University of California, San Diego Quick Facts
| Duration: 4 Years | Courses: 120 | Faculty: 49 |
| Applications (Fall 2024): 539 | Acceptance Rate: 11% | Est. Class Size: 76 |
Program Description
The curriculum prepares students to be leaders in the profession of pharmacy and provides the tools to effectively practice in a variety of existing and potential roles in academia, hospitals and clinics, long-term facilities, home care, government, health policy, the pharmaceutical industry, and innovative community practice settings. The emerging fields of pharmacogenomics and bioinformatics will have a profound influence on the future practice of pharmacy and graduates will be in an excellent position to bring these advances to the patient care setting. Essential to the ability to self-educate oneself as the profession undergoes tremendous change in the future is a strong understanding of the basic biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences. The curriculum is designed with the basic philosophy that all health science students, both medical and pharmacy, require a common base in the biomedical sciences. To this end, pharmacy students take courses in the basic biomedical sciences with the medical students in the second and third years of the curriculum. View the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum
PharmD Program Highlights
- Public Institution
- Baccalaureate Degree Required
- No deposit to hold acceptance
- Conducts interviews of applicants
- Does not participate in Early Decision Program (EDP)
- Minimum Three (3) Letters of Reference are required
- Utilizes the Centralized Criminal Background Check (CBC)
- Does not participate in the PharmCAS-facilitated Drug Screening Service
Location
Location: 9500 Gilman Drive, Mail Code 0657 La Jolla, California 92093-0657
Interactive mapAcceptance Rate for University of California, San Diego
11%: See other Schools with an acceptance rate under 11%
NAPLEX Pass Rates
First-time NAPLEX pass rates for University of California, San Diego graduates, by graduation year, compared with the national average.
| Graduation Year | First-Time Pass Rate | National Average |
| 2025 | 96.7% | 86.8% |
| 2024 | 92.5% | 75.9% |
| 2023 | 89.3% | 76.4% |
Source: NABP, NAPLEX Passing Rates for 2023–2025 Graduates (March 2026). First-attempt pass rates. National average covers all graduates of ACPE-accredited programs.
Tuition
| Tuition (In-State): | $42,339 | per year |
| Tuition (Out-State): | $54,584 | per year |
| Mandatory Fees: | $1,051 | per year |
First professional year, 2022–23 academic year (most recent AACP tuition survey); later years may differ — confirm current rates with the school.
Requirements
GPA and Test Scores
| Minimum GPA: 3 | Minimum Prerequisite GPA: 1.7 | Standardized Tests: Not required (PCAT discontinued) |
| Program Prerequisites | |
| Total number of college SEMESTER HOURS that must be completed prior to matriculation: | 120 |
| Total number of basic science college SEMESTER HOURS that must be completed prior to matriculation: | 31 |
| Total number of college QUARTER HOURS that must be completed prior to matriculation: | 180 |
Course Prerequisites Table
| Course Title | Semester Hours |
| One course of lecture and laboratory of Cell and/or Molecular Biology. | 3/4 |
| One course of lecture and laboratory of either Human Anatomy, Biochemistry, or Microbiology. | 3/4 |
| One course of lecture and laboratory of Human or Vertebrate Physiology. | 3/4 |
| One year, or equivalent, lecture and laboratory of General Chemistry. | 6/8 |
| One year, or equivalent, lecture and laboratory of Organic Chemistry. | 6/8 |
| One course, with or without laboratory, of Physics. | 3/4 |
| One course of Calculus. | 3/4 |
| Two courses of English with a writing component. English as a Second Language courses are not acceptable to meet this requirement. | 6/8 |
| One course of Macroeconomics or Microeconomics. | 3/4 |
| One course of Public Speaking or Debate. | 3/4 |
| One course in either Cultural Anthropology, Psychology, Sociology, or related course. | 3/4 |
| Total | 42 |
Prerequisite Coursework Policies
Online coursework: science courses with labs: Varies; science courses without labs: Varies; non-science courses: Varies. We would prefer in-person courses if they are offered. If in-person courses are not offered, please get in touch with our office and we will work with you 1:1. We can be reached at [email protected].
