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Exploring the Cost of Pharmacy School

Published on: Nov 6, 2022
By: Jim Herbst, PharmD, BCPPS
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The cost of attending a PharmD program can be intimidating especially in an uncertain economic climate.  Certainly more expensive than your Bachelor’s degree in pharmaceutical science or the health sciences, your pharmacy education does come with a hefty price tag.  Fortunately, most pharmacy programs are committed to assisting students financially to allow them to achieve their goal of earning a PharmD degree and enter the workforce as a pharmacist.  

Almost all pharmacy schools awarding a doctorate of pharmacy degree provide financial aid or assistance in the form of a pharmacy program scholarship(s), grant(s), and loans (federal, university-specific, and private).  The overall student financial aid package is usually very robust. While the pharmacy education is undoubtedly an expensive undertaking, federal student aid can make many of these programs affordable.   

The numbers provided below are for the cost of attendance, including tuition, annual student fees, and other miscellaneous expenses.  While these tuitions don't take into account any potential student financial aid packages that may be available through a particular university, college of pharmacy, or doctorate of pharmacy program, these numbers do serve as a realistic reminder of the cost of pharmacy school.

Pharmacy School is Expensive

Without a doubt, pharmacy school is expensive and meaningfully material investment, but is also evidence of your commitment to the profession and willingness to devote your career to better the health and wellness of others.

The average annual cost of attendance at an accredited PharmD program from a public university is currently over $23,000 for in-state students and over $38,000 for out-of-state students.  Private universities offer PharmD programs as well, typically at a premium.  The average cost of attendance for a doctorate of pharmacy program at a private university is over $44,000 annually.  The tuition varies significantly from college to college.  

There are no shortage of these pharmacy degrees being offered either. Currently there are over 140 accredited colleges of pharmacy who award a doctorate of pharmacy degree.  There are PharmD programs that offer tuition rates under $10,000 per year and there are also programs whose cost of attendance is over $80,000 per year. 

Are some programs 10x more valuable than others to overall earning potential? Most likely not. 

Do some programs offer opportunities that will differentiate yourself from other candidates in job interviews? Most likely yes. 

Ultimately these questions can’t be answered by ranking schools by tuition alone, but tuition is (and should be) a significant consideration when choosing a pharmacy school that is right for you.

The Best Value: In-state, public universities

If you happen to live in a state with a public university that offers a PharmD program, consider yourself fortunate.  Generally, these programs offer the best value and often have the best resources available as they are connected to a larger institution.

These are the cheapest public institutions (annual in-state tuition for pharmacy students):

Pharmacy School

Private or Public?

