Loma Linda IDP: How International Dentists Earn a DDS at Loma Linda University School of Dentistry

  • Dr. T
  • October 14, 2026
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Loma Linda University School of Dentistry · Updated October 2026

Loma Linda IDP: How International Dentists Earn a DDS at Loma Linda University School of Dentistry

The International Dentist Program (IDP) at Loma Linda University School of Dentistry is a 27-month program that ends with a DDS degree. You apply through ADEA CAAPID by 1 June, then complete Loma Linda’s own supplemental application; selected applicants are invited to a dexterity test and then an interview.

32dentists accepted each year
27 monthsminimum, from a March start to the DDS
500+graduates from 81 countries since 1985
$260,740tuition and fees for the whole program, 2025-26 rates

At a glanceRequirementsSelectionTimelineCostAm I ready?How to prepareOther routesFAQ
The short answerLoma Linda University School of Dentistry runs the International Dentist Program, a 27-month course that takes 32 foreign-trained dentists a year and awards a US DDS degree.24 You need a passed INBDE (or NBDE Parts I and II), a TOEFL score and a credential evaluation; you apply through ADEA CAAPID between March and 1 June, return Loma Linda’s $150 supplemental application, and selected applicants, chosen partly by how early their file is complete, are invited to a fall dexterity test and then an interview.12
The Study Boards

How The Study Boards helps you get into the Loma Linda IDP

  • INBDE first: Loma Linda will not look at your file without a passed INBDE. Our course gives you faculty-created Modules for every subject, 35,000+ focused questions, the Master and Grand Test Series (8-hour mock exams), daily tasks and nightly live tests at 9 PM New York time.
  • Built around you: The Study Boards courses are extremely personalised. Red lines and assignments are given to you on the go, the course learns from the way you study, and faculty are there to assist you.
  • The rest of the file: our TOEFL course, the CAAPID application program and Dr. Kaur’s bench test course cover the TOEFL score, the Loma Linda essay and the dexterity test.

Questions are answered by US-licensed dentists, not AI. See the INBDE Course Blueprint.

Fact panel

Loma Linda IDP at a glance

Every figure below comes from Loma Linda University’s own pages or its ADEA CAAPID listing, checked on 14 October 2026.

ProgramInternational Dentist Program (IDP)Loma Linda University School of Dentistry, California, founded in 19852
DegreeDDSDoctor of Dental Surgery1
Length27 months (minimum)8 academic quarters; can be extended, up to 3 years18
Start dateSpring Quarter (late March)ADEA lists 29 March 2027 for the current intake14
Class size32 a yearSmaller, separate IDP class24
How to applyADEA CAAPID + LLU supplemental$150 supplemental fee2
Deadline1 June (CAAPID)1 June 2026 has passed; next window opens in March14
INBDEMust be passedOr NBDE Parts I and II14
EnglishTOEFL: 5+ recommendedOn the 2026 1-6 scale; 100+ on the old scale is competitive12
Credential evaluationECE or WES, course-by-courseLLU also lists JSA and IERF46
Bench / skills testYes: IDP dexterity testBy invitation, fee required, Sundays in the fall12
InterviewBy invitation onlyDecided by your dexterity test result1
Visa statusInternational applicants acceptedNo citizenship or green card needed4
Cost, 2025-26 rates$284,840 tuition, fees and equipmentAbout $366,000 with living costs (our sum)3
LoansPrivate loans for non-citizensFederal loans need US citizenship or a green card89

Is the program running? Yes.As of October 2026 the IDP is active. The ADEA listing (updated 13 February 2026) shows a 6 March to 1 June 2026 application window and a 29 March 2027 start, and Loma Linda’s 2026-2027 catalog says it accepts 32 applicants each year.24 If you missed June 2026, you are now planning for the window that opens in March 2027.

What Loma Linda asks for

Requirements in detail

Loma Linda’s pages are short, so read every line. Its 2026-2027 catalog is the most detailed source, and the dentistry admissions page adds the testing rules.

Degree

A dental degree from a recognised school outside the USStudents already enrolled in a similar program at another university cannot apply.12

INBDE

Passed before you are consideredPass the INBDE, or both NBDE Part I and Part II. ADEA’s listing says you “must pass” to be considered for admission.4 Our INBDE Premium Boards plan gets you there.

TOEFL

TOEFL taken within 2 years of startingThe dentistry page recommends 5 or higher on the 2026 scale. The 2026-2027 catalog asks for at least 20 in each section of the internet-based test and recommends 100 or more to be competitive.12 LLU’s TOEFL code is 4062.12 See our TOEFL course for dentists.

