Dental Schools in North Carolina
North Carolina has 3 CODA-accredited predoctoral dental programs, in Chapel Hill, Greenville and High Point.
Each is listed below with its address, website, and current accreditation status, pulled directly from the Commission on Dental Accreditation's own program directory.
Graduating from a CODA-accredited dental school is a required step toward dental licensure in every U.S. jurisdiction, including North Carolina, though the board sets its own exam and application requirements on top of that.
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At a glance
In North Carolina
Programs
3
With a program
Cities
3
Approval without Reporting Requirements
Fully approved
2 of 3
Every CODA-Accredited Program in North Carolina
Source: CODA program directory, index dated 2026-09-09. Status terms (“Approval without Reporting Requirements,” “Approval with Reporting Requirements,” “Initial Accreditation,” “Discontinued,” etc.) are CODA’s own.
Reading the List Below
The status shown is CODA's own classification. "Approval (without reporting requirements)" means the program achieves or exceeds CODA's basic accreditation standards. "Approval (with reporting requirements)" means CODA identified specific deficiencies that the program must document correcting within a set timeframe — it isn't a signal to avoid the program. "Initial Accreditation" applies to a program that hasn't yet enrolled and graduated its first class.
The accreditation visit years listed are CODA's own review schedule for the program, not a measure of its length or curriculum.
For admissions, cost, and curriculum details, contact the program directly and confirm its current accreditation status with CODA.
Why CODA Accreditation Matters for Licensure
Graduating from a CODA-accredited dental school is the credential every state dental board looks for, and it's the gateway to the national board exam every graduate must pass.
See our guide to dental school for how the four years are structured, our step-by-step guide to becoming a dentist for the full path from prerequisites to license, and our explainer on the INBDE, the national written board exam graduates take.
What North Carolina's own board requires beyond CODA accreditation — exams, applications, and continuing education — is covered on our North Carolina dentist licensure guide.
After Graduation in North Carolina
Graduating from a CODA-accredited dental school is a licensing prerequisite, not a job guarantee.
What a new dentist earns depends heavily on practice setting, ownership, and location — see our North Carolina dentist salary guide for the median and percentile figures behind the field.
Once you've completed a program and met the North Carolina board's licensing requirements, browse current dentist openings in North Carolina to see what practices are hiring for right now.
Where North Carolina's Programs Are Located
North Carolina's three predoctoral dental programs are spread across the state rather than clustered in one metro area: the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill sits in the Triangle, East Carolina University is in Greenville in the eastern part of the state, and High Point University is in the Piedmont Triad.
That geographic spread means a prospective student's choice of program often comes down to region as much as anything else — contact each school directly to compare campuses and clinical settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CODA-accredited dental schools are in North Carolina?
North Carolina has 3 CODA-accredited predoctoral dental programs, located in Chapel Hill, Greenville and High Point.
Each is listed above with its current CODA accreditation status, address and website.
CODA's own directory is the definitive, up-to-date list — confirm a program's status directly with CODA before applying.
Do I have to attend a North Carolina dental school to become licensed in North Carolina?
No. CODA accreditation is a national standard, not a state-specific one, so graduating from any CODA-accredited dental school satisfies the education requirement North Carolina's board looks for.
See our North Carolina dentist licensure guide for the board's full requirements, including its exam and application process.
What does "Initial Accreditation" mean for a program like High Point's?
It's the classification CODA grants to a program that hasn't yet enrolled and graduated its first class of students — it isn't a lesser or provisional form of accreditation once a program is fully operational, but a status specific to new programs still ramping up.
Confirm a program's current status directly with CODA before applying, since it can change as the program matures.
How do I check a program's current accreditation status?
CODA's own program directory at coda.ada.org is the authoritative, continuously updated source — the status shown on this page reflects a point-in-time snapshot.
Before applying or enrolling, confirm a program's current status directly with CODA or with the program itself.
Is every program on this list accredited?
Every program above is shown with the CODA accreditation status CODA had published for it as of 2026-09-09, the date this directory was last pulled from CODA's own program search. "Approval without Reporting Requirements" is CODA's standard fully-accredited standing; other status terms on this page — such as "Approval with Reporting Requirements," "Initial Accreditation," or "Discontinued" — mean something different, and a status can change after that date.
Confirm a program's current status directly with CODA before applying.
More North Carolina & Dentist Resources
Sourced from the CODA program directory (index dated 2026-09-09). Verified September 2026. Program details change. Confirm accreditation status, admission requirements and costs with the program and with CODA before applying.