Dental Schools in Texas
Texas has 4 CODA-accredited predoctoral dental programs, in Dallas, El Paso, Houston and San Antonio.
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 Texas, though the board sets its own exam and application requirements on top of that.
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At a glance
In Texas
Programs
4
With a program
Cities
4
Approval without Reporting Requirements
Fully approved
4 of 4
Every CODA-Accredited Program in Texas
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 Texas's own board requires beyond CODA accreditation — exams, applications, and continuing education — is covered on our Texas dentist licensure guide.
After Graduation in Texas
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 Texas dentist salary guide for the median and percentile figures behind the field.
Once you've completed a program and met the Texas board's licensing requirements, browse current dentist openings in Texas to see what practices around the state are hiring for right now.
Where Texas's Programs Are Located
Texas's four programs spread across the state rather than clustering in one metro area, with campuses in Dallas, El Paso, Houston and San Antonio.
That geographic spread means an applicant weighing programs is often also weighing very different regions of the state — West Texas, the Gulf Coast, North Texas and South Texas each have their own cost of living, climate and practice landscape.
Contact each program directly for its current admissions cycle and campus details before deciding where to apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CODA-accredited dental schools are in Texas?
Texas has 4 CODA-accredited predoctoral dental programs, located in Dallas, El Paso, Houston and San Antonio.
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 Texas dental school to become licensed in Texas?
No. CODA accreditation is a national standard, not a state-specific one, so graduating from any CODA-accredited dental school satisfies the education requirement Texas's board looks for.
See our Texas dentist licensure guide for the board's full requirements, including its exam and application process.
What does "Approval without Reporting Requirements" mean for a program I'm applying to?
It means the program achieves or exceeds CODA's basic accreditation standards, with no outstanding deficiencies CODA is tracking.
It's the status most established, fully operational programs hold between site visits.
Confirm a program's current status directly with CODA.
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 Texas & 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.