Estimated. Annual, In-state Tuition

Montana

Public

$5,352

Florida A&M

Public

$5,464

Toledo

Public

$8,544

Purdue

Public

$9,208

Texas A&M

Public

$9,509

South Dakota State

Public

$10,192

Arizona

Public

$12,106

Puerto Rico

Public

$12,500

Rhode Island

Public

$13,250

North Texas

Public

$14,480

Texas Southern

Public

$14,557

Texas Tech

Public

$14,937

Texas at El Paso

Public

$15,564

Rutgers

Public

$16,027

Oklahoma

Public

$16,393

South Florida

Public

$16,610

Georgia

Public

$16,636

Louisiana at Monroe

Public

$16,731

Connecticut

Public

$16,968

Wyoming

Public

$18,972

Arkansas

Public

$19,280

Idaho State

Public

$19,622

Florida

Public

$19,845

New Mexico

Public

$20,325

North Dakota State

Public

$20,348

West Virginia

Public

$20,628

Texas at Austin

Public

$21,548

Houston

Public

$21,842

Marshall

Public

$22,048

Tennessee

Public

$22,370

Auburn

Public

$22,392

Cincinnati

Public

$22,740

Northeast Ohio

Public

$23,027

Southwestern Oklahoma

Public

$23,175

Washington State

Public

$23,900

Hawaii-Hilo

Public

$24,096

Southern Illinois Edwardsville

Public

$24,096

Illinois at Chicago

Public

$25,044

North Carolina

Public

$25,275

Ohio State

Public

$25,301

Wayne State

Public

$25,649

Mississippi

Public

$25,692

Wisconsin-Madison

Public

$25,711

Missouri-Kansas City

Public

$25,824

Nebraska

Public

$25,970

Oregon State

Public

$25,992

Kansas

Public

$26,405

Binghamton

Public

$26,450

New York at Buffalo

Public

$26,450

Medical Univ. of SC

Public

$26,826

Maryland

Public

$27,003

Kentucky

Public

$27,369

Iowa

Public

$27,606

South Carolina

Public

$27,840

Minnesota

Public

$27,864

Virginia Commonwealth

Public

$28,654

Chicago State

Public

$28,843

Ferris State

Public

$28,864

Maryland Eastern Shore

Public

$29,882

Utah

Public

$30,157

Colorado

Public

$32,470

Washington

Public

$33,186

Michigan

Public

$33,206

Pittsburgh

Public

$33,558

Texas at Tyler

Public

$34,956

Temple

Public

$35,622

East Tennessee State

Public

$37,916

California-San Diego

Public

$41,196

UC Irvine

Public

$42,438

California-San Francisco

Public

$46,516

States with Low Tuition

These are the states ranked by cheapest annual tuition for public institutions for a PharmD degree:

State

Avg. Annual, In-state Tuition

MT

$5,352

SD

$10,192

AZ

$12,106

PR

$12,500

RI

$13,250

WY

$18,972

ID

$19,622

OK

$19,784

NM

$20,325

ND

$20,348

TX

$20,721

HI

$24,096

WV

$25,534

FL

$25,829

LA

$26,384

KS

$26,405

NJ

$27,789

MN

$27,864

WA

$28,543

AR

$28,640

MI

$29,240

OH

$29,276

UT

$30,157

DC

$30,842

AL

$30,941

IN

$31,329

SC

$31,342

NE

$31,789

MD

$32,278

MO

$32,968

MS

$33,346

VA

$34,205

CO

$35,020

CT

$35,367

IA

$35,518

GA

$36,444

NC

$37,022

WI

$37,382

TN

$37,737

OR

$38,817

IL

$39,222

NY

$39,383

PA

$39,577

KY

$40,715

ME

$40,942

MA

$49,073

CA

$54,410

NV

$56,835

Same Degree, Different State:

If you don’t live in a state with a public university that offers a doctorate of pharmacy degree, you can attend an out-of-state public institution, but at a premium.  Here are the states ranked by average tuition for out-of-state at public pharmacy schools:

State

Avg. Annual Out-of-State Tuition, at Public Pharmacy School

SD

$21,590

PR

$25,000

MT

$26,336

ND

$30,432

DC

$30,842

RI

$31,272

NE

$31,789

AZ

$32,290

LA

$32,401

FL

$34,917

WV

$37,365

OH

$37,490

TX

$37,503

IN

$37,596

OK

$37,875

AR

$38,280

VA

$38,417

TN

$38,571

NJ

$39,057

CO

$39,418

MI

$39,958

WY

$40,104

IA

$40,450

SC

$40,488

PA

$40,670

MN

$40,800

ME

$40,942

AL

$41,021

CT

$41,034

HI

$41,040

ID

$41,502

IL

$41,547

GA

$41,621

NY

$42,056

WI

$43,330

NM

$43,336

NC

$43,802

MS

$46,636

OR

$47,043

MD

$47,928

WA

$48,048

MO

$48,446

KS

$48,640

MA

$49,073

KY

$53,372

NV

$56,835

CA

$57,236

UT

$58,562

Higher Cost Options:

Private pharmacy schools are options to those with a less competitive resume. Often as much as or more than out-of-state tuition, private pharmacy schools are an option as well, albeit an expensive one.  These private institutions account for the majority of the newest pharmacy schools.  Typically located in popular urban areas, these schools are often more attractive to candidates with the financial means to live in more expensive urban environments while in school.  The most affordable private colleges of pharmacy are indicated below (annual tuition):

Pharmacy School

Private or Public?

