13 of the Most Affordable Pharmacy Schools in the US (2017 Update)

What are the cheapest pharmacy schools in the US?

* Updated for 2017 *

If your dream is to work as a pharmacist anywhere in the US, then you must have a pharmacy degree from an accredited pharmacy school for you to practice as a pharmacist.

Before we get to the list of the cheap pharmacy schools (below) it’s important to remember that college is expensive and if you’re studying for PharmD, then you ( or your parents) can figure spending an additional 25% or so on top of the costs for a normal degree.

So keeping costs down is important for many students even with the many options pharmacy students have to help them pay their tuition costs.

Common myths when comparing pharmacy school tuition costs

1) More expensive doesn’t automatically mean better. Is it really worth paying extra to study out of state? For the majority of students it won’t be. So my first tip would be to go for a pharmacy school in your home state.

2) Once you are qualified it’s going to be extremely rare that anyone takes where you got your degree from. Your practical skills, knowledge and personality are going to be the drivers behind and employer deciding to offer you a job or not.

Again, for 95% of pharmacists the ideal choice of school will be one that combines a good reputation and is in state. No need to aim for the ivory towers or take up a place out of state simply because people with vested interests say it’s ‘better’.

If you need more detailed information on which schools represent value for money, U.S. Department of Education’s Annual IPEDS Survey contains all the stats that you require.

In addition to the tuition fees, there’s also the cost of materials, mainly textbooks for the PharmD course. Needless to say these are more expensive than for most degrees to. This is yet another reason to aim to keep costs down by choosing an affordable in-state pharmacy school.

According to statistics released by the American Association of Pharmaceutical Education in 2014, the average cost of pursuing a degree in pharmacy in most of the country’s pharmacy schools is approximately $8,000-$20,000 annually for in-state students. But the cost can be between $14, 800 -$82, 000 for out of state and overseas students.

But in as much as the cost of studying for a Pharmacy degree in the US is expensive compared to the cost of studying other degrees programs offered in different learning institutions across the country, the good news however is that there are still plenty of affordable pharmacy schools where you can pursue your degree.

If you’re hoping to find a cheap Californian school in here your out of luck…. we have, however, created an article that explains the easiest Californian schools to get into (generally more expensive than the rest of the US)

Here is a list of the cheapest and most affordable pharmacy schools in the US that is worth reading through, especially if you are looking to keep tuition costs down. If you’re hoping to find a cheap Californian school in here your out of luck….

1. Purdue University

The university’s college of pharmacy is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it is among the cheapest and most affordable pharmacy colleges in the US. Founded in 1884, the college offers a variety of pharmaceutical programs for students to learn all the proper practices needed in the industry. For in state-residents, the annual tuition fee for pursuing a PharmD degree at the college of pharmacy in Purdue University is $9,208.

However, the annual tuition fee for out-of-state residents is $27, 468. But this notwithstanding, the cost of pursing any degree in pharmaceutical sciences in this college is affordable for both in-state and out-of-state residents alike, than it is in most of pharmacy schools across the country. The university’s school of pharmacy has one of the lowest student to teacher ratio of 8 to 1 in 2013. Classes here cover a wide range of courses ranging from scientific, administrative and practical programs.

2. Butler University

The university’s College of Pharmacy & Health Services is also among the cheapest pharmacy schools in the country. Located in Indianapolis-Indiana, the college is ranked among the country’s top 50 pharmacy colleges.

Regardless of whether you are an in-state resident or out-of-state resident, you will only be required to part with $17,500 annually when pursing your pharmD degree here. Some of the top notch pharmacists in the industry are alumni of this college.

The school is not only popular for offering a high quality of education, but it is also renowned for providing excellent experience for students interested in the field of pharmacy as well. The school also boasts of having one the highest student to teacher ratio, which stood at 9 to 1 in 2014. The pharmacy degree program offered here covers a range of courses tailored at providing scientific, practical and administrative experience to students.

3. Florida A&M University

The university’s College of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences is one of the country’s most affordable pharmacy schools despite having a limited number of spots for admission. The tuition for in-state residents seeking to pursue a degree program in pharmacy is $19,544 per year.

While the tuition fee for out-of –state residents is $31,486 per year. After completing your degree here, you stand high chances of securing a good salaried job not only in the US, but also globally as well.

This therefore makes this college one of the most popular pharmacy colleges in the country and the world at large. The college’s degree program is tailored at producing top notch pharmacists with unmatched ability of utilizing their scientific knowledge, problems solving skills and critical thinking skills to find solutions for virtual all kinds of health care problems.

4. South Dakota University

The university’s College of Pharmacy is situated in Brookings-South Dakota. Tuition fee for degree in pharmacy is quite affordable, thanks to the fact that it just $17,065 for in-state residents and $23,382 for out-of –state residents. In 2013, the college was ranked among the best pharmacy colleges in the country, thanks to its reputation of offering students with state-of-the-art facilities and a world-class resource center. The university also provides a conducive environment for high quality learning. In addition, it offers students a patient-centered approach training, with the aim of nurturing them to become top notch pharmacists with ability to provide high quality of healthcare.

5. Auburn University

The university’s Harrison School of Pharmacy was founded in 1856, hence making it one of the country’s oldest pharmacy colleges. Tuition fee for pharmacy degree program is $25,650 for both in-state residents and out-of-state residents, something that makes it one of the country’s cheapest and most affordable pharmacy schools. One of the things that set the school apart from other cheap pharmacy schools is its high enrolment rate, which stood at over 20,000 students per year in 2013. Despite the fact that the pharmacy school is over a 100 years old, it is however one of the country’s well established pharmacy schools and boasts of having unrivaled reputation of great pharmacists and highly esteemed professionals. Students who have graduated from this school have high chances of securing lucrative jobs in the field of pharmacy. The school is also popular for its esteemed alumni since time immemorial.

6. Appalacian College of Pharmacy

The pharmacy institution is located in Oakwood-Virginia. It is fully accredited by the ACPE (Accredited Council for Pharmacy Education) and it offers a wide array of pharmaceutical studies. Tuition for both in-state and out-of-state residents seeking to pursue a degree in pharmacy is $27,000 per year, including other associated fees. The degree program offered by this college includes several classes that cover pharmaceutical sciences, clinical sciences and experiential education. The goal of the institution is to bring students into an environment conducive for active pharmacy practices, so that they can learn proper ways of dealing with patients. This is one of the country’s cheapest pharmacy schools that you should have in mind if you are really serious about becoming a top notch pharmacist.

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That’s our top six recommendations. Here are a few more that all are the cheaper pharmacy schools in America.