University of Minnesota PASS Program for International Dentists (2026 Guide)

  • Dr. T
  • October 16, 2026
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School guide · University of Minnesota School of Dentistry · Updated October 2026

University of Minnesota PASS Program for International Dentists (2026 Guide)

The University of Minnesota School of Dentistry takes internationally trained dentists through UMN PASS, its Program for Advanced Standing Students: 29 months, 18 places a year, ending with a US DDS degree. You apply through ADEA CAAPID, and Minnesota closes early: the 2026 window ran only from March 5 to March 26, 2026, for a January 4, 2027 start.13

Who this guide is for: Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Nepali dentists (BDS), and other internationally trained dentists aiming for a US DDS or DMD through the INBDE and CAAPID.

29months, DDS degree
18places a year
3 weeksthe 2026 CAAPID window, March 5 to 26
US + Canadaboard exams the program prepares you for

At a glanceWhat UMN wantsRequirementsSelection and timelineAm I ready?Cost and loansHow to prepareOther routesFAQ
Coming up: free UMN PASS webinar, November 18, 2026Minnesota is holding a PASS application webinar on Wednesday, November 18, 2026 at 12:00 PM Central time, covering recent class statistics and advice on the application and interview. Registration is on the PASS page.1 The application window itself is closed until spring 2027.

How The Study Boards helps you get into the University of Minnesota

  • INBDE: Minnesota requires a passing INBDE, and with a three-week window in March, it must be done by late winter. The Study Boards INBDE course gives you faculty-written Modules and Master Files, 35,000+ questions, the Master and Grand Test Series and nightly live tests at 9 PM New York time, with a 99% first-attempt pass rate for students who complete the course.
  • Personalised to you: our courses are extremely personalised. The course learns from the way you study, red lines and assignments are given to you on the go, and faculty assist you whenever you are stuck.
  • TOEFL: Minnesota asks for 5 overall and 4.5 in every section. Our TOEFL course for dentists trains all four sections, so one weak section does not sink your file.
  • Your CAAPID file: our CAAPID application program builds your personal statement and CV with you, guides your letters, and helps you pick a realistic school list.
  • Bench test: The ADEA listing marks a bench test for Minnesota. Our bench test preparation with Dr. Kaur keeps your hands ready.
  • Interview: Interview preparation with Dr. T helps you explain your research, advanced degrees and US or Canadian plans clearly.
The facts in one place

UMN PASS at a glance

From Minnesota’s own pages, its Class of 2029 cost sheet and the ADEA CAAPID listing, checked in October 2026.

Program for Advanced Standing Students (UMN PASS), Minneapolis
DegreeDDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery)1
Length29 months, full time1
Start dateJanuary 4, 2027 for the current class32
Class size18 a year1
How to applyADEA CAAPID, plus a $150 UMN PASS fee paid online17
Last deadlineMarch 26, 2026; the window opened March 53
INBDEPass required1
English testTOEFL iBT 5 (94 legacy), every section 4.5 (20 legacy), within two years1
Credential evaluationWES on the UMN page; the ADEA listing names ECE13
Bench testYes, per the ADEA listing; format not published3
InterviewYes; UMN’s webinar covers interview advice, format not published1
Tuition (Class of 2029)$350,893 for 29 months, locked for the program2
Estimated total cost$475,183, including fees, insurance and living costs2
Visa statusEveryone may apply; admitted students get F-1 support from UMN’s international office13

An integrated program

PASS is integrated: you receive the same clinical education as every other Minnesota DDS student, and the ADEA listing says international dentists spend the first 8 months in the afternoons as a small cohort building clinical skills. UMN says PASS is one of the only programs that also prepares graduates for the dental board exams to practise in Canada, and reports 100% employment after graduation.13

Months 1 to 8Small PASS cohort in the afternoons, building clinical skills
Months 9 to 29Full clinical education with the DDS class in Minneapolis

What the school looks for

What the University of Minnesota focuses on

Minnesota describes itself as a research school with a strong service mission, and it publishes a detailed profile of the dentists it admits.

