If you’re on the path to becoming a dentist, you know it’s not a short journey. After four years of excelling in your undergraduate education, you can take the Dental Admission Test (DAT) and then apply to dental school to complete your training.

North Carolinians aren’t wanting for choice when it comes to higher education, either. The state has many public and private universities where you can complete your undergraduate education, and many offer dental hygiene Bachelor’s degrees, too. But, if you want to go onto a doctorate in Dental Medicine or Dental Surgery, you’ll have to look a bit harder to find the right school.

East Carolina University’s admitted its first class in its School of Dental Medicine in 2011. Since then, the school has limited admission to in-state students. East Carolina’s program provides students with training in general dental practice, as well as in advanced general dentistry. Applicants must have a Bachelor’s degree — the subject doesn’t matter, so long as students have passed prerequisite courses. The four-year program will have you in the heart of small-town Greenville, North Carolina, but don’t be fooled: approximately 27,000 students liven up this eastern city.

Another option for your dental training is at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Many rankings place the University of North Carolina in the nation’s top five dental schools. On top of that, tuition is approximately $25,000 per year for in-state students, which is roughly 30% less than what the average dental student pays. If you are looking to become the top Harrisburg, NC Dentist you will start off on good footing if you go to UNC.

UNC requires applicants to have a GPA slightly higher than other dental schools, as well as a DAT moderately higher than the average, too. But UNC will open plenty of doors for you, as far as training goes. Their Doctor of Dental Surgery Program allows you to specialize in everything general dentistry, to endodontics, to pediatric dentistry, to orthodontics, to prosthodontics. Every student will take courses in surgery, radiology and endodontics, as well as patient management. And, if four years of training isn’t enough, you can pursue a PhD in Oral Biology or Epidemiology at UNC. Garner, NC dentist Adam Moore is one of many that graduated from UNC Dental School.

Though there are only two options in the Tar Heel State, you will receive top-notch training at either ECU or UNC. All you have to do is apply and you’ll be on your way to a rewarding career in dentistry.