Eval

A course-by-course evaluationADEA lists ECE and WES. LLU’s transcript page accepts WES ICAP course-by-course, ECE, JSA and IERF, and no other company. A WES report with copies of your transcripts also counts as your official transcripts.46 Read WES or ECE before you order.

2 LORs

Two letters, sent to CAAPIDThe catalog asks for two letters, preferably from former teachers or mentors who can speak to your character, conduct and professional ability. Family members cannot write the required letters. ADEA accepts up to three.24

Supp

LLU supplemental: essay, photo, $150Once CAAPID marks your application complete, LLU emails you a link to its admissions portal. Return the supplemental within 30 days with an essay specific to Loma Linda, a passport-size photo and the $150 fee.24

Indian and Pakistani transcripts: the rule that delays most filesLLU accepts transcripts only from the institution that issued them. From India, mark sheets must come from the university that ran the exams, attested by the Registrar or Controller of Examinations; college-issued sheets are refused unless the college is autonomous or the university attests them. From Pakistan, send copies to the HEC for attestation and ask the HEC to send them straight to LLU.26 Start this months early, or use a WES report that includes your transcripts.

How Loma Linda chooses

Selection steps: application, dexterity test, interview

CAAPID applicationApply through ADEA CAAPID between March and 1 June. CAAPID charges $264 for your first program and $115 for each additional one in 2026-27, and takes about four weeks to process and send your application to the school.125 New to the portal? Use our CAAPID walkthrough.
LLU supplementalLLU downloads verified CAAPID applications once a week, on Thursdays, and the supplemental invitation follows by email.7 You then have 30 days to return it with the essay, photo and $150 fee.2
ScreeningComplete files that arrive before the deadline get priority. LLU picks who may sit the dexterity test first-come, first-served, by the date your file became complete, and testing places are limited.12
Dexterity testAdmissions testing is by invitation only, carries a fee and is held on one or more Sundays in the fall at LLU.12
InterviewInterviews are by invitation only and depend on your dexterity test result.1
Final selection and depositThe Admissions Committee weighs your test result, interview and application file, and accepts 32 dentists. If you are accepted, you pay a $4,000 deposit within 30 days or lose your seat; it counts toward your first term’s tuition.2
What is on the Loma Linda dexterity test?LLU does not publish the exercises. Students who have sat it tell us it covered a posterior amalgam, an anterior composite and a premolar crown preparation (student-reported, not confirmed by LLU).11 The test decides whether you get an interview at all, so it is the step to train hardest for. Start with what the dental bench test is, then follow our bench test preparation plan.

Interactive timeline

The Loma Linda IDP application cycle, month by month

Built from the 2026 cycle dates. Expect the next cycle to follow the same pattern; confirm the new dates on Loma Linda’s page when it opens.

Before MarchFinish the exams and paperworkPass the INBDE, sit TOEFL, order your ECE or WES course-by-course report, ask your university to send attested transcripts and line up two letters.
Early MarchCAAPID opensThe 2026 window opened on 6 March; LLU’s own page gives 1 March to 1 June.14 Apply early: testing places go to the files that are complete first.
About 4 weeks laterSupplemental invitationCAAPID processes your file, LLU downloads it on a Thursday and emails the supplemental. Return it within 30 days.27
1 JuneCAAPID deadlineThe catalog wants the CAAPID and LLU applications and all documents in by 1 June.2
1 JulyLast date for testing considerationThe dentistry page allows application materials until 1 July to be considered for testing. Do not wait for it.1
FallDexterity test, then interviewTesting on one or more Sundays by invitation; interviews follow for those who do well.12
After acceptanceDeposit and visa funds$4,000 deposit within 30 days. F-1 students pay the first year’s tuition and fees and show funds for the second year before enrolling.2
Late March, next yearProgram startsIDP sessions begin in the Spring Quarter (March to June); this cycle’s start is 29 March 2027.14
About 27 months laterDDSYou graduate with a Loma Linda DDS after 8 quarters of courses and clinics, including off-site community rotations.1

Want the whole INBDE-to-CAAPID calendar in one place? Read our INBDE and CAAPID timeline.

