For Immediate Release
Contact: Maureen Thielemans, AACP Senior Director of Communications
According to recently released data from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), applications to pharmacy school jumped 6% from Fall 2024 to Fall 2025, signaling growing interest in the pharmacy profession. This marks the second consecutive year of growth in both the total number of applicants and applications to pharmacy schools.
With an average of 259 applicants per school—and a 5% increase in accepted applicants—pharmacy programs are seeing a competitive admissions landscape and growing recognition of pharmacy’s wide-ranging career opportunities. The 2024-2025 PharmCAS Applicant Data Report was developed by AACP and reflects data for the 134 colleges and schools of pharmacy that participated in PharmCAS during its most recent completed admissions cycle.
Overall, pharmacy programs continue to maintain an acceptance rate exceeding 80%, providing a strong pathway for aspiring students to pursue their passion for improving the health and well-being of their communities.
“The increase in both applicants and applications is an encouraging indicator of the growing enthusiasm for our profession,” said Robin Zavod, AACP President and Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Midwestern University College of Pharmacy. “It reflects a renewed recognition of the vital role pharmacists play in advancing patient care and will inspire future students to choose a path that allows them to help shape the future of healthcare.”
Additional data from the Fall 2025 applicant pool underscore a stronger, more academically prepared class of future pharmacists. Nearly half of applicants already held a bachelor’s degree or higher at the time of application. Experience in higher-level science courses strengthens a student’s understanding of material that appears again in the Pharm.D. curriculum. It also exposes students to more extensive laboratory work, research opportunities, and projects that develop scientific reasoning and problem-solving skills.
What’s more, half of accepted applicants reported having worked as a pharmacy technician. This signals several important strengths in the applicant pool, including an already-established commitment to the profession, real-world exposure to the day-to-day work as a pharmacist, and relevant healthcare experience that supports both patient care and the evolving pharmacy landscape.