Best degree programs for Pharmacists, ranked by enrollment
2 college programs and 145 schools train Pharmacists. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $140,910 median wage, 321,970 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
2 college programs at 145 schools train pharmacists, graduating 11,434 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Pharmacy. The job pays a median of $140,910 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About pharmacists
Dispense drugs prescribed by physicians and other health practitioners and provide information to patients about medications and their use. May advise physicians and other health practitioners on the selection, dosage, interactions, and side effects of medications.
A pharmacist, also known as a chemist in Commonwealth English, is a healthcare professional who is knowledgeable about preparation, mechanism of action, clinical usage and legislation of medications in order to dispense them safely to the public and to provide consultancy services. A pharmacist also often serves as a primary care provider in the community and offers services, such as health screenings and immunizations.
Read more on Wikipedia →Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
2 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pharmacymain feeder CIP 51.2001 | 11,406 | 99.8% | 144 | $48,728 | $23,761 |
| 2 | CIP 51.2008 | 28 | 0.2% | 5 | $48,728 | $23,761 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 304 | Pharmacy | 62% | $35,358 | 85% |
| 2 | Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Erie, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 233 | Pharmacy | — | — | — |
| 3 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 229 | Pharmacy | 91% | — | 24% |
| 4 | Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 222 | Pharmacy | 63% | $31,672 | 73% |
| 5 | Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ Public · 1 feeder programs | 206 | Pharmacy | 84% | — | 58% |
| 6 | St. John's University - New York Queens, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 198 | Pharmacy | 66% | $27,359 | 83% |
| 7 | University of the Pacific Stockton, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 196 | Pharmacy | 69% | $23,964 | 71% |
| 8 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 177 | Pharmacy | 92% | $26,873 | 10% |
| 9 | University of Kansas Lawrence, KS Public · 2 feeder programs | 165 | Pharmacy | 69% | — | 93% |
| 10 | Long Island University Brookville, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 163 | Pharmacy | 57% | $24,639 | 86% |
| 11 | University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 159 | Pharmacy | 62% | — | 77% |
| 12 | University of Connecticut Storrs, CT Public · 1 feeder programs | 157 | Pharmacy | 83% | — | 52% |
| 13 | Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN Public · 1 feeder programs | 146 | Pharmacy | 83% | — | 50% |
| 14 | Northeastern University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 144 | Pharmacy | 91% | $18,925 | 5% |
| 15 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 144 | Pharmacy | 91% | — | 15% |
| 16 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 139 | Pharmacy | 79% | $34,418 | 89% |
| 17 | University of Georgia Athens, GA Public · 1 feeder programs | 138 | Pharmacy | 90% | — | 38% |
| 18 | Auburn University Auburn, AL Public · 1 feeder programs | 133 | Pharmacy | 82% | — | 46% |
| 19 | Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Albany, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 129 | Pharmacy | 68% | $23,207 | 53% |
| 20 | University of Kentucky Lexington, KY Public · 1 feeder programs | 129 | Pharmacy | 71% | — | 93% |
| 21 | The University of Tennessee Health Science Center Memphis, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 128 | Pharmacy | — | — | — |
| 22 | University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI Public · 1 feeder programs | 122 | Pharmacy | 90% | — | 45% |
| 23 | Roseman University of Health Sciences Henderson, NV Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 120 | Pharmacy | — | — | — |
| 24 | University of Arizona Tucson, AZ Public · 1 feeder programs | 120 | Pharmacy | 68% | — | 86% |
| 25 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 120 | Pharmacy | 85% | — | 80% |
| 26 | Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 119 | Pharmacy | 84% | — | 57% |
| 27 | Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 117 | Pharmacy | 77% | $32,060 | 84% |
| 28 | Temple University Philadelphia, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 117 | Pharmacy | 75% | — | 80% |
| 29 | Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 114 | Pharmacy | 88% | — | 61% |
| 30 | University of Houston Houston, TX Public · 2 feeder programs | 113 | Pharmacy | 65% | — | 74% |
| 31 | Shenandoah University Winchester, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 109 | Pharmacy | 67% | $27,455 | 77% |
| 32 | University of California - San Francisco San Francisco, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 109 | Pharmacy | — | — | — |
