  • Western Sydney University, School of Dentistry

#1. The University of Sydney School of Dentistry

This is the first dental college in Australia. The school is known to have been providing education and training in dentistry and oral health for over 100 years, producing excellent graduates, doing research with real-world impact, and providing continuing education.

The school is built on a foundation of clinical practice, teaching, and integrated research. Their connections to Sydney Dental Hospital, Nepean Hospital, and the Westmead Centre for Oral Health, as well as with other local health district dental institutions in distant, regional, and rural NSW, serve as the foundation for their premium educational offering hence offering students the chance to acquire clinical expertise in functional dental institutions.

Tuition and Cost 

This dental school in Australia has a tuition fee of $86,500 per year for international students and $70,500 for domestic students. There are options for scholarships and you can check out the scholarships guide here. 

Admission details

The acceptable TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academics, and Bachelor GPA are 96+, 7+, 68+, and 5+ respectively. 

To be admitted to the DMD, applicants must fulfill the following criteria: satisfactory academic progress toward a bachelor’s degree, as measured by grade point average (GPA), at the time of application; and passing a test for admission in a satisfactory manner. Domestic applicants must include their GAMSAT (Graduate Australian Medical School Admissions Test) results with their application. International applicants must include their most recent scores from the GAMSAT, Canadian Dental Aptitude Test (CDAT), or the United States Dental Admission Test (DAT) with their application.

For more information on how to apply to one of the top dental schools in Australia, click here

#2. University of Melbourne Dental School

The first master’s level dental degree offered in Australia for professional admission is the Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) at the University of Melbourne. The degree creates a pathway for entry into the Master of Philosophy, Ph.D., or Doctor of Clinical Dentistry programs and qualifies the graduate for registration as a general dentistry practitioner with the Dental Practice Board in Australia and New Zealand based on advanced, evidence-based clinical training.

Tuition and Cost 

This dental school in Australia costs AUD$76,800 for the first year and AUD$331,017 for the total course fee.

Admission details

The following factors will be considered by the Selection Committee when rating applications:

  • The Grade Point Average (GPA), which is used to evaluate applicants on academic merit based on their tertiary previous studies, shall be calculated using the most recent bachelor’s degree results, including any honors, regardless of any later graduate work done.
  • The GAMSAT, US DAT, Canadian DAT, UK GAMSAT, or UK BMAT score

Following the Academic Board’s norms on the use of selection instruments, the Selection Committee may request further material to clarify any part of an application.

For more information on how to apply to one of the top dental schools in Australia, click here

#3. University of Queensland School of Dentistry

The School is recognized nationally and globally as one of Australia’s leading oral health educators; thanks to its teaching and research, distinguished academic staff, alumni, and student quality.

The school has the main goal of producing graduates of the highest caliber through the best possible teaching and learning practices, and physicians who are well-suited for careers in the medical field as well as in academia and research. The top professional and regulatory organizations in Australia acknowledge the quality of their programs.

Tuition and Cost 

This dental school in Australia costs $83,654. As an international student, you may be eligible for financial aid from your home country or the Australian government. Get more information on scholarship funding here.

Admission details

International students are required to have an IELTS overall of 7; reading 7; writing 7; speaking 7; listening 7.

For more information on how to apply to one of the top dental schools in Australia, click here

#4. Griffith University School of Dentistry and Oral Health

Some say that the first step toward a fulfilling career in dentistry and oral health is to get a bachelor’s degree in one of Griffith’s dental science, dental technology, dental prosthetics, or dental hygiene programs.

Starting in Year 1 of your studies, you’ll be putting your knowledge into practice while working alongside licensed dentists and dental specialists in a range of practical settings, such as the cutting-edge dental clinic, specialized labs at the Griffith Health Centre, and one of the school’s network of regional clinics.

Tuition and Cost 

This dental school in Australia has a tuition fee of $86,500 for the year 2023 and $88,500 for the year 2024.

Admission details

Only those who have completed Griffith’s Bachelor of Dental Health Science (1577) or Bachelor of Oral Health in Dental Science (1259) are eligible for admission to the Master of Dentistry program. The college’s deadline for admission is September 28, 2023, and application can be done online. For this program, there are just a few openings. Since there are typically more candidates than there are openings, admittance is usually very competitive.

For more information on how to apply to one of the top dental schools in Australia, click here

#5. University of Adelaide School of Dentistry

The University of Adelaide School of Dentistry was founded in 1920 and is one of the oldest and most prestigious dental schools in Australia. The Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree at the University of Adelaide is a well-regarded 5-year undergraduate dental school.

The dental school at the University of Adelaide provides students with access to a cutting-edge dental simulation clinic that allows them to practice real-world patient care procedures in a technologically advanced setting. The University of Adelaide’s dental school is one of the top dental schools in the world, it is also the only dental school in Australia to use problem-based learning (PBL) as a teaching strategy. 

Tuition and Cost 

This dental school in Australia has a tuition fee of $402,500 and a living cost of  18,600 AUD/Year.

Admission details

An application fee of 100 AUD is required to apply for dentistry at this dental school. The school ranks students based on the following:

  1. The results of the interviews
  2. Results for UCAT ANZ  
  3. GPA (meet minimum standards; used to distinguish candidates with similar results from the interview and UCAT).

Results are released from mid-October to February of the intake year.  It is also important to note that acceptance must be made within one week of receiving the offer.

