UCLA PPID: How International Dentists Get Into UCLA Dentistry’s 2-Year DDS Program (2026)

  • Dr. T
  • October 14, 2026
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UCLA School of Dentistry · Updated October 2026

UCLA PPID: How International Dentists Get Into UCLA Dentistry’s 2-Year DDS Program

The Professional Program for International Dentists (PPID) at the UCLA School of Dentistry is a 25-month Advanced Standing program that ends with a DDS degree. You apply through ADEA CAAPID plus a UCLA supplemental application, and the deadline for the current cycle was 30 June 2026.

30seats each year
25 monthsfrom late May start to DDS
~1,300applicants for those 30 seats (UCLA, 2025)
$120,968annual program fee, 2026-27

At a glanceRequirementsSelectionTimelineCostAm I ready?How to prepareOther routesFAQ
The short answerUCLA’s PPID is a 25-month Advanced Standing program that takes 30 foreign-trained dentists a year, places them in the regular third-year class and ends with a DDS.14 To be considered you need a passed INBDE (or NBDE Parts I and II), a TOEFL score, an ECE Course-by-Course report, a CAAPID application, UCLA’s own supplemental application and the Casper test, all by the 30 June deadline; finalists then sit a 3-day interview and knowledge and skills assessment.23
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How The Study Boards helps you get into UCLA

  • INBDE before March: UCLA will not wait for your result, so our INBDE Premium Boards course gets you there first, with faculty-written Modules, 35,000+ questions, nightly live tests at 9 PM New York time and a Pass Guarantee.
  • Built around you: the course is extremely personalised. It learns from the way you are studying, red lines and assignments are given to you on the go, and faculty are there to assist you.
  • TOEFL 95: our TOEFL course for dentists targets the score UCLA asks even US citizens for.
  • File, skills and interview: our CAAPID program, the Bench Test Course with Dr. Kaur and interview prep with Dr. T cover the three-day finalist stage.
Fact panel

UCLA PPID at a glance

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

ProgramProfessional Program for International Dentists (PPID)UCLA School of Dentistry, Los Angeles
DegreeDDSYou join the regular third-year class1
Length25 months (minimum)Starts with a summer curriculum1
Start dateLate May each yearADEA lists 5 May 2027 for the current intake7
Class size30 seatsClass of 2027: 20 countries1
How to applyADEA CAAPID + UCLA supplementalNo direct-only route4
Deadline30 June 2026, 4 PM PacificPassed. Next cycle opens in March24
INBDEMust be passed before you applyOr NBDE Parts I and II2
EnglishTOEFL iBT 95, or 5.0 on the 2026 scaleSealed paper report; no IELTS listed2
Credential evaluationECE Course-by-Course onlyUCLA does not accept WES4
Bench / skills testYes, for finalistsUCLA calls it a “knowledge and skills assessment”3
Interview3-day interview and assessment$300 non-refundable fee3
Other testsCasper (Acuity Insights)Must be taken before the deadline2
Cost, 2026-27$120,968 program fee a yearAbout $388,000 total projected cost for both years5
LoansPrivate loans for non-citizensMost lenders want a US citizen or green-card co-signer4

Is the program running? Yes.As of October 2026 the PPID is active. UCLA’s page was updated in February 2026, the ADEA listing shows a 2026 application window (6 March to 30 June 2026) and a 5 May 2027 start, and UCLA says it will admit 30 students for the upcoming cycle.147 If you missed June 2026, you are now planning for the cycle that opens in March 2027.

What UCLA asks for

Requirements in detail

UCLA is strict about format and timing. An application with one missing or late piece is marked incomplete and is not reviewed.2

Degree

A final dental degree in handYou must already hold your dental degree when you apply. UCLA does not accept provisional degrees, does not accept transfer students and makes no exceptions.4

INBDE

Passed before the deadlinePass the INBDE, or both NBDE Part I and Part II. Request the official report online and send it to the PPID Coordinator by email by the deadline. You cannot apply now and sit the exam later.24 Our INBDE Premium Boards plan is built for exactly this.

TOEFL

TOEFL for almost everyoneRequired of every applicant who did not finish high school in the US, including US citizens, green-card holders and people with a US master’s degree. For tests before 21 January 2026: 95 total, or Reading 21, Listening 17, Writing 24, Speaking 25. From 21 January 2026: 5.0 overall, or 4.5, 4.5, 5.0, 5.0 by section. Home Edition tests from 21 January 2026 are not accepted. MyBest scores are.24 See our TOEFL course for dentists.

Paper

A sealed, mailed TOEFL reportUCLA wants an official, unopened paper report mailed by ETS using code 8354. Emailed or printed reports are refused. Scores are valid for two years; for the 2026 cycle that meant tests from March 2024 onwards.2

ECE

ECE Course-by-Course, sent to CAAPIDUCLA accepts only ECE and does not accept WES. Send the report to CAAPID; UCLA reads it from there. If you are admitted, an official ECE report also goes to the Office of Student Services.24 Read WES or ECE if you have not ordered yet.

