University of Minnesota School of Dentistry

What University of Minnesota School of Dentistry does

The University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, founded in 1888 and headquartered in Malcolm Moos Health Sciences Tower in Minneapolis, is the only dental school in Minnesota and the sole dental school in the northern tier of states between Wisconsin and the Pacific Northwest. The school operates 377 clinical operatories across 71,000 square feet and serves approximately 118,508 patients annually through campus clinics, 24 affiliated outreach sites across Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, and a mobile dental clinic serving 15 locations statewide. It offers a four-year Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) program with a class size of 105, a 32-month BSDH/Master of Dental Therapy dual degree program (the first in the nation, launched in 2009), BSDH/MSDH dental hygiene programs, the 29-month UMN PASS program for international dental graduates, and graduate specialty training across seven ADA-recognized specialties (Endodontics, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Orofacial Pain, Orthodontics, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontology, Prosthodontics) plus DDS/PhD, MS, and PhD tracks in Oral Biology. Research infrastructure includes the Minnesota Dental Research Center for Biomaterials and Biomechanics (MDRCBB), which houses the ART Mechanical Chewing Simulator displayed at the Smithsonian, and the Orofacial MRI Center established in 2024 as the first dental-dedicated MRI facility in the United States.

The school generates revenue from four principal streams: tuition and fees from DDS, dental therapy, dental hygiene, and graduate specialty programs; patient care fees from campus and outreach clinics (over 96,000 campus visits plus 21,863 outreach visits in FY2025); continuing dental education courses serving approximately 4,000 practicing professionals annually via ACDE webinars, CDE Anytime online courses, and in-person certifications; and research grants supporting programs in virology, biomaterials, orofacial pain, bone development, and oral-systemic health. The school's go-to-market motion is hybrid: student recruitment through website, application portals, Discover Dental School pathways programs, and open houses targeting underrepresented communities; CE distribution through both in-person and virtual channels; and patient acquisition through campus clinics, 24 outreach sites, the mobile dental clinic, and partnerships with UCare, Apple Tree Dental, Indian Health Service tribal clinics, Children's Dental Services, CUHCC, and NorthPoint Health and Wellness. Approximately 73% of Minnesota's practicing dentists, 68% of the state's licensed dental therapists, and 49% of dental hygiene educators are alumni, anchoring the school's regional workforce influence and referral network.

Name

University of Minnesota School of Dentistry

Legal name

University of Minnesota School of Dentistry

Website

https://dentistry.umn.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1888

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The University of Minnesota School of Dentistry is the state's only dental school, founded in 1888, offering DDS, dental therapy, dental hygiene, and graduate specialty programs while operating 377 clinical operatories that serve over 118,000 patients annually across Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dental Education and Clinical Services

NAICS

Offices of Dentists (62121), Offices of Dentists (6212)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Dental Schools (EDAHAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Comprehensive Family Dentistry (Multi-Disciplinary In-Office General Care) (HLABAAAE), Pediatric Dentistry Academic/Teaching Clinics (HLABAGAL), Oral Hygiene Instruction & Patient Education (HLABAHAG), General Dentistry Group Practices (HLABAKAB), Community & Public Health Dentistry Clinics (FQHC/School-Based/Nonprofit) (HLABAAAF)

Keywords

• Dental education programs
• Oral healthcare services
• Dental clinical research
• Continuing dental education
• Dental specialty training

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Dental Education: Tuition and fees from DDS, dental therapy, dental hygiene, and graduate specialty programs
2. Patient Care Revenue: Revenue from dental clinics providing care to patients - over 96,000 patient visits in FY2025 plus 21,863 at outreach sites
3. Continuing Dental Education: Fees from professional development courses for practicing dental professionals including certification programs and workshops
4. Research Grants: Funded grants from National Institutes and other research funding bodies supporting ongoing research programs

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The University of Minnesota School of Dentistry is a public dental school that delivers professional degree programs (DDS, Dental Therapy, BSDH/MSDH Dental Hygiene, UMN PASS for international dentists, and seven ADA-recognized specialty graduate programs), comprehensive patient dental care through 377 clinical operatories and 24 outreach sites, continuing dental education courses for practicing professionals, and funded research in biomaterials, biomechanics, virology, orofacial pain, and oral-systemic health. In FY2025 it served 118,508 patients and provides clinical rotations for roughly 4,000 dental professionals annually through its continuing education programs.

