Recently, I was surprised while chatting with a friend.

They mentioned that their sibling got into the USC Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, which is USC's dental school.

At first, I thought, "Wow, they must be really good at studying," but when I heard about the tuition, I was left speechless.

The USC dental school is located near the USC Medical Campus in downtown Los Angeles, California, and is one of the top dental schools in the United States.

It's such a well-known school that almost everyone interested in dentistry knows its name.

The problem is that not only is getting in difficult, but the cost of attending is truly astronomical.

My friend mentioned that they are living independently in an apartment next to the school, and the total cost, including living expenses, is nearly $180,000 a year.

At first, I thought I misheard. When you combine tuition, equipment costs, insurance, and living expenses... it amounts to several years' worth of a working person's salary just to attend for one year.

By the time they graduate after four years, the total cost could reach around 700 million to 900 million Korean won. It's shocking.

Honestly, I know that many universities are expensive these days, but I felt that dental school is on a completely different level.

Especially USC is known as one of the most expensive dental schools in the U.S.

It's not just about having money to get in. The average GPA is around 3.76, and the average DAT score is over 21.

The acceptance rate for international students is around 2%, making it almost a war. It's a competitive environment among high-achieving students.

My friend's sibling originally majored in biology and spent years preparing by working in a lab, shadowing in hospitals, and volunteering.

In the U.S., the process of getting into dental school feels like a long-term project.

Unlike in Korea, where students go directly to dental school after entering university, many students finish their undergraduate studies and then apply again, which takes a lot of time.

But this raises another question: "So do dentists really make a lot of money these days?"

Honestly, in the U.S., dentists still have relatively high incomes.

There are regional differences, but for general practitioners, salaries often exceed $200,000 to $300,000, and in well-performing areas, it can be much higher.

Especially in major metropolitan areas like California, Texas, and New York, competition is fierce, but patient demand remains steady, making it a stable profession.

However, the perception that "being a dentist means never having to worry about money" has changed somewhat.

First of all, the amount of student debt is enormous. Many graduates from places like USC start with debts in the hundreds of thousands.

Additionally, the costs of starting a practice are also extremely high. When you consider equipment costs, rent, and employee salaries, the financial burden is significant from the start.

Still, being a dentist in the U.S. is considered a top-tier profession.

While it's not a physically demanding job, it is relatively stable and has a high social status.

Especially in the Korean community, there is still a strong preference for careers like "doctor, dentist, pharmacist," making it one of the professions parents often discuss when talking about their children's education.

The most surprising thing I heard from my friend was the burden on parents. The scale of tuition is truly daunting.

In the U.S., the idea of children's education has shifted from "as long as they study well" to feeling like a game that involves financial planning as well.

Still, getting into USC's dental school is an impressive achievement. Given how difficult it is to get in, the quality of education is said to be top-notch.

Starting from D2, students begin treating real patients, so the school has a strong focus on practical training, which enhances adaptability after graduation.

Every time I hear about college tuition in the U.S., I feel like the numbers are becoming unreal.

However, the fact that so many applicants are still drawn to these costs suggests that the prospects for professional careers in the U.S. are promising.