Pharmacy Schools in Texas - 2024

The second most populated state in the nation, Texas has a growing demand for pharmacists to keep up with its health and wellness needs. As of 2021, there are around 22,550 pharmacists working in Texas, drawing an annual average salary of $127,320. If you are looking at starting a pharmacy career in the state, choosing an accredited school from where you can complete your Pharm. D. should, ideally be your first step. To help you in this significant start we have ranked the ACPE accredited pharmacy schools in Texas, based on their NAPLEX performance.

Our Ranking Methodology

Our ranking of pharmacy schools in mainly based on the NAPLEX first time pass rates. As passing NAPLEX is the most important milestone towards becoming a licensed pharmacist, evaluating a school's success at it goes to indicate its favorable educational outcome. We have closely looked into each school in the state for its NAPLEX performance in the last four years, with 40% weightage given to 2021, 30% to 2020, 20% to 2019 and 10% to 2018.

NAPLEX Pass Rate YearWeightage
201810%
201920%
202030%
202140%


2024 Ranking of ACPE Accredited Pharmacy Schools in Texas

#1. University of Texas at Austin

Ranking Score: 94.53%
Location: Austin
Accreditation: ACPE
Program Length: 4 Years

About the College: The College of Pharmacy at the University of Texas at Austin is one of the premier pharmacy colleges in Texas and the nation. The College partners with University of Texas at El Paso and University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley in cooperative pharmacy programs designed to address the shortage of qualified pharmacists along the border Texas shares with Mexico.

Program Details: Students begin working in pharmacy practice sites during the summer of their first year of Pharm.D. studies, and their fourth year consists entirely of clinical rotations at an assortment of health care facilities, including University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston and University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. Advanced pharmacy practice experiences are specifically designed to build on skills students have acquired in earlier coursework and rotations. Students are only permitted to participate in advanced pharmacy practice experiences if classwork and previous clinical participations have been deemed satisfactory.

University of Texas at Austin NAPLEX Performance
Year # of Students Attempted Pass Rate
2018 111 97.30%
2019 125 95.00%
2020 114 94.00%
2021 109 94.00%



#2. University of the Incarnate Word

Ranking Score: 94.45%
Location: San Antonio
Accreditation: ACPE
Program Length: 4 Years

About the College: Though the University of the Incarnate Word is a Catholic institution of higher learning, admission into its Feik School of Pharmacy is open to students of all faiths. The San Antonio River flows right through the middle of campus.

Program Details: In addition to teaching core academic subjects, the Feik School makes a point of imparting values like cultural sensitivity, self-awareness and leadership. The Pharm.D. curriculum spans four years, and clinical pharmacy rotations begin during the second year. During the summers of the first and second year, the School offers Spanish classes that are designed to teach aspiring pharmacists the Spanish terminology needed for talking about medicines to consumers. Graduating students may also be offered Spanish certification. The Feik School partners with Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Parana in Brazil to provide foreign educational exchange experiences.

University of the Incarnate Word NAPLEX Performance
Year # of Students Attempted Pass Rate
2018 85 96.50%
2019 89 92.00%
2020 80 96.00%
2021 78 94.00%



#3. University of Houston

Ranking Score: 92.94%
Location: Houston
Accreditation: ACPE
Program Length: 4 Years

About the College: In 2018, University of Houston's College of Pharmacy implemented a new curriculum, which is designed to emphasize organ systems and diseases so that students will have a more holistic oversight of the role pharmacists play in health care. The College of Pharmacy is a noted center for pharmacological research and receives grants from the National Institutes of Health as well as other prestigious foundations.

Program Details: Throughout their first year of academic study, students hone their clinical skills in lab modules. Clinical rotations begin in the summer of the first year of the Pharm.D. program. Prior to the start of their fourth year, students are expected to complete 300 hours of pharmacy practice experiences. The fourth year of the College's pharmacy program is entirely devoted to advanced pharmacy practice experiences in a variety of institutional, ambulatory and community health care settings.

University of Houston NAPLEX Performance
Year # of Students Attempted Pass Rate
2018 115 97.40%
2019 128 96.00%
2020 110 96.00%
2021 125 88.00%



#4. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

Ranking Score: 86.96%
Location: Lubbock
Accreditation: ACPE
Program Length: 4 Years

About the College: Texas Tech University's School of Pharmacy is affiliated with the University's Health Sciences Center. The School was established by the Texas State legislature in 1993 to address the critical shortage of pharmacists in the Lone Star State. This is one of the most tech-heavy Pharm.D. programs in Texas; many of the reference materials needed for coursework are digital, and students learn basic skills in state-of-the-art simulation laboratories.

Program Details: Texas Tech University's Pharm.D. program admits a new class each fall. The first year focuses on biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences while the second year focuses on disease states and pharmacotherapy. Students are introduced to patient interactions by manning drug and poison hotlines in their first year. Students spend all 48 weeks of the fourth and final year of the program in clinical rotations at one of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center campuses in Amarillo, Dallas, Lubbock or El Paso.

