Pharmacy major
Pharmacy: courses, careers, and where to study
Pharmacy trains you to prepare, dispense, and manage medications safely, advising patients and prescribers on drug use, dosing, and side effects.
Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Pharmacy earn a median $116,539 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $78,609 to $139,974 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). By credential and college
Pharmacy is the study of medications and how they act in the body, blending chemistry, biology, and direct patient care. Students learn how drugs are formulated and dispensed, how the body absorbs and breaks them down, and how to spot dangerous interactions, allergies, and dosing errors. Coursework spans pharmacology, pharmaceutical chemistry, anatomy and physiology, biochemistry, and pharmacognosy, alongside the law, ethics, and recordkeeping that govern prescriptions. A large part of the work is judgment under real conditions: reviewing a patient's full medication list, counseling someone on how to take a new drug, and consulting with physicians and nurses to adjust therapy. This sets pharmacy apart from a research-focused pharmaceutical-sciences track, which centers on discovering and developing new compounds in the lab; pharmacy is oriented toward the practicing clinician who manages medication use for individual patients.
Becoming a licensed pharmacist requires a professional doctoral degree, typically built on prerequisite undergraduate science coursework and earned over several years of graduate study. The curriculum pairs classroom and laboratory work with supervised experiential rotations, including community and hospital practice settings, so students apply clinical skills before they graduate. Practice requires passing national licensure examinations in pharmacy and meeting state board requirements, and program accreditation and state licensure rules can change, so prospective students should verify current standards directly. Graduates work in community and retail pharmacies, hospitals and health systems, clinics, long-term care, managed care and insurance, regulatory agencies, and the pharmaceutical industry, with some pursuing specialized residencies in areas such as oncology, critical care, or ambulatory care.
In federal data for the closely related occupation of pharmacists, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median wage of $137,480 and projects employment to grow about 4.6% from 2024 to 2034; a doctoral or professional degree is the typical entry-level education for that occupation. National figures are occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages or graduate outcomes.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Pharmacy maps to CIP 51.2001, Pharmacy, within the HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS family. The official definition:
A program that prepares individuals for the independent or employed practice of preparing and dispensing drugs and medications in consultation with prescribing physicians and other health care professionals, and for managing pharmacy practices and counseling patients. Includes instruction in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biochemistry, anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacognosy, pharmacy practice, pharmacy administration, applicable regulations, and professional standards and ethics.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Pharmacy is awarded as
Of the 11,329 Pharmacy credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2024-25:
- Associate: <1%, 14 credentials.
- Bachelor's: 2%, 247 credentials.
- Graduate: 98%, 11,068 credentials.
This mix is fairly consistent nationally: across the 41 states reporting it, the certificate share moves by about 0 percentage points between the 10th and 90th percentile state, so the credential is more a property of the field than of where you study it. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2024-25, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- Pharmacology and mechanisms of drug action
- Pharmaceutical chemistry and medicinal chemistry
- Human anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry
- Pharmacokinetics and dosing calculations
- Pharmacy compounding and dispensing labs
- Drug interaction and adverse-reaction screening
- Patient counseling and clinical communication
- Pharmacy law, ethics, and professional standards
- Experiential rotations in community and hospital settings
Typical careers
- Pharmacist
- Clinical Pharmacist
- Retail Pharmacist
- Hospital Pharmacist
- Pharmaceutical Researcher
- Pharmacy Manager
Typical salary range: Early-career wages vary by employer, region, and experience (BLS, 2024 pharmacists median $137,480).Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
How much do Pharmacy graduates earn?
Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Pharmacy earn a median $116,539 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $78,609 to $139,974 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard).
| Credential | National median | Middle half of programs |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | $116,539 | $78,609 to $139,974 |
| Master's | $129,214 | $87,956 to $170,566 |
| Professional degree | $138,348 | $120,409 to $158,074 |
| Doctoral | $136,696 | $117,606 to $156,076 |
Compare Pharmacy programs in your state
Highest-earning bachelor's Pharmacy programs
- The University of Texas at Austin (TX): $143,049
- Long Island University (NY): $136,840, median federal debt $24,011
- University of Louisiana at Monroe (LA): $134,329
- University of Hawaii at Hilo (HI): $131,134
- Western New England University (MA): $129,138, median federal debt $19,500
- University of Kansas (KS): $125,384, median federal debt $15,000
- North Dakota State University-Main Campus (ND): $125,175, median federal debt $18,481
- Saint Joseph's University (PA): $122,633
- University of Connecticut (CT): $122,474, median federal debt $25,000
- South Dakota State University (SD): $122,169, median federal debt $25,000
Ordered by median earnings: one federal measure, not a ranking of program quality. Federal program group: Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration. Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars, for graduates who received federal aid, worked and were not enrolled. Programs need at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort to be listed; multi-state systems whose figures pool campuses are not listed. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 10 June 2026. How much the college matters, by major. Graduate programs over the new federal loan caps.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Pharmacy, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $117,960 | 62,100 | +23.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $105,620 | 27,400 | +17.3% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Pharmacists | $137,480 | 14,200 | +4.6% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 3 of these 3 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Pharmacy does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Pharmacy major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Pharmacy program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Pharmacy department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Pharmacy program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Pharmacy credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2024-25. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- MCPHS University, MA · 297 credentials
- Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, PA · 233 credentials
- University of Florida, FL · 229 credentials
- Nova Southeastern University, FL · 222 credentials
- Rutgers University-New Brunswick, NJ · 206 credentials
- St. John's University-New York, NY · 198 credentials
- University of the Pacific, CA · 196 credentials
- University of Southern California, CA · 177 credentials
- University of Kansas, KS · 164 credentials
- Long Island University, NY · 163 credentials
- University of Illinois Chicago, IL · 159 credentials
- University of Connecticut, CT · 157 credentials
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2024-25. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Pharmacy credentials were awarded
7 states have a distinct enough set of Pharmacy colleges to be worth its own page.
Every Pharmacy program with its own CampusPin page
77 programs in 35 states, A to Z by state and then by college. Each page gives what the program's graduates earned four years after finishing, what they borrowed in federal loans, the monthly payment, and how the program compares with others in its state and the nation. The figure beside each college is the median for its largest credential with at least 30 graduates (U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23). The list is alphabetical; it is not a ranking.
Pharmacy programs in Alabama, 1 program
- Auburn University Professional, $136,294
Pharmacy programs in Arkansas, 1 program
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Professional, $135,479
Pharmacy programs in California, 4 programs
- Chapman University Professional, $153,718
- Loma Linda University Professional, $146,986
- University of Southern California Professional, $163,791
- University of the Pacific Professional, $170,067
Pharmacy programs in Colorado, 2 programs
- Regis University Doctoral, $144,658
- University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Doctoral, $143,753
Pharmacy programs in District of Columbia, 1 program
- Howard University Professional, $141,811
Pharmacy programs in Florida, 2 programs
- Nova Southeastern University Doctoral, $131,167
- Palm Beach Atlantic University Doctoral, $132,063
Pharmacy programs in Georgia, 2 programs
- Mercer University Doctoral, $131,552
- University of Georgia Professional, $131,209
Pharmacy programs in Hawaii, 1 program
- University of Hawaii at Hilo Professional, $131,918
Pharmacy programs in Illinois, 3 programs
- Chicago State University Professional, $132,177
- Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Professional, $135,751
- University of Illinois Chicago Professional, $143,853
Pharmacy programs in Indiana, 3 programs
- Butler University Professional, $133,681
- Manchester University Professional, $136,031
- Purdue University-Main Campus Professional, $135,033