| 33 | Ohio Northern University Ada, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 106 | Pharmacy | 75% | $23,912 | 74% |
| 34 | Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI Public · 1 feeder programs | 103 | Pharmacy | 47% | — | 91% |
| 35 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 103 | Pharmacy | 85% | — | 58% |
| 36 | University of Toledo Toledo, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 103 | Pharmacy | 57% | — | 92% |
| 37 | University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI Public · 1 feeder programs | 102 | Pharmacy | 73% | — | 72% |
| 38 | Xavier University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 102 | Pharmacy | 49% | $19,760 | 69% |
| 39 | The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 101 | Pharmacy | 89% | — | 27% |
| 40 | Western University of Health Sciences Pomona, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 101 | Pharmacy | — | — | — |
| 41 | Mercer University Macon, GA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 98 | Pharmacy | 70% | $22,641 | 69% |
| 42 | University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC Public · 1 feeder programs | 96 | Pharmacy | 79% | — | 60% |
| 43 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO Public · 2 feeder programs | 95 | Pharmacy | 46% | — | 75% |
| 44 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 94 | Pharmacy | 85% | — | 39% |
| 45 | Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 93 | Pharmacy | 63% | — | 93% |
| 46 | University of Iowa Iowa City, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 92 | Pharmacy | 75% | — | 84% |
| 47 | University of Missouri - Kansas City Kansas City, MO Public · 1 feeder programs | 91 | Pharmacy | 55% | — | 72% |
| 48 | Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Lubbock, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 90 | Pharmacy | — | — | — |
| 49 | University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY Public · 1 feeder programs | 90 | Pharmacy | 75% | — | 74% |
| 50 | St. John Fisher University Rochester, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 88 | Pharmacy | 74% | $25,213 | 66% |
What pharmacists earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $164,610 | 34,030 | 0.90× | 14 | 1,037 |
| Pennsylvania | $138,160 | 14,090 | 1.12× | 8 | 857 |
| New York | $142,090 | 19,760 | 0.98× | 8 | 856 |
| Texas | $138,260 | 24,700 | 0.85× | 9 | 713 |
| Florida | $135,970 | 21,540 | 1.05× | 6 | 674 |
| Ohio | $137,020 | 12,790 | 1.11× | 7 | 536 |
| Massachusettsmoderate | $138,170 | 7,230 | 0.96× | 4 | 491 |
| Illinois | $139,080 | 12,070 | 0.96× | 6 | 389 |
| Tennessee | $133,390 | 8,250 | 1.22× | 6 | 344 |
| North Carolinamoderate | $138,860 | 11,430 | 1.12× | 4 | 312 |
| Georgiamoderate | $137,120 | 10,530 | 1.04× | 3 | 301 |
| Indianamoderate | $144,290 | 6,430 | 0.97× | 3 | 270 |
| New Jerseymoderate | $137,620 | 9,420 | 1.06× | 3 | 269 |
| Michiganmoderate | $137,860 | 8,780 | 0.96× | 3 | 253 |
| Virginiamoderate | $144,060 | 7,980 | 0.94× | 3 | 249 |
| Arizonalimited | $146,930 | 6,900 | 1.03× | 2 | 207 |
| Alabamalimited | $134,630 | 5,400 | 1.23× | 2 | 206 |
| Wisconsinmoderate | $148,740 | 5,730 | 0.94× | 3 | 201 |
| Connecticutlimited | $141,290 | 3,490 | 0.99× | 2 | 193 |
| Louisianalimited | $132,410 | 5,610 | 1.40× | 2 | 190 |
| South Carolinamoderate | $135,700 | 5,320 | 1.12× | 3 | 190 |
| Washingtonlimited | $160,610 | 7,350 | 1.00× | 2 | 177 |
| Missourilimited | $137,610 | 6,740 | 1.11× | 2 | 175 |
| Kansaslimited | $137,800 | 3,500 | 1.18× | 2 | 170 |
| Kentuckylimited | $136,530 | 5,030 | 1.21× | 2 | 159 |
| Iowalimited | $138,860 | 3,230 | 1.00× | 2 | 158 |
| Marylandmoderate | $138,990 | 5,400 | 0.94× | 3 | 156 |
| Coloradolimited | $156,030 | 4,560 | 0.77× | 2 | 140 |
| Mississippilimited | $133,230 | 3,050 | 1.27× | 2 | 132 |
| Nebraskalimited | $139,330 | 2,450 | 1.16× | 2 | 129 |
| Minnesotalimited | $159,740 | 6,310 | 1.03× | 1 | 120 |
| Nevadalimited | $140,030 | 2,500 | 0.78× | 1 | 120 |
| Oklahomalimited | $135,140 | 3,610 | 1.02× | 2 | 111 |
| Arkansaslimited | $136,060 | 2,900 | 1.07× | 2 | 110 |
| West Virginiamoderate | $133,430 | 2,260 | 1.56× | 3 | 110 |
| Oregonlimited | $165,960 | 3,250 | 0.80× | 2 | 107 |
| Rhode Islandlimited | $128,180 | 1,510 | 1.45× | 1 | 102 |
| Hawaiilimited | $163,220 | 1,190 | 0.91× | 1 | 74 |
| Montanalimited | $142,080 | 1,190 | 1.12× | 1 | 53 |
| South Dakotalimited | $146,790 | 1,280 | 1.36× | 1 | 52 |
| District of Columbialimited | $153,400 | 850 | 0.58× | 1 | 50 |
| Idaholimited | $144,900 | 1,790 | 1.01× | 1 | 49 |
| New Mexicolimited | $147,000 | 1,730 | 0.96× | 1 | 49 |
| North Dakotalimited | $142,040 | 1,070 | 1.20× | 1 | 48 |
| Mainelimited | $140,930 | 1,380 | 1.04× | 2 | 47 |
| Utahlimited | $144,240 | 2,830 | 0.79× | 2 | 35 |
| Wyominglimited | $139,550 | 510 | 0.89× | 1 | 20 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Review prescriptions to assure accuracy, to ascertain the needed ingredients, and to evaluate their suitability.
