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Pharmacist Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a pharmacist. Pharmacists usually study pharmacy, biology, or business. 55% of pharmacists hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 34,855 real pharmacist resumes to see exactly what pharmacist education sections show.
The most common colleges for pharmacists are the University of the Sciences and the University of the Sciences.
There are also many online pharmacist courses to help get the education required to be a pharmacist.
There are certain pharmacist certifications that you should consider. These pharmacist certifications include Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) and Board Certified Medication Therapy Management Specialists (BCMTMS).
What education do you need to become a pharmacist?
What degree do you need to be a pharmacist?
- Bachelor's, 55%
- Doctorate, 27%
- Master's, 6%
- Associate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a pharmacist?
Most common colleges for pharmacists
| Pharmacist Common College | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of the Sciences | 7.85% |
| University of Florida | 7.56% |
| St Louis College of Pharmacy | 7.09% |
| Temple University | 5.89% |
| Long Island University | 5.83% |
Best majors for pharmacists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pharmacy | 74.2% |
| 2 | Biology | 6.2% |
| 3 | Business | 3.6% |
| 4 | Chemistry | 2.8% |
| 5 | Health/Medical Preparatory Programs | 2.1% |
Best colleges for pharmacists
The best colleges for pharmacists are Northeastern University, University of Southern California, and University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.
A pharmacist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for pharmacists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become pharmacists.
1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-State Tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
3. University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$13,700
Enrollment
29,722
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
6. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-State Tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
7. University of California - Davis
Davis, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$14,402
Enrollment
30,698
8. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-State Tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
9. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-State Tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
20 best online courses for pharmacists
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13. Medical Emergencies: CPR, Toxicology, and Wilderness
In this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to assess and stabilize certain types of patients for transport. By the end of this course, you will be able to: (1) Identify the signs and symptoms associated with a patient in shock, to describe the major categories of shock, to assess a patient with signs of shock and formulate a plan for treatment to stabilize the patient for transport, (2) Identify a patient in cardiac arrest and to describe the components of high performance CPR...
14. Trauma Emergencies and Care
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18. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children
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19. Value-Based Care: Managing Processes to Improve Outcomes
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Top 10 most affordable universities for pharmacists
The most affordable schools for pharmacists are University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, university of missouri - kansas city, and university of colorado denver.
If the best universities for pharmacists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for pharmacists.
1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,987
Cost of Attendance
25,527
2. University of Missouri - Kansas City
Kansas City, MO • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,178
Cost of Attendance
20,934
3. University of Colorado Denver
Denver, CO • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,283
Cost of Attendance
22,243
4. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-State Tuition
$11,207
Cost of Attendance
25,275
5. York College of the City University of New York
Jamaica, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,158
Cost of Attendance
14,204
6. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,992
Cost of Attendance
22,430
7. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,625
Cost of Attendance
24,718
8. Augusta University
Augusta, GA • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,604
Cost of Attendance
20,618
9. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$10,099
Cost of Attendance
24,568
10. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-State Tuition
$10,555
Cost of Attendance
25,497
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for pharmacists
The hardest universities for pharmacists to get into are Northeastern University, University of Southern California, and University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.
Some great schools for pharmacists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for pharmacists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
19%
SAT Average
1,466
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
13%
SAT Average
1,445
3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions Rate
23%
SAT Average
1,434
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions Rate
10%
SAT Average
1,514
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions Rate
11%
SAT Average
1,513
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions Rate
9%
SAT Average
1,516
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions Rate
23%
SAT Average
1,398
8. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions Rate
6%
SAT Average
1,517
9. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
15%
SAT Average
1,461
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for pharmacists
The easiest schools for pharmacists to get into are MCPHS University, d'youville college, and notre dame of maryland university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a pharmacist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for pharmacists.
1. MCPHS University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
93%
SAT Average
1,144
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
100%
SAT Average
1,072
3. Notre Dame of Maryland University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions Rate
88%
SAT Average
1,069
4. Washington State University
Pullman, WA • Private
Admissions Rate
77%
SAT Average
1,123
5. Augusta University
Augusta, GA • Private
Admissions Rate
80%
SAT Average
1,172
6. University of Colorado Denver
Denver, CO • Private
Admissions Rate
64%
SAT Average
1,132
7. Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, MI • Private
Admissions Rate
76%
SAT Average
1,025
8. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
88%
SAT Average
1,044
9. University of Toledo
Toledo, OH • Private
Admissions Rate
94%
SAT Average
1,145
10. Long Island University
Brookville, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
76%
SAT Average
1,167
Average pharmacist salary by education level
| Pharmacist education level | Pharmacist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $116,591 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $115,712 |
| Doctorate Degree | $122,513 |
Pharmacist Education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025