This week we’ll be analyzing the University of West Virginia School of Dentistry. The school offers a four year D.D.S. The school has a small class around 50 students coming in per year that allows for better interaction between the faculty and students. The campus is located in Morgantown, WV which is a two hour drive from the capital city of Charleston and an hour and a half away from Pittsburgh, PA. Morgantown is a suburb that runs around the university’s spirit and liveliness. Unlike most schools, there is campus housing for their dental students as told on ADEA Dental School Explorer. Most of their students had average DAT scores of 19.2, and average GPAs of 3.7. I know a dentist who attended this school and gave them high praise fro their program.

WVU School of Dentistry launches capital campaign to upgrade outdated facilities | WVU Today | West Virginia University

Mission & Core Values

The university of West Virginia School of Dentistry aims to develop the necessary attributes of good character and integrity in their students to defeat challenge of becoming a competent dental professional through dedication to providing comprehensive, compassionate, and high quality oral health care to patients in West Virginia and the rest of the country.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

West Virginia University strives to create a safe, diverse, hospitable, and integrated community regardless of race, creed, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic class. Students, faculty, and administration create a welcoming environment for patients, students, staff and faculty by treating them with respect, dignity and nondiscrimination. Through equitable treatment, a dynamic learning environment that addresses present and future oral health in an unbiased manner they can hold onto diversity in their program

Cost

WVU is no cheap school. Like the others, they offer an in-state tuition that nearly splits that cost in half. Out-of-state tuition is $83,000 and during your first year, you’ll also need to buy $20,000 worth of instruments and tools for yourself. Along with estimated living expenses of $17,000 and other small fees this totals to a first year cost of $123,000. A breath-taking, yet normal number for dental schools that I’ve been looking at and researching. After four years, of course without any financial aid this would cost about half a million dollars.

Last Thoughts

Yet again, UNE takes the cake. After looking at the required courses for this school I’m not sure I can even apply because I’ve shockingly only taken one english course over the last three years. I believe I am allowed to list an english course I am taking next year and this will count toward my requirements. Overall, I think living in West Virginia would be better than in Boston, Connecticut, and New Jersey strictly based on price but the lifestyle of the state would have to be something I would need to get used to.