The best pharmacy schools in the U.S. in 2024
By value for money, the best pharmacy schools in the U.S. are Northeastern University, Butler University, and the University of Pittsburgh.
The pharmacy schools with the highest earning grads, 4 years after leaving the program, are the University of the Pacific, the University of Southern California, and Touro University California.
Direct-entry pharmacy programs can help students save big on their PharmD.
Pharmacists are more than just fancy cashiers for pills – they are crucial, highly educated healthcare professionals who possess deep knowledge of medication – its purposes, proper dosage, potential side effects, counterindications, and more.
They also earn pretty sweet paychecks – an average of $136,030 per year according to the BLS.
The catch? Pharmacy school is expensive, with the average debt at graduation sitting at $146,014 according to data from the NCES.
To help you achieve your dream of becoming a pharmacist while avoiding excessive student debt, we have compiled a list of the best pharmacy schools in the country – ranked by value for money.
These schools offer the optimal combination of relatively low net cost and high earnings post-graduation, according to government data. As a bonus, we’ve provided information on their NAPLEX pass rates, direct-entry options, minimum GPAs, and more.
The top pharmacy schools – by value for money
Honorable mentions
Below, we list the best pharmacy programs in Texas, California, and New York.
Best pharmacy schools in Texas
| College | Average earnings | Average debt |
|---|---|---|
| Texas Southern University | $127,953 | $74,412 |
| Texas A&M University | $139,164 | $133,620 |
| University of Houston | $127,260 | $127,984 |
| University of the Incarnate Word | $135,485 | $219,290 |
| University of Texas at Austin | $136,681 | Unknown |
Best pharmacy schools in California
| College | Average earnings | Average debt |
|---|---|---|
| Touro University California | $159,098 | $232,627 |
| University of the Pacific | $161,645 | $227,653 |
| University of Southern California | $160,422 | $234,278 |
| Western University of Health Sciences | $147,397 | $233,798 |
| Loma Linda University | $145,746 | $233,845 |
Best pharmacy schools in New York
| College | Average earnings | Average debt |
|---|---|---|
| Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | $134,325 | $66,000 |
| St. John’s University, New York | $135,501 | $96,870 |
| Long Island University | $125,308 | $102,669 |
| University at Buffalo | $132,793 | $123,815 |
| St. John Fisher University | $129,416 | $175,497 |
How we ranked pharmacy schools
To rank pharmacy programs by value for money, we used our signature methodology.
Our methodology uses just 2 variables – average cost (or debt) and post-graduation earnings – to generate an economic score that reflects a program’s return on investment (ROI) value.
The lower the economic score, the better.
Programs with a good economic score provide the optimal combination of affordability and high earnings. Given the skyrocketing cost of college, we believe this is a better way to evaluate degrees than murkier metrics like prestige.
- Debt refers to the average total debt at graduation accrued by students to pay for their PharmD. It does not include undergraduate student debt.
- Earnings refers to the average yearly earnings of program graduates, 4 years after leaving school.
All cost and earnings data comes from the National Center for Education Statistics’ IPEDS tool, a primary government source on economic outcomes of degree programs.
Of the 142 pharmacy schools in the U.S., 78 disclosed sufficient outcome data to the NCES for us to rank them.
Data on NAPLEX pass rates comes from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.
Data on GPA preferences, early assurance programs, etc. comes from programs’ websites and PharmCAS, the Pharmacy College Application Service.
Pharmacy school accreditation
The main accrediting body for pharmacy programs is the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).
Make sure the pharmacy program you are considering is accredited by the ACPE. All programs mentioned in this article are ACPE accredited.
