University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry: Average DAT, GPA, and How to Get In

Numbers below come from the school's own published materials as of July 2026 (each is linked to its source). Admissions stats shift every cycle — treat these as a snapshot and confirm on the school's official admissions page before you apply.

University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry (UMKC) is the public DDS program in Kansas City, Missouri. If UMKC is on your school list, here's exactly what the school has told applicants about its own averages, deadline, and cost, straight from its own pages — and how those numbers compare to the national DAT distribution.

UMKC dental school stats at a glance

UMKC's average DAT score

UMKC publishes its DAT expectations directly on its admissions requirements page, phrased as "DAT Academic Average (AA): 350 (16) minimum / 370 (17) preferred / 420 (20) average for accepted students," per the school's published admissions requirements page. The first number in each pair (420) is on the new 200-600 DAT scale; the number in parentheses (20) is UMKC's own old 1-30-scale equivalent. The page doesn't attach this figure to a specific named entering class (like "Class of 2029") — it reads as a current, rolling-cycle figure rather than a fixed historical data point, so it's worth re-checking each admissions cycle.

Where does a 420 AA / 20 AA actually land you nationally? Per the ADA's official percentile table (covered in full in our DAT score percentiles guide), a 420 Academic Average on the new scale sits at roughly the 69th percentile of test-takers — meaning UMKC's own published average for accepted students is comfortably above the middle of the national distribution, but well short of the 90th-plus percentile territory that the most selective programs tend to attract. If you're studying on the old scale, or want to translate your own practice scores against either number, our DAT score converter handles the 1-30-to-200-600 conversion directly.

UMKC's average GPA

UMKC's admissions requirements page states the "Science & Math GPA (SGPA): 3.0 minimum, 3.4 and above preferred, 3.6 average for accepted students." That 3.6 figure is specifically the science/math GPA — UMKC does not publish a separate, standalone cumulative or overall GPA average for accepted students anywhere on the same page, and no class year is attached to the number. If an overall GPA figure matters to your application strategy, you'll need to ask UMKC admissions directly, since it isn't published.

Class size and admissions process

UMKC does not publish a specific entering class size on its admissions requirements page or elsewhere on its official site. On process, the school describes a holistic review that weighs the personal statement, extracurricular involvement, letters of recommendation, and academic record, and interviews are by invitation only — described as "an important part of the selection process," per UMKC's admissions requirements page. Before you even apply, UMKC expects substantial pre-matriculation dental exposure: candidates should observe in a minimum of 3+ different dental offices and acquire 80-100 hours of dental office observation or work experience.

UMKC also runs a "Reserved Admission" pathway, letting Missouri or Kansas sophomores with a 3.6 science & math GPA after four college semesters lock in a future dental-class seat before finishing their bachelor's degree, per the school's Reserved Admission page. And as a public Missouri institution, UMKC's first obligation is to qualified Missouri residents — but it also maintains reserved-seat/tuition agreements with Kansas, New Mexico, and Hawaii residents, including nonresident tuition waivers for applicants from those states.

Application deadline

Per UMKC's admissions requirements page, the "priority deadline for applications is September 1," and the school advises that competitive applicants submit by June or July of the year prior to anticipated enrollment. That's a priority deadline rather than a hard cutoff, so check the school's admissions page for the exact current-cycle guidance before you plan your AADSAS timeline.

Tuition

Per UMKC's official Cashiers Office rates page, the Fall 2026/Spring 2027 per-semester flat rate (16 credit hours) is $23,441.50 plus a $3,628.00 instructional fee for Missouri residents, and $46,394.00 plus the same $3,628.00 instructional fee for nonresidents. These are per-semester figures, not an annual total — UMKC's DDS program runs Summer, Fall, and Spring semesters each year, so your actual annual cost will run higher than one semester's rate. UMKC's own rates page doesn't state an annual total, so we haven't estimated one; budget using the per-semester numbers and the school's academic calendar.

FAQ: UMKC dental school admissions