The percentage of applicants who are accepted into pharmacy school continues to rise. Assume that the data used throughout this article came from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy for any statistics that are shown here (AACP). In addition to that, I feel obligated to let you know that they are in no way responsible for the interpretations or conclusions that I draw because they are all mine.
| Year | Pharmacy Schools | Applicants | Accepted | % of Accepted Applicants |
| 2003-2004 | 43 | 13,722 | 4,683 | 34% |
| 2004-2005 | 43 | 14,433 | 4,570 | 32% |
| 2005-2006 | 45 | 14,650 | 4,932 | 34% |
| 2006-2007 | 47 | 14,869 | 5,448 | 37% |
| 2007-2008 | 59 | 15,908 | 6,581 | 41% |
| 2008-2009 | 72 | 16,246 | 8,168 | 50% |
| 2009-2010 | 86 | 17,220 | 9,447 | 55% |
| 2010-2011 | 96 | 17,451 | 10,429 | 60% |
| 2011-2012 | 103 | 17,405 | 10,804 | 62% |
| 2012-2013 | 110 | 17,617 | 12,247 | 70% |
| 2013-2014 | 116 | 17,225 | 12,438 | 72% |
| 2014-2015 | 119 | 16,858 | 13,086 | 78% |
| 2015-2016 | 124 | 16,369 | 13,015 | 80% |
| 2016-2017 | 126 | 16,204 | 13,185 | 81% |
| 2017-2018 | 129 | 15,886 | 13,139 | 83% |
| 2018-2019 | 133 | 15,335 | 12,708 | 83% |
| 2019-2020 | 135 | 13,988 | 12,143 | 87% |
| 2020-2021 | 134 | 13,006 | 11,520 | 89% |
In 2004, the percentage of applicants accepted into pharmacy school was around 32 percent. In the year 2021, the percentage of applicants who are accepted into pharmacy school is 89%. In other words, getting into pharmacy school has gone from being an extremely difficult task to becoming something that virtually anybody can do.
How hard is pharmacy school compared to undergraduate?
#3 My higher level (400) undergraduate courses in cell biology and neurology were far more challenging than any pharmacy coursework that I’ve ever been enrolled in. The main reason for this is that the pharmacy program at this school is very hands-on, and the coursework can be condensed into simple memorization (not that it doesn’t take more than that to understand it; however, if the only goal you have is to pass the exam, you should focus on memorizing the material).
- In my opinion, the most important factor is how extensive the curriculum is.
- The services and assistance are far easier to get due to the significantly reduced size of the pharmacy.
- On the other hand, undergraduate programs at Rutgers have around 30,000 students competing against one another, but it is in reality a great deal more autonomous.
#5 I went to a school that was somewhat small and focused on the liberal arts, and I majored in chemistry. There were nine other people in my class. I was really challenged and satisfied by the experience of taking three classes per trimester. Comparatively speaking, pharmacy school is a breeze in contrast. #6 It would be interesting as well as extremely helpful if people would post a comparison of the difficulty of undergraduate vs. pharmacy school (on a scale of 1-10 where 10 is extremely difficult), which includes: colleges attended, average credit load, GPA, and most importantly MAJOR Pharmacy school was much more difficult in my opinion.
- I haven’t seen a “standardized” difficulty comparison between one’s undergraduate degree and Pharmacy School.
- Undergraduate: 5 Pharmacy: 8 Both went to the University of Florida for their undergraduate education.
- Credit Load: 16 to 17 for Undergraduates; 15 to 18 for Pharmacy Students GPA: 3.85 for Undergraduates; 3.81 for Pharmacy Students When at least 12 of the credits you take each semester are in the scientific disciplines, you should consider majoring in microbiology, cell science, chemistry, pre-pharmacy, pre-medicine, or whatever the **** it is at that point.
#8 In pharmacy school, effective time management will be your best friend. #9 Pharmacy school is unquestionably more difficult. Before you go and suggest that undergraduate work is simpler, just wait till you have completed courses like Therapeutics and Advanced Kinetics in addition to other advanced classes. #10 Pharmacy school is unquestionably more difficult. Before you go and suggest that undergraduate work is simpler, just wait till you have completed courses like Therapeutics and Advanced Kinetics in addition to other advanced classes. Since I will have finished all of my classes exactly two weeks from now, you might claim that I have already gotten into those classes by now.
- The question does not ask, “were your two years of pre-pharm undergraduate study more difficult?” rather, it asks whether or not the entire experience was more difficult.
- It is obvious that this is determined by the major.
- The liberal arts will very certainly prove to be the more manageable major choice.
However, in my experience at RU, the expectations for me in the 400-level science classes were higher than those in the pharmacy classes. Even though it was a combined undergraduate and graduate level class, advanced developmental biology is still the most challenging subject I have ever studied.
- Despite that, ID proved a bit challenging as well.
- However, I believe that this has less to do with the actual curriculum and more to do with the resources that are accessible to pharmacy students in comparison to those that are available to undergraduate students.
- #11 If you were accepted into pharmacy school, it indicates that you are capable of dealing with the coursework that is required.
Your ability to organize your time effectively and your memory, retention, and application of a significant amount of information will determine how well you do. OP, you are not going to receive a comparison that is black and white; therefore calm down and wait till you go to pharmacy school and can make a decision for yourself. Pharmacy school is synonymous with easy. If I were “trying” to obtain a 3.8 like some of the really bright and driven individuals up here, I would have to work very hard. Having said that, I came to the conclusion that a 3.4 is still satisfactory to me (in undergrad, it had to be 3.85, no matter what). If you lower the bar by a hair, everything becomes a breeze. #17 Undergrad = 5 This is the University of Florida.12 to 14 hours of class every week (no sense in rushing. .) Did not earn my Bachelor of Science degree; classes were large; the only thing that counted was being better than the bulk of students; competition among students was of the utmost importance.
- GPA ~ 3.7 to 3.8 Pharmacy School equals five times six Pacific University Statement of Purpose The average course load equates to between 18 and 24 credits per semester.
- Although the knowledge is of the same level of difficulty, there is a SIGNIFICANTLY greater quantity of it.
- GPA = 90% pass / fail = 4.0 A great deal more studying, and there will be no competition.
Since moving to Pacific, I can honestly state that I have had a much better time learning new things (except the sports)
Do any Ivy League schools have pharmacy?
How hard is Pharmacy School?
Pharmacy is not offered at any of the Ivy League schools.
Can you get into pharmacy school with a 2.9 GPA?
Tip Number One: Achieve Great Grades Getting strong grades is one of the best ways to prepare for the curriculum of pharmacy school and boost your candidacy for admission. A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 is recommended by the majority of pharmacy schools, and a letter grade of “C” or above is often needed for enrollment in mandatory pre-requisite classes.
Can you get into pharmacy school with a 3.4 GPA?
In conclusion, the answer is yes, it is possible to locate pharmacy programs that will take a 3.4 grade point average. You should begin your search for a school in your home state because the standards for citizens of that state are typically less stringent and the cost of tuition is typically lower.