Dental Schools in Washington
Washington has 2 CODA-accredited predoctoral dental programs, in Seattle and Yakima.
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 Washington, though the board sets its own exam and application requirements on top of that.
Verify before you apply
At a glance
In Washington
Programs
2
With a program
Cities
2
Approval without Reporting Requirements
Fully approved
1 of 2
Every CODA-Accredited Program in Washington
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 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 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 Washington's own board requires beyond CODA accreditation — exams, applications, and continuing education — is covered on our Washington dentist licensure guide.
After Graduation in Washington
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 Washington dentist salary guide for the median and percentile figures behind the field.
Once you've completed a program and met the Washington board's licensing requirements, browse current dentist openings in Washington to see what practices are hiring for right now.
Where Washington's Programs Are Located
Washington's two programs sit on opposite sides of the state: one in Seattle, on the Puget Sound coast, and one in Yakima, in the central part of the state.
That geographic spread means an applicant isn't limited to a single region if they'd rather train closer to home or explore a different part of the state during school.
Each program sets its own admission requirements, prerequisite coursework, and application cycle, so contact a program directly for its current details.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CODA-accredited dental schools are in Washington?
Washington has 2 CODA-accredited predoctoral dental programs, in Seattle and Yakima.
Both are listed above with their 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 Washington dental school to become licensed in Washington?
No. CODA accreditation is a national standard, not a state-specific one, so graduating from any CODA-accredited dental school — in Washington or elsewhere — satisfies the education requirement Washington's board looks for.
See our Washington dentist licensure guide for the board's full requirements, including its exam and application process.
What does "Initial Accreditation" mean for the Yakima program?
It's CODA's classification for a program that hasn't yet enrolled and graduated its first class of students, so it isn't yet considered fully operational.
It doesn't mean the program lacks accreditation — it's an accredited status in its own right, granted while the program establishes its track record.
Confirm the program's current status directly with CODA before applying, since it's reviewed periodically.
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 school 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 Washington & 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.