Research

Research-based teachingAll PASS instruction is research-based. The school leads research in biomaterials, pain, virology and bone development, and runs the first dental-dedicated MRI in the US.16

Degrees

Advanced degrees are commonPASS Classes of 2027 to 2029 hold 29 advanced degrees between them: 11 MS, 9 MPH, 5 MBA, 2 Master of Medicine, a DMD and a PhD.1

Grades

A strong GPAThe minimum GPA is 2.5, but the PASS page lists an average dental school GPA of 3.34. The Class of 2028 averaged 3.21.14

English

TOEFL well above the minimumThe minimum is 5 (94), but the Class of 2028 averaged a TOEFL of 106.14

Service

Care for all communitiesThe mission is health through discovery, education and the highest-quality care for all communities. DDS students spend 10 to 12 weeks at outreach sites such as tribal and rural clinics.56

Canada

Two countries in viewPASS prepares graduates for US and Canadian board exams, and the Class of 2028 came from nine countries, including India.14

Our advice

So in your CAAPID essays and interview, show this

  • Your research or advanced degree, and what it taught you as a clinician. Half of the Class of 2028 brought an advanced degree.
  • Why a research-based school suits you: a question from your own practice you want answered, not general praise.
  • Service you have done, especially in rural or underserved settings. Minnesota’s mission and outreach sites put weight on this.
  • If Canada is part of your plan, say so. UMN names Canadian board preparation as a strength of PASS.
  • A US or Canadian dentist who knows your work. UMN prefers one of your three letters from a practising US or Canadian dentist.

This is our advice, built on what the school publishes above. The school does not publish a scoring rubric.

What Minnesota asks for

Requirements in detail

The PASS page and the ADEA listing differ on a few points. Where they do, we show both, and you should confirm with UMN.

A dental degree from outside the US and CanadaPASS is for graduates of dental schools outside the United States and Canada. Every current student holds at least a Bachelor of Dental Surgery or its equivalent from abroad.1

A passing INBDE resultUMN’s page requires a passing INBDE; the ADEA listing also accepts NBDE Parts I and II.13 The INBDE costs $1,325 for internationally trained dentists ($890 plus a $435 processing fee) as of October 2026.9 With a March deadline, follow our INBDE and CAAPID timeline backwards from early March.

TOEFL: 5 overall and 4.5 in each sectionTaken in the last two years, with a total of 5 or above (94 legacy) and every section at 4.5 or above (20 legacy). UMN’s page says you can request a waiver if your dental degree or an advanced degree was taught in English; the ADEA listing says the TOEFL is mandatory regardless. The ADEA listing accepts the Home Edition and MyBest scores.13

Credential evaluation and a 2.5 GPAUMN’s page says a WES evaluation is needed for a degree from outside the US and Canada, with a minimum GPA of 2.5. The ADEA listing names ECE. Ask UMN which it wants before you pay.13 See WES or ECE: which do you need.

Three letters of evaluationSubmitted through CAAPID. UMN prefers one from a professor or dean of your dental school and one from a practising US or Canadian dentist. Family members cannot write them.1 Our letters of recommendation guide explains how to ask.

The $150 PASS feePaid online with your CAAPID ID.7

Not a US citizen or green-card holder?You can apply. UMN welcomes all applicants regardless of citizenship or visa status, and admitted students who need an F-1 visa work with the International Student and Scholar Services office, including F-2 visas for eligible family.13

From CAAPID to your first day

Selection steps and the application timeline

This is how the 2026 cycle ran. Minnesota has not posted 2027 dates yet; the early deadline is the thing to plan around.

November 18, 2026UMN PASS application webinarRecent class statistics and advice on your application and interview. Register on the PASS page.1
By FebruaryEverything readyINBDE passed, TOEFL 5 with 4.5 sections, credential report ordered, three letter writers agreed.
March 5, 2026CAAPID opens for MinnesotaSubmit in the first days and pay the $150 PASS fee. Our CAAPID walkthrough covers each section.37
March 26, 2026DeadlineThree weeks after opening.3
Spring and summerBench test and interviewThe ADEA listing marks a bench test, and UMN’s webinar covers interview advice. UMN does not publish the format or dates, so watch your email.
January 4, 2027Classes beginSpring semester runs January 4 to May 7, 2027; the first bill is due February 5, 2027.2

Bench test: prepare for the common exercisesBecause Minnesota does not publish its bench exercises, practise the standard set: Class II amalgam and composite preparations and a full crown preparation. Our bench test exercises by school page and how schools grade the bench test show what examiners check.

