Bachelor of Dental Science (BDS) is an undergraduate programme of about 5 years in the medical stream. It is offered by 358 colleges on this record, across 402 individual programmes.
Across those colleges, fees run from ₹10,000 to ₹43 lakh for the full programme, the median reported salary is ₹4.5 LPA and colleges report about 35,154 seats between them.
The spread matters more than the midpoint. Half of the reported packages sit below ₹4.5 LPA, while the top tenth reach around ₹11.5 LPA. Plan against the median — the high figure belongs to a small number of colleges, and getting into one of them is the whole game.
What to check before you commit
- The college, not just the course. 358 colleges run this degree, and they are not interchangeable — teaching, recruiters and fees all differ sharply.
- The specialisation you will be admitted into. Most colleges now allot it at admission rather than in the second year.
- The entrance route and its calendar. Work backwards from the exam date, not forwards from the application deadline.
- The all-in cost. Tuition plus hostel and living, minus any waiver you qualify for.
- What the batch actually earns. Ask for the median and the placed percentage, not the highest offer.