Objectives: Previous studies documented that dental students have nasal MRSA colonization rates that are higher than the general population (3-20% vs. 2%), with differing rates by year of enrollment, and clinical exposure to patients as an important risk factor. This study compared nasal MRSA colonization rates and MRSA strain characteristics among dental students providing clinical care in an academic dental clinic (D3 year) and in community-based health centers (D4 year). Methods: A sterile swab moistened with normal sterile saline was inserted into the anterior portion of both nostrils to a depth of 1.5cm and rotated 5 times, starting on the right side. Samples were immediately frozen and shipped to the lab for analysis. Nasal swab DNA was characterized by multiplexed amplicon sequencing to identify Staphylococcus species, determine strain types, and detect antibiotic resistance genes. Samples positive for S. aureus or S. epidermidis and mecA were tested for MRSA and MRSE by PCR amplification of the orfX-SCCmec junction. ATSU IRB #2016-308. Results: Volunteers from 3 classes of dental students were screened (n=142) and 114 participated (D2, n=35; D3, n=45; D4, n=34). Students from the D2 year served as controls, as they were not treating patients. S. aureus was present in 35 samples, of which 17 were hospital-associated strain types, and one was the epidemic USA300 strain. Ten samples were positive for S. aureus and mecA (D2, n=0; D3, n=8; D4, n=2), however, just one was positive for MRSA (1.1%), which was an untypable strain type (D3, n=1). All samples except one were positive for S. epidermidis, and most had multiple strain types. At least 15 were MRSE, and testing of another 13 is in progress. Conclusions: Nasal MRSA colonization rate was low among this population of dental students. Strain type was consistent with year of enrollment and clinical setting.