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Clinical staff pharmacist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a clinical staff pharmacist. Clinical staff pharmacists usually study pharmacy, biology, or business. 45% of clinical staff pharmacists hold a doctoral degree, and 45% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 1,520 real clinical staff pharmacist resumes to see exactly what clinical staff pharmacist education sections show.

The most common colleges for clinical staff pharmacists are the University of Florida and the University of Florida.

There are also many online clinical staff pharmacist courses to help get the education required to be a clinical staff pharmacist.

What education do you need to become a clinical staff pharmacist?

What degree do you need to be a clinical staff pharmacist?

The most common degree for clinical staff pharmacists is doctoral degree, with 45% of clinical staff pharmacists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 45% and bachelor's degree degree at 6%.
  • Doctorate, 45%
  • Bachelor's, 45%
  • Master's, 6%
  • Associate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a clinical staff pharmacist?

You should major in pharmacy to become a clinical staff pharmacist. 80% of clinical staff pharmacists major in pharmacy. Other common majors for a clinical staff pharmacist include biology and business.

Most common colleges for clinical staff pharmacists

Clinical staff pharmacists often get their degrees at University of Florida, University of Illinois at Chicago, and St Louis College of Pharmacy. Here are the most common colleges for clinical staff pharmacists in the US based on their resumes.
Clinical staff pharmacist common collegePercentages
University of Florida9.20%
University of Illinois at Chicago7.06%
St Louis College of Pharmacy6.75%
University of Houston6.44%
Wayne State University6.13%

Best majors for clinical staff pharmacists

RankMajorPercentages
1Pharmacy80.2%
2Biology5.5%
3Business2.1%
4Chemistry2.1%
5Health/Medical Preparatory Programs1.9%

Best colleges for clinical staff pharmacists

The best colleges for clinical staff pharmacists are Northeastern University, University of Southern California, and University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

A clinical staff 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 staff 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 staff 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

6. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

7. University of California - Davis

Davis, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,402

Enrollment

30,698

8. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

9. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

20 best online courses for clinical staff pharmacists

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2. Drug Development

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Top 10 most affordable universities for clinical staff pharmacists

The most affordable schools for clinical staff 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 staff 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 staff pharmacists.

1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

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

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

7. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Cost of attendance

24,718

8. Augusta University

Augusta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$8,604

Cost of attendance

20,618

9. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Cost of attendance

24,568

10. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Cost of attendance

25,497

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for clinical staff pharmacists

The hardest universities for clinical staff pharmacists to get into are Northeastern University, University of Southern California, and University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

Some great schools for clinical staff 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 staff 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

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

8. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

9. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for clinical staff pharmacists

The easiest schools for clinical staff 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 staff 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 staff pharmacists.

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

6. University of Colorado Denver

Denver, CO • Private

Admissions rate

64%

SAT average

1,132

7. Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, MI • Private

Admissions rate

76%

SAT average

1,025

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. University of Toledo

Toledo, OH • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

1,145

10. Long Island University

Brookville, NY • Private

Admissions rate

76%

SAT average

1,167

Average clinical staff pharmacist salary by education level

Clinical staff pharmacists with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $83,144 annually. With a Master's degree, clinical staff pharmacists earn a median annual income of $74,079 compared to $72,785 for clinical staff pharmacists with an Bachelor's degree.
Clinical staff pharmacist education levelClinical staff pharmacist salary
Master's Degree$74,079
Bachelor's Degree$72,785
Doctorate Degree$83,144

Clinical staff pharmacist education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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