The money

Cost and financing

The IDP runs across three LLU academic years: a 3-month first year (the Spring Quarter), then two 11-month years. These are LLU’s estimates for 2025-26, the latest it has published, with off-campus living.13

Tuition and fees$29,114
Books, materials, supplies and equipment$21,100
Food and housing (off campus)$6,600
Transport and personal$2,145
Estimated total, year 1$58,959

Tuition and fees$115,338
Books, materials, supplies and equipment$2,150
Food and housing (off campus)$26,818
Transport and personal$8,580
Estimated total, year 2$152,886

Tuition and fees$116,288
Books, materials, supplies and equipment$850
Food and housing (off campus)$26,818
Transport and personal$7,865
Cost of obtaining a professional licence$2,795
Estimated total, year 3$154,616

$366,461all three years, LLU’s 2025-26 estimates
$284,840tuition, fees and equipment alone
$414to apply: CAAPID $264 + LLU $150, plus the test fee if invited

Line items are LLU’s; the year and program totals are our addition and leave out federal loan fees, which do not apply to international students. LLU says amounts rise each year and that international students must budget 12 months of living costs, so your first-year living cost will be higher than the 3-month figure. LLU puts living costs at $1,000 to $1,800 or more a month.13

How international students pay for itFederal loans are open only to US citizens and green-card holders.8 Everyone else uses private loans. LLU’s FastChoice tool compares lenders, and LLU notes that some lenders offer options for international students and non-citizens, while others may need a creditworthy co-signer.9 On an F-1 visa you must pay the first year’s tuition and fees and prove funds for the second year before you enrol.2

This is a big number, but it is a normal one. An Advanced Standing degree in the US costs roughly $250,000 to $450,000 all-in, and almost everyone finances it with loans: private loans, co-signer loans with a US citizen or green-card holder, and a few international lenders that need no co-signer. You repay it over years of practice, not up front. Read is becoming a US dentist worth it for the full picture.

Interactive checklist

Am I ready to apply to Loma Linda?

Tick each line that is true today. Anything left unticked is your work plan before March.

Every unticked line is fixable. Start with the INBDE and your transcripts, because they take the longest.

We teach these

How to prepare: our full plan

Loma Linda tests you at five points: the INBDE, TOEFL, your CAAPID file, the dexterity test and the interview. Here is how we prepare you for each one.

INBDE

INBDE Premium BoardsThe exam Loma Linda requires before it will consider you.

  • 35,000+ focused questions across 12 course sections
  • Grand Test Series: 8-hour full simulations
  • Nightly live tests at 9 PM New York time
  • 99% first-attempt pass rate for students who complete the course
  • Pass Guarantee: finish on time with no overdue days and 60%+ on every test, and if you still do not pass we refund the course fee and your INBDE registration fee (about $1,000)

See the INBDE Course Blueprint

CAAPID

Master the CAAPID ApplicationYour file, built and reviewed by faculty.

  • Personal statement, letters and CV reviewed by a 5-faculty bench
  • Profile and school-selection strategy with Dr. T
  • 3 mock interview sessions
  • Optional school-specific supplemental help, useful for Loma Linda’s essay
  • 300+ dentists placed; limited to 40 students per cycle

See the CAAPID Program

Bench

Bench Test Course with Dr. KaurFor Loma Linda’s dexterity test.

  • 7 live days online, one preparation at a time
  • Class II amalgam, full gold and all-ceramic crowns, bridge, and Class II and III composite
  • A practice week with unlimited evaluations, then a competency exam

See the Bench Test Plan

Interview

Interview Prep with Dr. Slesnick and Dr. TFor the interview that follows the test.

  • 3 x 60-minute video sessions: two before invites, one after your first real interview
  • Behavioral and MMI questions, communication and school-specific strategy
  • Practise the hard ones first: the 5 toughest interview questions

See Interview Prep

TOEFL

TOEFL iBT Course for DentistsLoma Linda recommends 5 or higher on the new scale, and every class and every patient conversation is in English. Our 45-day, mentor-reviewed course follows the 2026 ETS format.

See the TOEFL Course

Keep your options open

Other routes if Loma Linda is not the right fit

With 32 seats and a dexterity test that decides who is interviewed, even a strong file can miss. Your INBDE result opens four routes, so apply to more than one door.

1

Advanced Standing at other schools2 to 3 years to a US DDS or DMD, applied through ADEA CAAPID. Compare programs in our Advanced Standing guide and shortlist with the CAAPID directory method.

2

AEGDApplied through ADEA PASS. Some states give a limited licence after an AEGD; the rules vary by state. See AEGD programs for international dentists.

3

Residency directly through PASSSpecialty programs accept international dentists through PASS, but places are more competitive. Weigh it in CAAPID or PASS.

4

TeachingSome dentists build a US career in dental education and research while they plan their next step.