3 LORs

Three named letters, through CAAPIDOne from the dean or head of your dental school, one from a clinical instructor and one from someone of your choice, ideally someone you have worked with. Originals on letterhead, in English, written within the last two years. If the dean from your time is not available, UCLA accepts a verification letter from the current dean or registrar. You may add up to two extra sealed letters sent directly to UCLA.24

Supp

UCLA supplemental application and CVUCLA emails it within two weeks of your completed CAAPID application. Return it with your CV as one PDF, no larger than 5 MB, named “LAST NAME, FIRST NAME”. Two separate files are not accepted, and a file without your name is not processed.24

Casper

Casper through Acuity InsightsAn online, open-response situational judgement test. It must be taken before the deadline; later tests are not accepted.2 Our Casper guide explains the format.

The rule that sinks most UCLA files“Submit everything together.” UCLA will not hold your file while you wait for an INBDE result or a TOEFL score, will not accept any part of the application before the cycle opens in March, and will not accept updates after 30 June.4 Plan your INBDE and TOEFL so both are done before the cycle opens, not during it.

How UCLA chooses

Selection steps: application, assessment, interview

CAAPID applicationSubmit through ADEA CAAPID with your ECE report and three letters. CAAPID charges $264 for your first program and $115 for each additional one in 2026-27.8 New to the portal? Use our CAAPID walkthrough.
UCLA supplemental and feeSend the combined supplemental and CV PDF by email and pay the $250 non-refundable application fee online. Cheques and money orders are not accepted.24
Scores and CasperYour INBDE report, the sealed TOEFL report and your Casper result must all be in by the deadline.2
Committee reviewThe Admissions Committee weighs your academic record, INBDE or NBDE result, TOEFL, personal statement, letters, interpersonal skills at interview and your result in the knowledge and skills assessment.3
Finalist invitationFinalists are told by email. You pay a $300 non-refundable fee, then attend the interview and the knowledge and skills assessment, held over three days.3
DecisionAcceptances go out in the fall. UCLA does not send rejection letters, so silence after the fall usually means no offer this cycle.3
About the bench test at UCLAThe ADEA listing marks UCLA as a bench test school.7 UCLA’s own pages call it a “knowledge and skills assessment” and do not publish the exercises.3 UCLA also says its own bench preparation course is no longer offered.4 Train the standard preparations so you are ready whatever is set. Start with what the dental bench test is, then follow our bench test preparation plan.

Interactive timeline

The UCLA PPID 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 UCLA’s page when it opens.

Before MarchFinish the examsPass the INBDE, sit TOEFL (not Home Edition), order your ECE Course-by-Course, line up your three letters and book Casper.
Early MarchCAAPID opensUCLA’s 2026 window opened on 6 March.7 UCLA accepts nothing before the cycle starts.4
Within 2 weeks of CAAPIDSupplemental arrivesUCLA emails the supplemental application after your CAAPID application is complete.2
30 June, 4 PM PacificHard deadlineSupplemental and CV PDF, $250 fee, INBDE report, sealed TOEFL report and Casper. Allow up to 5 extra business days for campus mail routing.24
After the deadlineFinalists invitedInvitations by email; $300 fee; 3-day interview and knowledge and skills assessment.3
FallAcceptancesOffers go out in the fall. Admitted students on an F-1 visa submit a Certification of Finances covering first-year costs.34
Late May, next yearProgram startsA summer curriculum of didactic and clinical preparatory teaching.1
Following fall quarterJoin the third-year classSame clinics, research and activities as UCLA’s 4-year students, including an 8-week community rotation (CBCE). You graduate with a DDS about 25 months after you start.1

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

The money

Cost and financing

The PPID is a self-supporting program, so California residents and non-residents pay the same fee.4 These are UCLA’s projected 2026-27 budgets for off-campus housing.5

Program fee (summer + academic year)$120,968
Books, supplies and equipment$39,239
Housing and food$38,356
Transport and personal$9,384
Projected total, year 1$207,947

Program fee (summer + academic year)$120,968
Books, supplies and equipment$11,242
Housing and food$38,356
Transport and personal$9,384
Projected total, year 2$179,950

$387,897both years, using UCLA’s 2026-27 budget
$241,936program fees alone, two years
$814to apply: CAAPID $264 + UCLA $250 + $300 if invited

Year totals are UCLA’s figures. Category lines and the two-year totals are our addition of UCLA’s line items. Your second year will be charged at that year’s rates, which may be higher. Loan fees, health care, family costs and travel are not included.5

How international students pay for itStudents who are not US citizens or permanent residents do not qualify for federal financial aid and need a private loan. UCLA notes that most US lenders want a US citizen or permanent resident as co-signer.4 Once enrolled, PPID students can also apply for UCLA’s merit-based, donor-funded scholarships each fall.6 For an F-1 visa you must show funds for the first year before UCLA issues your visa paperwork.24

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 UCLA?

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

Every unticked line is fixable. Start with the exams, because UCLA will not wait for them.