Pharmacy programs in Iowa, 1 program
- University of Iowa Professional, $127,526
Pharmacy programs in Kentucky, 2 programs
- Sullivan University Professional, $135,803
- University of Kentucky Professional, $135,755
Pharmacy programs in Maryland, 1 program
- Notre Dame of Maryland University Professional, $130,109
Pharmacy programs in Michigan, 2 programs
- Ferris State University Professional, $136,836
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Professional, $143,783
Pharmacy programs in Minnesota, 1 program
- University of Minnesota Twin Cities Professional, $146,303
Pharmacy programs in Mississippi, 1 program
- University of Mississippi Professional, $123,728
Pharmacy programs in Nebraska, 2 programs
- Creighton University Professional, $137,759
- University of Nebraska Medical Center Professional, $132,214
Pharmacy programs in Nevada, 1 program
- Roseman University of Health Sciences Doctoral, $141,336
Pharmacy programs in New Jersey, 1 program
- Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus Professional, $144,192
Pharmacy programs in New Mexico, 1 program
- University of New Mexico-Main Campus Doctoral, $134,160
Pharmacy programs in New York, 5 programs
- Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Professional, $139,249
- St. John Fisher University Professional, $134,673
- St. John's University-New York Professional, $143,765
- Touro University Professional, $133,060
- University at Buffalo Professional, $137,101
Pharmacy programs in North Carolina, 3 programs
- Campbell University Professional, $134,704
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Professional, $135,678
- Wingate University Professional, $130,635
Pharmacy programs in North Dakota, 1 program
- North Dakota State University-Main Campus Professional, $135,133
Pharmacy programs in Ohio, 5 programs
- Ohio Northern University Professional, $132,435
- Ohio State University-Main Campus Professional, $137,783
- The University of Findlay Professional, $132,609
- University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Professional, $130,265
- University of Toledo Bachelor's, $63,190
Pharmacy programs in Oklahoma, 2 programs
- Southwestern Oklahoma State University Professional, $134,141
- University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Professional, $131,865
Pharmacy programs in Oregon, 1 program
- Oregon State University Professional, $155,014
Pharmacy programs in Pennsylvania, 5 programs
- Duquesne University Professional, $131,534
- Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Professional, $133,364
- Temple University Professional, $134,752
- University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Professional, $138,129
- Wilkes University Professional, $137,560
Pharmacy programs in South Carolina, 3 programs
- Medical University of South Carolina Professional, $135,953
- Presbyterian College Doctoral, $129,544
- University of South Carolina-Columbia Professional, $128,762
Pharmacy programs in Tennessee, 3 programs
- East Tennessee State University Professional, $129,821
- Lipscomb University Professional, $135,760
- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center Professional, $131,145
Pharmacy programs in Texas, 6 programs
- Texas A & M University-College Station Professional, $146,650
- Texas Southern University Professional, $141,000
- Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Doctoral, $138,663
- University of Houston Professional, $137,021
- University of North Texas Health Science Center Professional, $132,639
- University of the Incarnate Word Professional, $140,895
Pharmacy programs in Utah, 1 program
- University of Utah Doctoral, $149,652
Pharmacy programs in Virginia, 3 programs
- Hampton University Doctoral, $134,530
- Shenandoah University Professional, $136,637
- Virginia Commonwealth University Professional, $135,859
Pharmacy programs in Washington, 2 programs
- University of Washington-Seattle Campus Professional, $149,976
- Washington State University Professional, $143,072
Pharmacy programs in West Virginia, 3 programs
- Marshall University Professional, $124,945
- University of Charleston Doctoral, $132,437
- West Virginia University Professional, $131,752
Pharmacy programs in Wisconsin, 1 program
- University of Wisconsin-Madison Professional, $139,210
Related majors
Health Sciences
Health Sciences is a broad pre-professional major for students preparing for medical, dental, PA, PT, or pharmacy school, combining biology, chemistry, and patient-care exposure.
Biochemistry
Biochemistry studies the chemistry of living systems, bridging biology and chemistry for students aiming at research, biotech, pharmaceutical, or medical and graduate pathways.
Chemistry
Chemistry studies matter and its transformations, preparing graduates for pharmaceutical, materials, energy, environmental, and biotech careers, plus medical and graduate school.
Biology
Biology is the foundational pre-health major, covering molecular, cellular, organismal, and ecological levels of living systems.
Nursing
Nursing prepares graduates for the NCLEX-RN licensure exam and careers as Registered Nurses, combining biomedical sciences with clinical rotations across hospital units.
Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Pharmacy degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Management careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
Explore Education & Library careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Pharmacy degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Pharmacy path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.