Quick answers

Loma Linda IDP FAQ

How many international dentists does Loma Linda accept?
32 a year, according to both LLU’s 2026-2027 catalog and its ADEA listing.24 LLU does not publish how many people apply, so there is no official acceptance rate. Since 1985 the program has graduated more than 500 dentists from 81 countries.2
Does Loma Linda dentistry have a bench test for the IDP?
Yes. LLU calls it the IDP dexterity test. It is by invitation, carries a fee and is held on Sundays in the fall, and only applicants who do well are invited to interview.12 LLU does not publish the exercises.
Can I apply to the Loma Linda IDP before I pass the INBDE?
No. LLU’s dentistry page and its ADEA listing both say you must have passed the INBDE, or NBDE Parts I and II, to be considered.14
What TOEFL score does Loma Linda need for the IDP?
LLU recommends 5 or higher on the 2026 TOEFL scale, taken within 2 years of starting. Its catalog sets at least 20 in each section of the older internet-based test and calls 100 or more competitive.12 The IDP pages name only TOEFL, so check with LLU admissions before relying on another English test.
Does Loma Linda accept WES, or only ECE?
Both. ADEA lists ECE and WES for Loma Linda, and LLU’s transcript page also accepts JSA and IERF. A WES report that includes copies of your transcripts also satisfies LLU’s official transcript rule.46
Is Loma Linda a religious school?
Yes. Loma Linda University is a Seventh-day Adventist, faith-based university, and the IDP curriculum includes religion courses such as Christian Ethics for Dentists and World Religions and Human Health.12
Step one for Loma Linda

Pass the INBDE first, then build the file

Loma Linda will not consider you without a passed INBDE. The Study Boards INBDE Premium Boards course gives you 35,000+ questions, 8-hour Grand Tests and nightly live tests at 9 PM New York time, with US-licensed dentists answering your questions, not AI.

12 course sections99% first-attempt pass ratePass Guarantee

See the INBDE Blueprint

Planning for Loma Linda’s next cycle?

Tell us where you are: INBDE, TOEFL, CAAPID or the dexterity test. Our Admin Team with Dr. T and Dr. Kaur will contact you over WhatsApp.

Message the Admin Team on WhatsApp

Keep reading

Advanced Standing programs for international dentistsThe hub: every school guide in one place US dental schools for international dentistsThe full program list How dental schools evaluate your bench testWhat graders look for Bench test exercises by schoolWhat students report, school by school

References

  1. Loma Linda University School of Dentistry. International Dentist Program, DDS (admissions page): INBDE, TOEFL 5+ within 2 years, CAAPID 1 March to 1 June, LLU supplemental, dexterity testing by invitation with fee, 1 July materials date, interviews by invitation, Spring Quarter start, 8 quarters, F-1 funds, living costs. dentistry.llu.edu
  2. Loma Linda University. 2026-2027 Catalog: International Dentist Program, D.D.S.: founded 1985, 500+ graduates from 81 countries, 27 months, TOEFL rules, $150 supplemental within 30 days, two letters, transcripts, 1 June deadline, Sunday testing in the fall, 32 accepted, $4,000 deposit, F-1 rule, curriculum. llucatalog.llu.edu
  3. Loma Linda University. Find a Program: International Dentist Program, DDS: Expected Cost of Attendance, Academic Year 2025-2026. llu.edu
  4. ADEA CAAPID Program Finder. Loma Linda University School of Dentistry (updated 13 February 2026): 32 seats, 27 months, 6 March to 1 June 2026 window, 29 March 2027 start, bench test, ECE/WES, INBDE, TOEFL 100+ recommended, no citizenship requirement. programs.adea.org
  5. ADEA. ADEA CAAPID Applicants: 2026-27 fees, $264 first program and $115 each additional. adea.org
  6. Loma Linda University. International Academic Transcripts: approved evaluation services, India and Pakistan rules, WES transcript exemption. llu.edu
  7. Loma Linda University. IDP Frequently Asked Questions: weekly Thursday download of verified CAAPID applications and the supplemental invitation. apply.llu.edu
  8. Loma Linda University. 2026-2027 Catalog: School of Dentistry: federal loans for US citizens and green-card holders only; IDP scheduled for 27 months, maximum three years. llucatalog.llu.edu
  9. Loma Linda University Financial Aid. Private Educational Loans and FastChoice: lender options for international students and non-citizens, co-signers. llu.edu
  10. Loma Linda University Financial Aid. Financial Aid Eligibility: federal aid requires US citizenship or eligible non-citizen status. llu.edu
  11. The Study Boards. CAAPID Bench Test Exercises by School (student-reported). parmjitllc.com
  12. Loma Linda University. International Student Requirements: TOEFL institution code 4062. llu.edu

Current as of October 2026. Loma Linda states that it may change admission standards or requirements at any time without notice; confirm the new cycle’s dates and figures on dentistry.llu.edu before you apply. Cost totals are our arithmetic from LLU’s published 2025-26 line items.

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