We teach these

How to prepare: our full plan

UCLA tests you at five points: the INBDE, TOEFL, your CAAPID file, the skills assessment and the interview. Here is how The Study Boards prepares you for each one.

INBDE

INBDE Premium BoardsThe exam UCLA requires before you can even apply.

  • 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 UCLA’s supplemental application
  • 300+ dentists placed; limited to 40 students per cycle

See the CAAPID Program

Bench

Bench Test Course with Dr. KaurFor UCLA’s knowledge and skills assessment.

  • 7 days online: Dr. Kaur demonstrates each preparation, you cut it, and your work is critiqued
  • Class II amalgam, crowns (full gold, PFM, all-ceramic), bridge and 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 UCLA’s finalist interview.

  • 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 DentistsUCLA’s TOEFL rule applies even to US citizens, and a score below 95 (or 5.0 on the new scale) ends the application. Our 45-day, mentor-reviewed course follows the 2026 ETS format.

See the TOEFL Course

Keep your options open

Other routes if UCLA is not the right fit

With about 1,300 applicants for 30 seats, even a strong file can miss UCLA.9 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 every program in our full list of US dental schools for international dentists.

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

UCLA PPID FAQ

What is the UCLA dentistry acceptance rate for international dentists?
UCLA does not publish an official PPID acceptance rate. Its spring 2025 magazine says the program takes 30 students a year from nearly 1,300 applicants, which works out to roughly 2 to 3 in every 100 applicants.9 That makes it one of the most competitive Advanced Standing programs in the country, so build a wide school list.
Does UCLA PPID have a bench test?
Yes. Finalists sit a knowledge and skills assessment alongside the interview over three days, and ADEA lists UCLA as a bench test school.37 UCLA does not publish the exercises, and its own preparatory course is no longer offered.4
Can I apply to UCLA PPID before I pass the INBDE?
No. You must have passed the INBDE (or NBDE Parts I and II) and submit the official report by the deadline. UCLA says all supplemental documents must be submitted together.24
Does UCLA accept WES or IELTS?
UCLA does not accept WES; it requires an ECE Course-by-Course report.4 For English, UCLA’s pages list only the TOEFL iBT, sent as a sealed paper report.2
Can international students get loans for the UCLA PPID?
Not federal aid. Non-citizens need a private loan, and UCLA notes that most US lenders require a US citizen or permanent resident co-signer.4 Some international lenders lend without a co-signer, and enrolled PPID students can apply for UCLA scholarships each fall.6
How long is the UCLA PPID, and what degree do I get?
25 months at minimum, starting in late May. You finish a summer curriculum, join the third-year DDS class in the fall and graduate with a DDS. Students who need more time on basic competencies remediate, as 4-year students do.14
Step one for UCLA

Pass the INBDE first, then build the file

UCLA will not look at your application 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 UCLA’s next cycle?

Tell us where you are: INBDE, TOEFL, CAAPID or bench. 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 CAAPID letters of recommendationWho to ask and how

References

  1. UCLA School of Dentistry. Professional Program for International Dentists (PPID) (page updated 10 February 2026): length, start, 30 slots, Class of 2027 profile, integration into third-year class, CBCE rotation. dentistry.ucla.edu
  2. UCLA School of Dentistry. PPID Admissions and Applying: CAAPID, ECE, letters, supplemental application, fees, INBDE, TOEFL minimums and code 8354, Casper, 30 June 2026 deadline, Certification of Finances. dentistry.ucla.edu
  3. UCLA School of Dentistry. PPID Selection Process: finalists, $300 fee, 3-day interview and knowledge and skills assessment, criteria, fall notifications. dentistry.ucla.edu
  4. UCLA School of Dentistry. PPID FAQs: 25 months, 30 students, no provisional degrees, no WES, March cycle start, re-applying, letters, TOEFL rules, self-supporting fee, private loans and co-signers, F-1 Certification of Finances, bench course no longer offered. dentistry.ucla.edu
  5. UCLA School of Dentistry. Tuition and Costs: PPID, 2026-27 annual program fee and projected off-campus budget. dentistry.ucla.edu
  6. UCLA School of Dentistry. Financial Aid for DDS and PPID Students: PPID loans and fall scholarship application. dentistry.ucla.edu
  7. ADEA CAAPID Program Finder. University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry (updated 17 February 2026): size, length, 6 March to 30 June 2026 window, 5 May 2027 start, bench test. programs.adea.org
  8. ADEA. ADEA CAAPID Applicants: 2026-27 fees, $264 first program and $115 each additional. adea.org
  9. UCLA School of Dentistry. Welcoming the World to Westwood, spring 2025 magazine (14 May 2025): 30 students a year from nearly 1,300 applicants. dentistry.ucla.edu

Current as of October 2026. UCLA states that all fees and requirements can change without notice; confirm the new cycle’s dates and figures on dentistry.ucla.edu before you apply. Acceptance odds are our arithmetic from UCLA’s published applicant figure. The Study Boards is not affiliated with UCLA.

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