- Assess the identity, strength, or purity of medications.
- Provide information and advice regarding drug interactions, side effects, dosage, and proper medication storage.
- Analyze prescribing trends to monitor patient compliance and to prevent excessive usage or harmful interactions.
- Maintain records, such as pharmacy files, patient profiles, charge system files, inventories, control records for radioactive nuclei, or registries of poisons, narcotics, or controlled drugs.
- Collaborate with other health care professionals to plan, monitor, review, or evaluate the quality or effectiveness of drugs or drug regimens, providing advice on drug applications or characteristics.
- Plan, implement, or maintain procedures for mixing, packaging, or labeling pharmaceuticals, according to policy and legal requirements, to ensure quality, security, and proper disposal.
- Order and purchase pharmaceutical supplies, medical supplies, or drugs, maintaining stock and storing and handling it properly.
Skills
- Speaking4.0
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Writing3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Monitoring3.9
- Active Learning3.6
- Science3.4
Knowledge areas
- Medicine and Dentistry4.6
- Mathematics4.5
- Customer and Personal Service4.2
- English Language4.2
- Chemistry4.1
- Biology4.0
Abilities
- Oral Expression4.3
- Oral Comprehension4.1
- Written Comprehension4.1
- Problem Sensitivity4.0
- Near Vision4.0
- Category Flexibility3.9
Core activities
- Documenting/Recording Information4.4
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.3
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards4.3
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.3
- Getting Information4.2
- Working with Computers4.2
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Pharmacist
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 25 majors mapped to Pharmacists2 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 51.2001Pharmacy
- 51.2008Clinical, Hospital, and Managed Care Pharmacy
- 60.0801Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program, General(no graduates reported)
- 60.0802Combined Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0803Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0804Cardiology Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0805Clinical Pharmacogenomics Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0806Community/Community-Based Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0807Corporate Pharmacy Leadership Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0808Critical Care Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0809Drug Information Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0810Emergency Medicine Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0811Family Medicine Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0812Geriatric Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0813Health System Medication Management Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0814Health System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0815Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0816Internal Medicine Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0817Investigational Drugs and Research Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0818Managed Care Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0819Medication Systems and Operations Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0820Medication-Use Safety Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0821Neonatal Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0822Nephrology Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
- 60.0823Neurology Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program(no graduates reported)
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Pharmacist?+
Doctoral or professional degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Pharmacy, which awarded 11,406 degrees in 2024-25, 99.8% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Pharmacist?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 2 programs to this occupation. The largest are Pharmacy. Together they graduate about 11,434 people a year.
How much do pharmacists earn?+
The median is $140,910 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $99,290 at the 10th percentile to $174,230 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for pharmacists growing?+
BLS projects a +4.6% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 14,200 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
145 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 2 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do pharmacists work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Clinical Pharmacist, Hospital Pharmacist, Pharm D (Pharmacy Doctor), Pharmacist in Charge (PIC) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 29-1051.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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