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center NAPLEX Performance
Year # of Students Attempted Pass Rate
2018 131 88.60%
2019 142 89.00%
2020 146 93.00%
2021 144 81.00%



#5. University of North Texas System College of Pharmacy

Ranking Score: 84.37%
Location: Fort Worth
Accreditation: ACPE
Program Length: 4 Years

About the College: The College of Pharmacy at University of North Texas is lodged within the University's Health Science Center. Its Pharm.D. program is a patient-centered curriculum that emphasizes the ways that pharmacists can increase safety, improve outcomes and reduce costs through medication management.

Program Details: The deadline for admission into the four-year program is September 4 for early decision applicants and March 1 for all others. Students must pass a criminal background check and a urine drug screening before they will be admitted into the program. Clinical rotations begin the first semester of the program and comprise the entirety of the fourth and final year. Students will also be given the opportunity to become involved in one or more of the College of Pharmacy's many research projects.

University of North Texas System College of Pharmacy University of North Texas System College of Pharmacy NAPLEX Performance
Year # of Students Attempted Pass Rate
2018 75 86.70%
2019 106 87.00%
2020 95 85.00%
2021 79 82.00%



#6. Texas A&M University

Ranking Score: 81.89%
Location: College Station
Accreditation: ACPE
Program Length: 4 Years

About the College: Texas A&M University's Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy was created specifically to help address the shortage of pharmacists in the area along the border Texas shares with Mexico. The College has two campuses: one in College Station and one in nearby Kingsville.

Program Details: The Rangel College of Pharmacy's four-year program consists of 146 semester credits of classroom and laboratory coursework, and 38 semester credits of clinical rotations. Year Four is entirely devoted to real-world experiences in health care facilities throughout South Texas. Students are also required to complete an individual research pharmacy capstone project. The College offers a concurrent Pharm.D./MBA curriculum for students who are interested in working within the pharmacological industry or who want to become pharmacist managers. “U.S. News & World Report” ranks this program among the top 50 pharmacy programs in the nation.

Texas A&M University NAPLEX Performance
Year # of Students Attempted Pass Rate
2018 109 89.91%
2019 109 95.00%
2020 109 85.00%
2021 104 71.00%



#7. Texas Southern University

Ranking Score: 78.86%
Location: Houston
Accreditation: ACPE
Program Length: 4 Years

About the College: Although Texas Southern University was one of the nation's largest historically black universities, today it has a diverse student population. Part of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences' mission is to help resolve disparities in health status between economically disadvantaged minorities and the population as a whole.

Program Details: The Pharm.D. program at Texas Southern University prepares students for research careers as well as for careers as working pharmacists. The College offers an IV Certification program for second-year students; upon successful completion, students will meet the requirements set forth by the Texas State Board of Pharmacy for compounding sterile preparations. The College receives funding from the Houston Area Agency on Aging that allows students to participate in medication management services for the elderly in that region. Additionally, the four-year program offers clinical rotations at North and South Texas Veterans Administration Hospitals, Texas Children's Hospital and the Mayo Clinic among other health care facilities.

Texas Southern University NAPLEX Performance
Year # of Students Attempted Pass Rate
2018 105 88.60%
2019 107 78.00%
2020 78 72.00%
2021 54 82.00%



Typical Pharm.D. Program Details in TX

Why Should I Apply for an ACPE Accredited Pharm. D. Program?

To complete your Pharm. D. Program in Texas, choosing an accredited school will be prudent as you will be assured of receiving education that is relevant and of high quality. Moreover, employers prefer to hire pharmacists who attend accredited schools to complete their degree, so you can land that coveted job much sooner.

Program Length

A Pharm. D. program usually takes four years to complete. However, since you are required to complete the pre-pharmacy curriculum requirements before you enroll, which takes another two to four years, the actual length of your pharmacy education will sum up to a six to eight -year period.

Tuition

Your tuition cost will depend on the school you choose to complete your pharmacy education in Texas. The state offers quite a few affordable options, where a number of schools offer a Pharm. D. program with tuition costs way below $100,000. Overall, tuition costs of pharmacy schools in TX ranges between $23,596, on the lower side and $150,000 on the higher end.

Admission Requirements

Well, admission requirements will differ from each college. You must get the in-detail admission requirements of the college you choose to enroll. Nonetheless you must know that broadly there are four basic admission requirements for the Pharm. D. Program.

• Complete the required Pharm. D. pre-requisite courses.

• Take the PCAT Exam

• Obtain two/three letter of reference

• Participate in Community Service.

Curriculum

The Pharm. D. curriculum undergoes continuous revision to stay abreast with the advances in technological and medical sciences. While the coursework of Doctor of Pharmacy Programs in Texas vary, it is by far a combination of required and elective courses and takes 4 years to complete. To give you a fair idea we look into the sample curriculum of University of Houston.

