Dental Schools in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico has 3 CODA-accredited predoctoral dental programs, in 3 cities: Gurabo, Ponce and San Juan.
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 Puerto Rico, though the board sets its own exam and application requirements on top of that.
Verify before you apply
At a glance
In Puerto Rico
Programs
3
With a program
Cities
3
Approval without Reporting Requirements
Fully approved
1 of 3
Every CODA-Accredited Program in Puerto Rico
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 meets or exceeds CODA's basic accreditation standards — the status the San Juan program listed above currently holds. "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" — the status held by the Gurabo and Ponce programs above — 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 each program, not a measure of its length or curriculum.
For admissions, cost, and curriculum details, contact a 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 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.
Puerto Rico doesn't yet have its own dedicated licensure guide on this site — see our dentist licensure guide index for what a state board typically requires beyond CODA accreditation, and confirm anything you intend to rely on directly with Puerto Rico's own licensing board.
After Graduation in Puerto Rico
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, and Puerto Rico doesn't yet have its own dedicated salary breakdown on this site — see our national dentist salary guide for the percentile figures behind the field, from the 10th percentile through the 90th.
Once you've completed a program and met Puerto Rico's licensing requirements, browse current dentist openings to see what practices around the country are hiring for right now.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CODA-accredited dental schools are in Puerto Rico?
Puerto Rico has 3 CODA-accredited predoctoral dental programs, in Gurabo, Ponce and San Juan.
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 Puerto Rico dental school to become licensed in Puerto Rico?
No. CODA accreditation is a national standard, not a jurisdiction-specific one, so graduating from any CODA-accredited dental school satisfies the education requirement a licensing board looks for.
See our dentist licensure guide index for what a board typically requires beyond accreditation, and confirm the specifics directly with Puerto Rico's own licensing board.
What does "Initial Accreditation" mean for the Gurabo and Ponce programs?
It's CODA's classification for a program that isn't yet fully operational, meaning it hasn't yet enrolled and graduated its first class of students.
It isn't a warning about program quality — it's the normal status for a newer program working toward its first full accreditation review.
Confirm a program's current status directly with CODA before applying.
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 the 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 Puerto Rico & 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.