Pass/fail grades: science courses with labs: Yes, but only if no letter grade option available; science courses without labs: Yes, but only if no letter grade option available; non-science courses: Yes, but only if no letter grade option available. Please contact our office if you have any questions regarding prerequisite grading: [email protected].
Completion timing: Before matriculation Please refer to our website and the list of institution-specific equivalences: https://pharmacy.ucsd.edu/admissions/pharmd-admissions-requirements For any questions, please email us at [email protected]
Letter of Recommendation Requirements
Two (2) evaluations (letters of reference) are required.
Recommended But Not Required: Health Care Professional, Pharmacist, Professor (Science)
Accepted: Employer, Faculty Advisor, Pre-Health Advisor, Professor (Any Subject Area), Professor (Liberal Arts), Professor (Math), Supervisor
Conditionally Accepted: Co-Worker, Teaching Assistant
Not Accepted: Clergy, Family Member, Friend, Politician
Committee letters: Conditionally accepted (counts as more than one: Yes)
As part of your application, you must submit a minimum of two letters of recommendation, although we recommend submitting three. PharmCAS will allow you to submit a maximum of four. If you are unsure whether a particular letter writer is acceptable, please contact SOAR. Acceptable letters are from the following: Pharmacists, Professors, Employers/Supervisors, Other healthcare professionals, Mentors, Academic Advisors Additional signatures will be required if applicants receive a letter from: -Teacher’s Assistants (TA) – must be co-signed by the Professor directing the course -Pharmacy Technicians – must be co-signed by a Pharmacist at the same pharmacy -Post-Doctoral Students – must be co-signed by the Principal Investigator (PI) Committee letters of recommendation can be accepted as long as the applicant has one additional individual letter from someone who is not part of the committee letter. Committee letters must contain 2 or more members’ co-signing the letter
Interview Information
Interview Format: Individual applicants with two or more interviewers
Online interview option: Yes
Our interview process includes two representatives (faculty, student, alum) from our school interviewing each applicant On interview day, you will have an opportunity to interact with – our current students in the student host room – financial aid counselor For in-person interviews, we will offer a student-led tour of our health sciences campus
More about the interview process
Applying
Deadline
January 4, 2027
Priority application deadline: October 1, 2026
First day of classes: August 24, 2026
General School Information
Program
Dual Degree Program? Yes
Part of an academic health center? Yes
Pharmacy observation hours required? Recommended, but not required
Supplemental application requirement? No
Baccalaureate degree preferred for admissions? Required
Follows the AACP Cooperative Admissions Guidelines? Yes
Is preference given to in-state applicants vs. out-of-state applicants? No
Pharmacy School Tour Video
International Applicants
Foreign (non-U.S.) citizens considered: No
Applications accepted from: US Citizens, US Permanent Residents, Other Non-Citizens (e.g. DACA Students)
Foreign transcript policy: Send a foreign transcript evaluation report (FTER) to PharmCAS
TOEFL required: No
Contact Information
Website: https://pharmacy.ucsd.edu/
Social Profiles
| Facebook https://www.facebook.com/UCSanDiegoSchoolofPharmacy/ | Instagram @ucsdsspps |
Common Questions About University of California, San Diego
How hard is it to get into University of California, San Diego?
About 11% of applicants are admitted to University of California, San Diego’s PharmD program, making it one of the more selective programs in the country.
What is the tuition at University of California, San Diego?
Per the AACP’s 2022–23 survey, residents pay around $42,339 for the first year, while non-residents pay about $54,584.
What is the minimum GPA for University of California, San Diego?
The published minimum is a 3.0 overall GPA and a 1.7 minimum in prerequisite coursework, though stronger grades improve your odds considerably.
What is University of California, San Diego’s PharmCAS deadline?
Applications for the 2026–27 cycle are due by January 4, 2027 through PharmCAS. A priority deadline of October 1, 2026 offers earlier review.
Do you need a bachelor’s degree to get into University of California, San Diego?
Yes — University of California, San Diego requires a completed bachelor’s degree before matriculation. The PharmD itself takes four years.
What is University of California, San Diego’s NAPLEX pass rate?
96.7% of University of California, San Diego’s first-time candidates passed the NAPLEX in 2025, per NABP data.