There are more than 100 accredited pharmacy schools in America, which makes choosing the best one for you difficult. Factors to consider when determining which schools you should apply to include rankings, location, cost, program length, class size and reputation. "U.S. News & World Report" prepares a ranking of the best pharmacy schools in the country every few years. There are also school rankings by the "Annals of Pharmacotherapy" and the student-rating website StudentsReview.com. The "Annals" bases its ranking on criteria from the National Institute of Health while "U.S. News & World Report" ranks pharmacy schools based on faculty, class size, research funding, program directors and deans. The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy offers prospective students a tool to find pharmacy schools based on criteria like program length, location, class size, tuition and requirements.
The University of California at San Francisco was the top-ranked pharmacy school by "U.S. News & World Report" in 2008 with a 4.7 out of a possible 5 point score. The school is a leader in research, receiving more National Institutes of Health research funding dollars than any other pharmacy school in America every year since 1979 and more federal funding for chemical research than any university in the United States. It offers doctorate of pharmacy degrees with pathways in pharmaceutical care, health services and policy research and pharmaceutical sciences as well as a number of doctorate programs.
The Eshelman School of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill is the second-ranked pharmacy school in America by "U.S. News & World Report." The School received a 4.4 out of possible 5 point score in its ranking. UNC offers a doctorate of pharmacy degree as well as a doctorate of philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences and a master of science degree in Health Systems Pharmacy. Residencies and fellowships as well as continuing education courses are also offered. The school conducts a number of research projects in four phases of the drug discovery and development cycle (discovery, optimization, assessment and outcomes), which pharmacy school students may participate in.
The College of Pharmacy at the University of Minnesota is the third-ranked pharmacy school by "U.S. News & World Report," with a score of 4.3 out of 5 points. The college offers Pharm.D., Ph.D. and M.S. degrees and is the only school to do so in the state of Minnesota. Students can take courses at either the Twin Cities or Duluth campuses. In addition to receiving degrees, students have the opportunity to help develop new drugs to treat diseases, provide statistical information to lawmakers and take courses from more than 90 full-time faculty members.