There are 147 ACPE-accredited Doctor of Pharmacy programs operating across the United States and its territories as of the 2026–27 application cycle — a number that has been shrinking, not growing, for the first time in decades.
How many accredited pharmacy schools are there?
Our directory tracks 147 accredited PharmD programs across 49 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. That count treats separately accredited branch campuses (like LECOM’s Erie and Bradenton locations) as distinct programs, since each admits its own class.
Accreditation is the line that matters: only graduates of ACPE-accredited programs can sit for the NAPLEX and get licensed. Any school you’re considering should appear in ACPE’s official directory — if it doesn’t, walk away.
Which states have the most pharmacy schools?
| State | Accredited programs |
|---|---|
| California | 14 |
| Texas | 9 |
| New York | 8 |
| Pennsylvania | 8 |
| Florida | 7 |
| Ohio | 7 |
| Tennessee | 6 |
| Illinois | 6 |
Eighteen states have exactly one pharmacy school, which creates a quiet advantage for residents: less local competition for the in-state seat, and in-state tuition at places like Montana ($5,515 a year) or South Dakota State ($10,192) is among the cheapest anywhere.
Which states have no pharmacy school?
Two: Vermont and Delaware. Vermont lost its only program when Albany College of Pharmacy closed its Colchester campus in 2021; Delaware has never had one, though three Philadelphia-area schools sit within a half hour of Wilmington. Residents of both states apply out-of-state like anyone else — PharmCAS doesn’t care about borders.
How many pharmacy schools have closed recently?
The count is moving down after a 20-year building boom. Albany’s Vermont campus closed in 2021, and 2026 alone has seen three programs announce closures: Husson University in Maine, California Health Sciences University, and the University of Charleston in West Virginia. The driver is enrollment — national applications fell steeply from their 2010s peak, and programs built during the boom years can’t fill seats.
For applicants this cuts two ways. Admission is easier than it’s been in a generation (the average program now admits about 31% of applicants). But it also makes a school’s financial health worth checking — a program closing mid-degree is rare and managed through teach-outs, though it’s disruption nobody wants.
How many pharmacists graduate each year?
Roughly 10,000–12,000 new graduates sit for the NAPLEX annually — about 9,900 first-time candidates tested in 2025, down from over 12,000 in 2023, reflecting the smaller entering classes of recent years. Shrinking supply is part of why the licensure exam’s pass rate and starting salaries have both firmed up lately.