10 Least Competitive Pharmacy Schools in America

If you’re worried that you are going to have a hard time getting into a pharmacy school, reading about the 10 least competitive pharmacy schools in America might provide some relief. These are among the easiest pharmacy schools to get accepted into.

To reach the end of the road to becoming a successful pharmacist, a bachelor’s degree is a necessity, followed by four years in a pharmacy program after which you will finally be awarded a Doctor of Pharmacy Degree. Depending on how long your undergraduate program was, becoming a full-blown pharmacist will require seven to eight years.

There are certain prerequisite courses that an aspiring applicant needs to have taken to be able to enroll in a pharmacy school. Usually, these include one to two semesters each of chemistry (general and organic), biology, physiology, microbiology, physics and mathematics. To find out more about the requirements that pharmacy schools usually have, check out this comprehensive list.

Furthermore, a good score in the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) is always a plus. The fortunate aspect of this test is that there are no passing marks, which is why colleges usually do not state a minimum score on their eligibility requirements. The actual taking of the test is the only essential. The score of admitted students is relative to how other students fared in the test.

All these things are the must-haves of an application into a pharmacy college, but for value addition, it never hurts to have some experience. An internship at a pharmacy here and there will increase your chances of getting in. But if you think you don’t have a good chance of admission in the first place due to less than impressive grades, well then keep on reading to find out the least competitive pharmacy schools in America. If you’ve lost all hope though and want to consider a career change, maybe the Least Competitive Nursing Schools in America will be a better read for you.

Now let’s talk about the methodology used to compile this list of least competitive pharmacy schools in America. I referred to the list of pharmacy schools in the US prepared by SmartClass, a source that took data directly from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. The schools were then ranked on the basis of average GPA of students admitted. The less the GPA of the admitted class, the less competitive it will be. In case of ties, I figured that the school with the better quality should be higher up on the list. And how was that quality determined? Well, after completing a Pharm.D program, graduates are required to give the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) in order to obtain a license for practice. So the schools where students had a higher average NAPLEX pass rate were ranked better. Let’s finally list down the colleges that made the cut.

10. Northeast Ohio Medical University

Rootstown, Ohio

Average GPA of students admitted: 3.19

This public institution has an extremely promising acceptance rate which stands at 42.2%, the highest percentage of all the schools on our list that had available data on the subject. Furthermore, it charges a pretty reasonable tuition fee for applicants from Ohio amounting to $22,300. Out-of-state tuition is much higher, though, at $41,615.

9. Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia

Average GPA of students admitted: 3.18

We are continuing our list of least competitive pharmacy schools in America with Marshall University’s School of Pharmacy that is the cheapest when compared with the other establishments on our list, making it even easier to get into. Not only is its in-state charge only $18K, but out-of-state students are also billed merely $31,352.

8. University of New England

Portland, Maine

Average GPA of students admitted: 3.15

The University of New England, next on our list of least competitive pharmacy schools in America does not discriminate on the basis of your state of residence. It charges the same fees for both in-state and out-of-state students, an amount that totals $39,735.

7. Notre Dame of Maryland University

Baltimore, Maryland

Average GPA of students admitted: 3.15

With an acceptance rate of 32.5%, the pharmacy college of Notre Dame of Maryland University is mainly dominated by female students. The ratio of female to male is approximately 70:30.

6. Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

Average GPA of students admitted: 3.1

Situated in the largest city in the state of Illinois, Chicago State University offers a pharmacy program with an acceptance rate of 35.6%.

5. Regis University

Denver, Colorado

Average GPA of students admitted: 3.1

Regis University has an acceptance rate of 27.4% and, at the minimum, considers students with a GPA of 2.5 making it one of the least competitive pharmacy schools in America.

4. Saint Joseph’s University

Hartford, Connecticut

Average GPA of students admitted: 3.1

Saint Joseph’s University was founded in 1932 in the downtown area of the capital of Connecticut, with its pharmacy program opening its doors for students in 2011. This Roman Catholic school has a NAPLEX pass rate of 98.2%.

3. Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Suwanee, Georgia

Average GPA of students admitted: 3

It is astonishing that a school with an acceptance rate as low as 15.2% has the lowest NAPLEX rate out of all the schools on our list of least competitive pharmacy schools in America . An 83.3% pass rate is definitely not impressive, but its faculty is often praised for being extremely supportive of their students.

2. South College

Knoxville, Tennessee

Average GPA of students admitted: 3

The pharmacy school at South College, Tennessee is a very small program. There are only 38 faculty members here, and the total admitted students amount to a hundred, out of which 60 are enrolled. Although the school’s NAPLEX rate is an admirable 95.7%, its faculty is often criticized for racist behavior, something that should definitely be researched before applying.

1. Appalachian College of Pharmacy

Oakwood, Virginia

Average GPA of students admitted: 3

Quality wise, the Appalachian College of Pharmacy may be the best out of all the ones listed above. Its NAPLEX pass rate is 99.2%, a feat that is hard to comprehend with the school’s average admitted GPA being only 3. It just goes to show that GPA isn’t everything and that one of the least competitive pharmacy schools in America can also be one of the best.