Self-check

Am I ready to apply to Minnesota?

Tick what is already done. With a March deadline, everything here should be finished by February.

Minnesota’s own figures, Class of 2029

Cost and financing

Minnesota publishes a semester-by-semester budget, and tuition will not increase during the 29 months. Tap a year.2

Tuition$146,761
Fees, health insurance, loan fees$16,157
Books, room and board, transport, personal$36,261
Total for 2027$199,179

Tuition$146,761
Fees, health insurance, loan fees$15,702
Books, room and board, transport, personal$36,261
Total for 2028$198,724

Tuition$57,371
Fees, health insurance, loan fees$6,355
Books, room and board, transport, personal$13,554
Total for spring 2029$77,280

Tuition$350,893
Fees, health insurance, loan fees$38,214
Living costs$86,076
Estimated total$475,183

UMN says the total varies with dependants, living costs and fee changes, and elective classes can add fees. The fee lines include international student fees and $2,650 of loan fees.

Before you are accepted, budget for the INBDE ($1,325), the CAAPID fee ($264 for your first program, $115 for each extra one), your credential evaluation, the $150 PASS fee and your TOEFL.987

How international dentists pay for it

Advanced Standing usually costs roughly $250,000 to $450,000 all-in. Almost everyone finances it with loans, so do not let the number stop you.

Minnesota’s PASS pages do not describe a loan program for international students, though its own budget includes loan fees. Ask UMN’s financial aid office what it accepts once you are admitted.

Across the US, the common routes are private education loans, co-signer loans with a US citizen or green-card holder, and a few international lenders that need no co-signer. Read is becoming a US dentist worth it and the cost to apply to US dental schools for the full picture.

We prepare you for each step

How to prepare: our full plan

Minnesota judges your INBDE, TOEFL, written file, bench test and interview, all on an early timeline. Here is how The Study Boards prepares you for each part.

INBDE

INBDE Premium BoardsDone by February for a March deadline:

  • Faculty-written Modules and Master Files for every subject
  • 35,000+ focused questions, answered by US-licensed dentists, not AI
  • Master and Grand Test Series, plus nightly live tests at 9 PM New York time
  • 99% first-attempt pass rate for students who complete the course
  • $299 for 3 months, $499 for 6 months, $899 for 12 months, or $39 a month

See the INBDE Course Blueprint

CAAPID

Master the CAAPID ApplicationYour written file, built with our faculty:

  • Personal statement, letters and CV, reviewed by our faculty
  • Profile and school-list strategy with Dr. T
  • Mock interview sessions included

See the CAAPID Program

Hands

Bench test preparation with Dr. KaurThe ADEA listing marks a bench test for Minnesota:

  • Video sessions with Dr. Kaur, one preparation at a time
  • Your own preparations critiqued by US-licensed faculty
  • A practice week and a competency exam at the end

See Bench Test Preparation

Interview

Interview preparation with Dr. TFor the interview UMN’s webinar prepares you for:

See Interview Preparation

TOEFL

TOEFL iBT course for dentistsMinnesota checks every section, not just the total:

  • 45 days, mentor-reviewed, built on the 2026 TOEFL format
  • Reading, listening, writing and speaking practice for the new task types

See the TOEFL Course

Call

Not sure where you stand?Share your INBDE status, TOEFL score and years of practice, and we will tell you honestly whether the University of Minnesota belongs on your next CAAPID list.

Book a 10-minute call with Dr. T

Keep your options open

Other routes if Minnesota is not the right fit

Eighteen places and a three-week window make Minnesota hard to plan around, so most dentists apply to several programs.