The coursework prepares students to be practice ready with extensive pharmacy practice experiences. At the end of the first and second year and the entire fourth year students get an opportunity to build up on the knowledge and skills they have learnt with several pharmacy practice experiences.

Sample Curriculum

First Professional YearSecond Professional Year
Pharmacy Skills Program IPharmacy Skills Program III
Introduction to the Health Care SystemModule-Related Skills Lab (MRSL) I
Physiology IPharmacokinetics
Pharmaceutics I & CalculationsLiterature Evaluation/Research Design/Statistics/Epidemiology
Social, Behavioral & Communication Aspects of Pharmacy PracticeIntegrated Renal Module
BiochemistryIntegrated Gastrointestinal Module
Pharmacy Skills Program IIIntegrated Respiratory Module
Patient AssessmentLeadership and Principles of Interprofessional Education
Physiology IIModule-Related Skills Lab (MRSL) II
Pharmaceutics IIIntegrated Endocrine Module
ImmunologyIntegrated Men's and Women's Health Module
Self-Care & Over the Counter ProductsIntegrated Cardiovascular I Module
Foundations in Medicinal Chemistry, Microbiology & Receptor ActionIntegrated Cardiovascular II Module
Fundamentals of Pharmacy PracticePharmacoeconomics & Hospital Management
Patient, Medication Safety & InformaticsElective
Community Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE)Institutional Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE)
Third Professional YearFourth Professional Year
Module-Related Skills Lab (MRSL) IIIAdvanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) I
Ambulatory Clinical Practice ManagementAdvanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) II
Integrated Neurology ModuleAdvanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) III
Integrated Immunology ModuleAdvanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) IV
Integrated Infectious Diseases I ModuleAdvanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) V
Integrated Infectious Diseases II ModuleAdvanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) VI
Module Related Skill Lab (MRSL) IVAdvanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) VII
Integrated Hematology/Oncology Module
Integrated Psychiatry Module
Complex Problems
Elective
Elective
Law
Source: University of Houston



Licensure - Passing the NAPLEX and MPJE in Texas

Apply to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy by submitting an application and paying the fee online. You must plan this as early as 6 months prior to your expected graduation date. Once the board confirms your eligibility to take the licensure exam, you must apply to the NABP for the MPJE and NAPLEX. You can complete this application during the first week of the month you expect to complete your graduation.



Texas Pharm. D. Graduates NAPLEX Performance (2018-2021)

It is interesting to note that Pharm. D. graduates in Texas have been rather inconsistent with their NAPLEX performance over the past 4 years. While 2021 saw a below average performance, students did exceedingly well in the year of 2018. 693 students passed the exam with a 84.57%, which was higher than the national aggregate of 83.55%. In 2020, 732 students passed the exam with a 88.71%. Students from University of Texas at Austin in particular, have outshone pharmacy students in the state with their performance on the NAPLEX.

School Location 2018 2019 2020 2021
#Taken Pass % #Taken Pass % #Taken Pass % #Taken Pass %
University of Houston Houston 115 97.40% 128 96.00% 110 96.00% 125 88.00%
University of Texas at Austin Austin 111 97.30% 125 95.00% 114 94.00% 109 94.00%
University of the Incarnate Word San Antonio 85 96.50% 89 92.00% 80 96.00% 78 94.00%
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Lubbock 131 88.60% 142 89.00% 146 93.00% 144 81.00%
Texas A&M University College Station 109 89.91% 109 95.00% 109 85.00% 104 71.00%
University of North Texas System College of Pharmacy Fort Worth 75 86.70% 106 87.00% 95 85.00% 79 82.00%
Texas Southern University Houston 105 88.60% 107 78.00% 78 72.00% 54 82.00%
Overall Texas NAPLEX Performance 731 92.14% 806 90.29% 732 88.71% 693 84.57%



How Much Do Pharmacists Make in Texas?

A pharmacist in Texas earns a salary which is 1.29% higher than the national average, be it annually or hourly. The average annual salary of a pharmacist in the state is $127,320. Working in Laredo can fetch you the highest salary in the state at $139,160.

TypeSalary
Hourly$61.21
Monthly$10,610
Annual$127,320
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics



Pharmacist 10-Year Job Outlook in Texas

The employment growth projected through 2020 to 2030 is a promising 14.83%, much higher than the national average of -2.14%. Each year there will be 1,260 job openings for pharmacists in the state. Apart from the expansion of the pharmaceutical industry, the availability of affordable pharmacy education makes it a lucrative career for many. The higher salaries in the state are an added factor that propels this growth.

2020 Employment2030 EmploymentGrowthProjected Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement)
NumberPercent
22,72026,0903,37014.83%1,260
Source: Career One Stop



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