Explore Jobs
Find Specific Jobs
Explore Careers
Explore Professions
Best Companies
Explore Companies
Clinical Pharmacist Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a clinical pharmacist. Clinical pharmacists usually study pharmacy, biology, or business. 45% of clinical pharmacists hold a doctoral degree, and 43% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 7,630 real clinical pharmacist resumes to see exactly what clinical pharmacist education sections show.
The most common colleges for clinical pharmacists are the University of Florida and the University of Florida.
There are also many online clinical pharmacist courses to help get the education required to be a clinical pharmacist.
There are certain clinical pharmacist certifications that you should consider. These clinical pharmacist certifications include Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) and Board Certified Medication Therapy Management Specialists (BCMTMS).
What education do you need to become a clinical pharmacist?
What degree do you need to be a clinical pharmacist?
- Doctorate, 45%
- Bachelor's, 43%
- Master's, 6%
- Associate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a clinical pharmacist?
Most common colleges for clinical pharmacists
Clinical Pharmacist Common College  | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Florida | 11.08% |
| University of the Sciences | 6.67% |
| St Louis College of Pharmacy | 6.18% |
| Temple University | 5.54% |
| Duquesne University | 5.54% |
Best majors for clinical pharmacists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pharmacy | 79.9% |
| 2 | Biology | 5.4% |
| 3 | Business | 2.8% |
| 4 | Chemistry | 2.2% |
| 5 | Health/Medical Preparatory Programs | 1.7% |
Best colleges for clinical pharmacists
The best colleges for clinical pharmacists are Northeastern University, University of Southern California, and University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.
A clinical pharmacist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for clinical pharmacists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become clinical pharmacists.
1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-State Tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
3. University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$13,700
Enrollment
29,722
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
20 best online courses for clinical pharmacists
Advertising Disclosure
1. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care
This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...
2. Clinical Kidney, Pancreas and Islet Transplantation
Kidney transplantation is a major advance of modern medicine which provides high-quality of life for patients with end-stage renal disease. What used to be an experimental, risky, and very limited treatment option more than 50 years ago is now routinely performed in many countries worldwide. The number of renal transplants is expected to rise sharply in the next decade since the proportion of patients with end stage renal disease is increasing. Are you interested in clinical kidney, pancreas...
3. Understanding Medications and Therapeutics
Helping you build the best foundation to truly understand medications and develop clinical reasoning skills...
4. ICD 10 & 11 Medical Coding and Billing
Preparation for Medical Coding Certification Exam...
5. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale
Acute stroke is a time-dependent medical emergency. In acute ischemic stroke, the first objective is to restore brain flow using sistemic thrombolytic treatment and, in patients with large vessel occlusion, by endovascular treatment. In hemorrhagic stroke there are also specific treatments that can improve the clinical outcome. The sooner the initiation of all these therapies the higher the clinical benefit. Thus, the organization of Stroke Code systems coordinated between emergency medical...
6. Value-Based Care: Managing Processes to Improve Outcomes
COURSE 3 of 7. This course is designed to introduce you to critical office-based processes that a value-based practice must manage in the drive towards improved patient outcomes. In Module 2, we’ll focus on office-based and clinical patient-based supporting functions. At every level in healthcare, guidelines, processes, and functions exist to improve outcomes, and following a consistent process will return the best effect. Refine your understanding of value and learn strategies to provide real...
7. Pharmaceutical Industry Drug Regulatory Affairs (DRA)
Empowering Professionals in the Pharmaceutical Industry: A Comprehensive Online Course in Drug Regulatory Affairs...
8. Medical Terminology 101
For those in healthcare, billing, and more. Boost earning ability and marketable skills by learning to speak medicine...
9. Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative
Please join us for an exciting and innovative journey, examining one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of the oncology setting: Traditional Herbal Medicine in Supportive Cancer Care. This course is presented with short lectures offering a wide range of issues related to the principles and practice of herbal medicine in cancer care. The course includes interviews with leading world experts from the field of Integrative Oncology, from the U.S. and Canada, as well as Europe, the...
10. Health for All Through Primary Health Care
This course explores why primary health care is central for achieving Health for All. It provides examples of how primary health care has been instrumental in approaching this goal in selected populations and how the principles of primary health care can guide future policies and actions. Two of the most inspiring, least understood, and most often derided terms in global health discourse are “Health for All” and “Primary Health Care.” In this course, we will explore these terms in the context...
Top 10 most affordable universities for clinical pharmacists
The most affordable schools for clinical pharmacists are University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, university of missouri - kansas city, and university of colorado denver.
If the best universities for clinical pharmacists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for clinical pharmacists.
1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,987
Cost of Attendance
25,527
U
2. University of Missouri - Kansas City
Kansas City, MO • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,178
Cost of Attendance
20,934
3. University of Colorado Denver
Denver, CO • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,283
Cost of Attendance
22,243
4. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-State Tuition
$11,207
Cost of Attendance
25,275
5. York College of the City University of New York
Jamaica, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,158
Cost of Attendance
14,204
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for clinical pharmacists
The hardest universities for clinical pharmacists to get into are Northeastern University, University of Southern California, and University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.
Some great schools for clinical pharmacists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for clinical pharmacists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
19%
SAT Average
1,466
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
13%
SAT Average
1,445
3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions Rate
23%
SAT Average
1,434
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions Rate
10%
SAT Average
1,514
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions Rate
11%
SAT Average
1,513
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for clinical pharmacists
The easiest schools for clinical pharmacists to get into are MCPHS University, d'youville college, and notre dame of maryland university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a clinical pharmacist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for clinical pharmacists.
M
1. MCPHS University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
93%
SAT Average
1,144
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
100%
SAT Average
1,072
3. Notre Dame of Maryland University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions Rate
88%
SAT Average
1,069
4. Washington State University
Pullman, WA • Private
Admissions Rate
77%
SAT Average
1,123
5. Augusta University
Augusta, GA • Private
Admissions Rate
80%
SAT Average
1,172
Average clinical pharmacist salary by education level
| Clinical Pharmacist education level | Clinical Pharmacist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $91,016 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $89,669 |
| Doctorate Degree | $100,343 |
Clinical Pharmacist Education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
Search for clinical pharmacist jobs
Loading...
Loading...
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025