For more information on how to apply to one of the top dental schools in Australia, click here

Dental Schools in Australia
Dental Schools in Australia

#6. University of Western Australia School of Dentistry

The UWA Dental School is the sole tertiary dental training facility in Western Australia. It provides aspiring and practicing dentists with a variety of creative and practical postgraduate programs in a state-of-the-art dental teaching and learning facility. The School is in charge of running the Oral Health Centre of WA (OHCWA), a centralized public tertiary referral center and dental teaching hospital where qualified patients are treated on behalf of the State of WA.

Tuition and Cost

This dental school in Australia has an estimated tuition fee of $89,200 for the year 2024

Admission details

Admission into this dental school in Australia requires:

  1. A minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of around 3.1/4 (roughly 76%–77%) or a B+ from the last three years of your completed degree is required for completion of an undergraduate degree.
  2. The DAT (minimum score of 17 on all DAT sections), GAMSAT, or MCAT must have been completed within the previous two years.
  3. Students whose applications are deemed to be competitive will be invited to take part in a face-to-face interview that includes passing a spatial awareness component.

Application for the 2024 intakes closed June 29, 2023.

For more information on how to apply to one of the top dental schools in Australia, click here

#7. La Trobe University, School of Dentistry and Oral Health

The clinical learning settings at LRHS give students a secure and realistic place to begin putting theory into practice. They aid students in acquiring the clinical and analytical abilities necessary for a career in the health field.

Tuition and Cost

This dental school in Australia has an estimated tuition fee of $76,000 for 120 credit points.

Admission details

You must possess a high school diploma and a minimum WAM of 90% in all of your Grade 12 courses. English, biology, and chemistry at the 12th grade level (or equivalent) are required. Also, a minimum cumulative GPA of 4.0/4.0 (or more than 90%) is required. It’s not necessary to take the DAT (Dental Aptitude Test).

The competition in this program is fierce hence, the fulfillment of entry requirements does not guarantee admission.

This dental school offers continuous admission. The earlier you apply, the better, as applications are evaluated as they are received. If open slots remain, offers are issued in bundles in June, September, and December. On August 21, 2023, this program was full for the intake in 2024.

For more information on how to apply to one of the top dental schools in Australia, click here

#8. James Cook University, School of Dentistry

The primary goal of James Cook University’s School of Dentistry is to prepare future dentists to meet the particular oral healthcare requirements of rural, isolated, and tropical areas. To train practitioners who can work with diverse populations, the Bachelor of Dental Surgery curriculum includes extensive rural and indigenous assignments.

Tuition and Cost

This dental school in Australia’s estimated annual Commonwealth Supported fee is $10,025.

Admission details

You must submit an online application to JCU by September 30th along with your QTAC application. Make sure to note the course QTAC code for the location you’ve chosen. You’ll need to enter it as part of your QTAC application.

ATAR score is simply a guide. The entry scores will be finalized at the main offer round.

For more information on how to apply to one of the top dental schools in Australia, click here

#9. Charles Sturt University School of Dentistry

Charles Sturt University’s School of Dentistry provides a Bachelor of Dental Science program with a focus on oral health in rural and regional areas. The program blends academic learning with practical clinical experience, which includes assignments in outlying locations.

Tuition and Cost

This dental school in Australia has an estimated annual tuition fee of $63,600 for 8 subjects.

Admission details

To apply to this dental college in Australia, you should have enrolled in any CSU program at the time of application and have completed less than one year of full-time study (or equivalent) with a GPA of 5.5 or better and an ATAR of greater than 90.

For more information on how to apply to one of the top dental schools in Australia, click here

#10. Western Sydney University, School of Dentistry

A Bachelor of Dental Science degree program with a focus on clinical excellence and community participation is available from Western Sydney University’s School of Dentistry. Through clinical assignments, students get hands-on experience and have access to cutting-edge clinical facilities.

Tuition and Cost

This dental school in Australia has an estimated tuition fee of $27,662.

Admission details

An Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) of 93.5 or equivalent is required for admission. Also, a science-based undergraduate degree with a grade point average (GPA) of 6.1 or above is required.

For international students, an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score of at least 6.5 in each of the four abilities and an overall score of 7.0 is required. Also, in PTE Academic an overall score of 65 with a minimum score of 65 in each of the four skills is required.

The deadline for 2024 intake applications is 15 October 2023.

For more information on how to apply to one of the top dental schools in Australia, click here

FAQs

Is Australia good for dental?

Dentists are in high demand in Australia, and their pay is competitive, making a career in dentistry gratifying and rewarding. Dentists are among the highest-paid professionals in Australia, with annual salaries exceeding AUD 150,000. One of the main justifications for studying dentistry in Australia is this.

How long is dental school in Australia?

When you enroll as a university graduate in Australia, the dental degree typically takes 4 years to complete. This pathway requires at least 7 years to complete after an undergraduate degree that lasts at least 3 years. Be careful to prepare in advance if you’re thinking about a graduate entry dentistry program!

Conclusion

The ideal dentistry school for you will ultimately depend on your personal requirements and interests. You should take into account the school’s location, reputation, curriculum offers, and clinical facilities, among other things. Regardless of the dental school you select, you can be sure that you will get a top-notch education that will get you ready for a lucrative career in dentistry. We hope the top dental schools in Australia listed here were helpful to you.

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