The pharmacy programs with the highest-earning grads
If you’re lucky enough not to care about student debt, your definition of the “best pharmacy programs” may boil down to future earnings. Below, we show the 10 pharmacy schools with the highest average earnings, 4 years after graduation, according to NCES data.
| College | Average earnings, 4 years on |
|---|---|
| University of the Pacific | $161,645 |
| University of Southern California | $160,422 |
| Touro University California | $159,098 |
| Western University of Health Sciences | $147,397 |
| Loma Linda University | $145,746 |
| University of Washington | $139,333 |
| Texas A & M University, College Station | $139,164 |
| University of Wyoming | $137,551 |
| Oregon State University | $136,880 |
| The University of Texas at Austin | $136,681 |
What are direct entry pharmacy programs?
Direct entry pharmacy programs, also known as early assurance pharmacy programs, allow promising, motivated students to enter pharmacy school directly after high school.
Direct entry pharmacy programs take 6 years to complete – 2 years are spent on general education and pharmacy prerequisites, followed by 4 normal years of pharmacy school.
The advantage of early assurance programs is that students are guaranteed a spot in competitive pharmacy schools, and they save money on their undergraduate education, paying for just 2 years of bachelor’s-level courses instead of 4. Most early assurance pharmacy programs confer bachelor’s degrees as well as a PharmD.
How to get into pharmacy school
- Complete the pre-requisite courses. Each college has different prereqs for pharmacy school, but they usually include general chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, anatomy, microbiology, statistics, calculus, and English composition. If you do not take these courses during college, you can take them independently, earning college credits even if you don’t pursue a degree. You can also complete your pre-reqs as part of an associate degree program.
- Maintain a high GPA. While most pharmacy schools post an official “minimal GPA,” average GPAs tend to be higher. According to PharmCAS, the average GPA for successful pharmacy school applicants was 3.35 in 202-2023.
- Volunteer or get work experience. Getting experience in a healthcare setting can be a big plus on your resume.
- Get great letters of recommendation. Participate in class discussions, go to office hours, and try to complete some faculty-supervised research as an undergrad to snag some great letters of recommendation.
- Take any required standardized tests. Pharmacy schools used to require applicants to take an exam called the PCAT. However, it was discontinued in January 2024. Most pharmacy schools no longer require any standardized tests, but several do, so plan accordingly.
- Apply to pharmacy schools through PharmCAS. This centralized application service will help you apply for multiple pharmacy schools at once. Note that high school students applying for direct entry programs are not eligible; they’ll need to apply to programs directly.
Do you need a bachelor’s for pharmacy school?
Surprisingly, no!
Many pharmacy schools do not require you to have a bachelor’s degree, as long as you have taken the pre-requisite science classes.
According to PharmCAS, only 61.2% of pharmacy school applicants have a bachelor’s degree. Meanwhile, 29.1% have an associate degree, 1.9% have a certificate or credential, and 5.8% have a master’s degree when applying for pharmacy school.
The most common majors for pharmacy school applicants are biology, pharmacy, and chemistry, according to the same source.
Is it hard to get into pharmacy school?
Pharmacy school is much easier to get into than medical or dental school. According to a report by PharmCAS, 86.8% of pharmacy school applicants were accepted for the 2022-2023 academic year.
Of course, this doesn’t mean just anyone can get into pharmacy school. You do still need to have completed the prerequisite science courses, meaning much of the applicant pool is already self-selected.
Also remember that pharmacy school is no walk in the park: with a 12.7% attrition (i.e. drop out) rate, you want to make sure you’re well prepared before enrolling, or else you’ll just rack up student debt with no degree to show for it.
How long is pharmacy school?
Pharmacy programs traditionally take 4 years to complete.
However, some accelerated programs take 3 years, and some direct-entry programs, which include 2 years of prerequisite courses instead of a bachelor’s degree, take a total of 6 years.
Final thoughts
The world needs pharmacists, and if it’s your dream to become one, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to do that without drowning in student loans.
To start your pharmacy career on the right foot, consider a high-value PharmD degree on our list that will thoroughly prepare you to succeed as a financially secure pharmacist. A PharmD is a great investment in your future, but you still need to be smart about the program you pick.
Not sure pharmacy is for you after all? See our list of high-paid allied health jobs that don’t require too much schooling.
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