Product overview

The University of Minnesota School of Dentistry is the state's only dental school and the only dental school in the northern tier of states between Wisconsin and the Pacific Northwest. It offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs including the Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) program, Dental Therapy program, Dental Hygiene programs (BSDH/MSDH), UMN PASS for international students, and multiple graduate/specialty programs in areas such as Endodontics, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Orthodontics, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontology, and Prosthodontics. The school also provides Continuing Dental Education for practicing professionals and operates research facilities including the Oral Health Clinical Research Center, Minnesota Dental Research Center for Biomaterials and Biomechanics, and the Orofacial MRI Center. Community outreach is integrated through rotations at 24 affiliated clinics across three states. The school operates 377 clinical operatories and provides care to approximately 118,508 patients annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UMN PASS: Program for Advanced Standing Students - a 29-month program for graduates of dental schools outside the United States and Canada to earn their Doctor of Dental Surgery and practice general dentistry in the U.S.

Products and services

• Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) Program
• Dental Therapy Program
• Dental Hygiene Programs (BSDH and MSDH)
• UMN PASS (Program for Advanced Standing Students)
• Graduate, Specialty and Advanced Education Programs
• Master of Science in Dental Hygiene
• Graduate Program in Oral Biology
• Oral Health Educator Certificate Program
• Continuing Dental Education
• Patient Care Services at Campus and Outreach Clinics
• Oral Health Clinical Research Center
• Minnesota Dental Research Center for Biomaterials and Biomechanics (MDRCBB)
• Orofacial MRI Center

Quantifiable outcome

• 118,508 patients served in FY2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• UCarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCare owns the Mobile Dental Clinic that travels to 15 locations throughout Minnesota to serve UCare members who have limited access to dental care. The clinic provides preventive and primary dental care services to pediatric, adult, patients with special needs, and senior populations.
• Apple Tree DentalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApple Tree Dental operates nine Centers for Dental Health in Minnesota and hosts clinical rotations for dental students at their Fergus Falls and Mounds View locations. Nationally recognized for pioneering approach to integrating dental care.
• Hibbing Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture between University of Minnesota and Hibbing Community College operating a dental clinic approximately 200 miles north of Minneapolis. Operates in collaboration with existing dental assisting program.
• Indian Health Service / Tribal ClinicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool collaborates with four IHS/Tribal sites including Cass Lake Hospital, Min-No-Aya-Win Health Center (Cloquet), and tribal clinics in Red Lake and Ogema for outreach experiences.
• Children's Dental ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity health center in Minneapolis dedicated to improving oral health of children from families with low incomes, treating children from infancy to age 26, pregnant women, and family members.
• Community-University Health Care Center (CUHCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity clinic that welcomes patients of every age, color, ethnicity and language, providing full range of dental services including cleanings, extractions, root canals, and crowns.
• 3MflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with 3M and Sumita Mitra on dental materials innovation resulted in European Inventor Award 2021. Partnership develops and tests restorative materials used by dentists around the world.
• NorthPoint Health and WellnesscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFull service dental care and one of the largest dental clinics in the metro area providing quality care to both adults and children with interpreter services.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• University of Iowa College of Dentistry: Another Big Ten public university dental school with comparable DDS, dental hygiene, specialty, and research programs. Strong peer for benchmarking on public-institution dental education economics.
• University of Michigan School of Dentistry: A peer public university dental school with similarly comprehensive DDS, dental hygiene, and specialty programs, plus significant research enterprise. Closely comparable in mission, scope, and public-institution funding model.
• University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine: Public university dental school in New York with comparable program structure and state-funded operating model, often cited alongside UMN in discussions of public dental education.
• University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry: Dental school in Michigan offering DDS and dental hygiene programs with a comparable mission around workforce development. Useful peer for upper Midwest student recruitment dynamics.
• Marquette University School of Dentistry: The only other dental school in the upper Midwest (Wisconsin), making it the closest geographic competitor for student recruitment in the northern tier region and a near-direct peer in mission and program mix.
• Ohio State University College of Dentistry: Large public university dental school with extensive specialty programs and research enterprise, serving as a peer benchmark for scale, faculty size, and clinical volume.

Broad incumbents

• University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine: A leading private dental school with broader national reach and significant research funding. Comparable in program breadth and research reputation, though funded through tuition and endowments rather than state appropriations.
• Harvard School of Dental Medicine: Elite private dental school with strong research reputation and specialty programs. Represents the upper bound on dental school research prestige and endowment-backed operating model.
• University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry: Top-tier public dental school with extensive research programs and strong specialty training. Comparable in academic reputation and program comprehensiveness, though with a different geographic and patient base.

Emerging players

• A.T. Still University - Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health: An emerging dental school founded in 2013 with a community health-focused mission similar to UMN's outreach emphasis. A relevant newer entrant for tracking competitive dynamics in dental workforce education.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=Q8iMpO4x1WQ

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles25 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about University of Minnesota School of Dentistry