Feature|Articles|May 2, 2025

Applications to Pharmacy Schools Steady as Students Look Beyond Traditional Roles

As pharmacy schools continue to deal with recruitment challenges, the pharmacy workforce has its own set of challenges, including interest in nontraditional roles.

Over the past decade, the number of students applying to pharmacy school declined significantly. The total amount of applicants fell from 111,744 in 2009 to 2010 to 33,922 in 2022 to 2023, causing concerns among many about exacerbating an ongoing workforce shortage. However, the worst may be over, as applications seemed to plateau for the most recent school year, which saw 35,749 applicants.^1,2