DDS/DMD

Advanced Standing elsewhereOther US schools run 2 to 3 year Advanced Standing programs to a DDS or DMD, mostly through ADEA CAAPID. Compare them in our full list of US dental schools and the Advanced Standing programs guide.

AEGD

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

PASS

Residency directlySpecialty residencies through ADEA PASS. This is more competitive for internationally trained dentists. Read CAAPID or PASS to choose.

Teach

TeachingSome dentists start in teaching and research roles at dental schools while they plan their next step.

If you are also weighing Canada, the NDEB AFK route is the first exam on that path, and many of our students prepare for the INBDE and the AFK together.

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

Can an Indian BDS graduate apply to Minnesota’s Advanced Standing program?
Yes. UMN PASS is for graduates of dental schools outside the US and Canada, all current students hold at least a BDS or equivalent, and the Class of 2028 includes dentists from India. You need a passing INBDE, a TOEFL of 5 with 4.5 sections, a credential evaluation and a GPA of at least 2.5.
Do Pakistani dentists need the INBDE for the University of Minnesota?
Yes. A passing INBDE is required for every applicant; the ADEA listing also accepts NBDE Parts I and II. Your country does not change this, and you can apply whatever your visa status.
When is the UMN PASS deadline?
The 2026 deadline was March 26, 2026, three weeks after CAAPID opened on March 5. The next dates are not posted yet, so plan to submit in early March 2027.
How much does UMN PASS cost?
For the Class of 2029, tuition is $350,893 for 29 months and UMN’s estimated total is $475,183, including fees, insurance and living costs. Tuition does not rise during the program.
Does UMN PASS prepare you for Canada?
Yes. UMN says PASS is one of the only programs that prepares graduates for the dental board exams to practise in Canada as well as the US.
How can The Study Boards help me get into Minnesota?
We prepare you for the INBDE, the TOEFL sections, your CAAPID file, the bench test with Dr. Kaur and the interview with Dr. T, on a plan that finishes before March.
Your Minnesota application starts with the INBDE

INBDE Premium Boards by The Study Boards

Modules, Master Files, Grand Tests and nightly live tests at 9 PM New York time, with US-licensed dentists answering your questions. Finish the course on time, score 60% or more on every test and still do not pass? The Pass Guarantee refunds the course and your exam registration fee.

35,000+ questions99% first-attempt pass ratePass Guarantee

See the Blueprint

US Dental Schools for International DentistsEvery Advanced Standing program, side by side.INBDE + AFK Combo PlanIf you want both US and Canadian options.

Planning to apply to the University of Minnesota?

Message us on WhatsApp. Our Admin Team with Dr. T and Dr. Kaur will contact you over WhatsApp and help you plan your INBDE, TOEFL and CAAPID around the next cycle.

Message the Admin Team on WhatsApp

References

  1. University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. UMN Program for Advanced Standing Students (PASS): requirements, class profile, webinar. dentistry.umn.edu
  2. University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. PASS Class of 2029: Tuition and Fees for full-time 29-month Program (linked from the PASS page). docs.google.com (UMN School of Dentistry)
  3. ADEA CAAPID. University of Minnesota School of Dentistry program listing (updated May 13, 2026): dates, 18 places, bench test, TOEFL rules. programs.adea.org
  4. University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. Eighteen learners join DDS Class of 2028 through UMN PASS, January 13, 2026. dentistry.umn.edu
  5. University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. Our Mission and History. dentistry.umn.edu
  6. University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. Points of Pride: clinics, outreach sites, research. dentistry.umn.edu
  7. University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. Program for Advanced Standing Students Application Fee ($150). sod-umn.nbsstore.net
  8. ADEA. ADEA CAAPID: Prepare to Apply, 2026-27 application fees. adea.org
  9. Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations. INBDE 2026 Candidate Guide: fees. jcnde.ada.org

Current as of October 2026. Program details, dates and costs are from the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry and ADEA CAAPID; costs are estimates and change. Confirm everything with the PASS office before you apply. The Study Boards is not affiliated with the University of Minnesota.

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