Est. Annual Tuition

LECOM

Private

$29,705

Howard

Private

$30,842

Palm Beach Atlantic

Private

$32,650

Charleston

Private

$33,925

Nova Southeastern

Private

$34,000

Philadelphia

Private

$35,000

Wingate

Private

$36,004

Xavier

Private

$36,036

Shenandoah

Private

$36,460

Union

Private

$36,800

Appalachian

Private

$37,500

Regis

Private

$37,570

Creighton

Private

$37,608

Lipscomb

Private

$37,938

Harding

Private

$38,000

D'Youville

Private

$38,112

Cedarville

Private

$38,482

Incarnate Word

Private

$39,100

Concordia

Private

$39,310

Presbyterian

Private

$39,360

Samford

Private

$39,490

Mercer

Private

$39,500

Fairleigh Dickinson

Private

$39,550

Thomas Jefferson

Private

$39,655

Husson

Private

$39,664

Manchester

Private

$39,738

Notre Dame

Private

$39,950

St. Louis COP

Private

$40,112

PCOM-GA

Private

$40,344

Rosalind Franklin

Private

$40,604

Wilkes

Private

$40,607

Ohio Northern

Private

$40,650

MCPHS-Boston

Private

$40,800

William Carey

Private

$41,000

Campbell

Private

$42,180

New England

Private

$42,220

Albany

Private

$42,620

St. John Fisher

Private

$42,690

Touro-NY

Private

$43,000

Drake

Private

$43,430

Belmont

Private

$43,500

Western New England

Private

$44,180

High Point

Private

$44,627

A&M Schwartz

Private

$44,844

Butler

Private

$45,040

Findlay

Private

$46,188

West Coast

Private

$46,235

Larkin

Private

$46,402

Medical College of WI

Private

$47,125

South-TN

Private

$47,900

Loma Linda

Private

$48,000

Keck (KGI)

Private

$48,400

Touro-CA

Private

$48,600

South-GA

Private

$49,296

California Northstate

Private

$49,490

St. John's

Private

$50,898

Western

Private

$51,585

Pacific-OR

Private

$51,642

Roosevelt

Private

$51,920

Saint Joseph

Private

$53,766

Sullivan

Private

$54,060

MCPHS-Worcester

Private

$54,810

Northeastern

Private

$56,500

Roseman

Private

$56,835

American

Private

$60,000

Southern California

Private

$60,896

Duquesne

Private

$62,890

Midwestern

Private

$64,827

Pacific-CA

Private

$79,920

Chapman

Private

$84,060

Accelerated Programs:

While many colleges of pharmacy will award a doctorate of pharmacy degree in 4 years, some institutions have accelerated programs which allow the pharmacy student to graduate a year early, in 3 years.  Not only does this reduce the number of year that the student is paying tuition, but it also increases the number of years of a graduate’s earning potential as a pharmacist. 

These schools forgo the traditional time off in the Summer, and instead opt for year-round schooling.  While this aggressive schedule can be stressful, it can be a benefit in the long run.  The list of the cheapest accelerated (3-year) programs are below:

Pharmacy School

Est. Annual Tuition

LECOM

$29,705

Maryland Eastern Shore

$29,882

Appalachian

$37,500

William Carey

$41,000

Larkin

$46,402

Medical College of WI

$47,125

South-TN

$47,900

South-GA

$49,296

Pacific-OR

$51,642

Roosevelt

$51,920

Saint Joseph

$53,766

Sullivan

$54,060

MCPHS-Worcester

$54,810

Roseman

$56,835

American

$60,000

Pacific-CA

$79,920

Chapman

$84,060

Final thoughts

The cost of tuition doesn’t take into account the cost of living.  If you’re college of pharmacy is in an urban area, most likely you’re cost of living will be much higher than those schools located in rural locations.  The ultimate cost of attendance includes many factors and the cost of tuition is merely one factor determining whether a program or college of pharmacy is right for you.

Source:

portrait of Jim Herbst PharmD

Jim Herbst, PharmD, BCPPS is an advanced patient care pharmacist at a nationally ranked pediatric acute care teaching hospital.  Dr Herbst received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the Ohio State University in 2012.  He started his clinical career as an inpatient patient care pharmacist covering the neurology and complex care services, before transitioning to a pediatric neurology ambulatory care clinic in 2019. 

Dr Herbst's areas of interest in pediatric neurology include treatment-resistant pediatric epilepsy, infantile spasms, the ketogenic diet, and neuroimmunology.  He has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed pharmacy and neurology journals, including Neurology, Epilepsia, and the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association.  Dr Herbst is board certified as a pediatric pharmacy specialist.

Opinions and information published by the author here on PharmDDegree.com are of my own and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of my employer.


Education: Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD), The Ohio State University
Knowledge: Advanced Patient Care Pharmacy, Neurology, Epilepsia