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Pharmaceutical analyst education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a pharmaceutical analyst. Pharmaceutical analysts usually study pharmacy, biology, or psychology. 73% of pharmaceutical analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 60 real pharmaceutical analyst resumes to see exactly what pharmaceutical analyst education sections show.
The most common colleges for pharmaceutical analysts are the North Carolina Central University and the North Carolina Central University.
There are also many online pharmaceutical analyst courses to help get the education required to be a pharmaceutical analyst.
What education do you need to become a pharmaceutical analyst?
What degree do you need to be a pharmaceutical analyst?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Master's, 11%
- Associate, 11%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a pharmaceutical analyst?
- Pharmacy, 17%
- Biology, 15%
- Psychology, 7%
- Other Majors, 54%
Most common colleges for pharmaceutical analysts
| Pharmaceutical analyst common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| North Carolina Central University | 9.52% |
| Florida Institute of Technology | 4.76% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 4.76% |
| Harvard University | 4.76% |
| New Jersey Institute of Technology | 4.76% |
Best majors for pharmaceutical analysts
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pharmacy | 17.1% |
| 2 | Biology | 14.6% |
| 3 | Psychology | 7.3% |
| 4 | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | 7.3% |
| 5 | Nursing | 7.3% |
Best colleges for pharmaceutical analysts
The best colleges for pharmaceutical analysts are University of Pennsylvania, Duke University, and Vanderbilt University.
A pharmaceutical analyst with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for pharmaceutical analysts. 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 pharmaceutical analysts.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
5. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
7. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
10. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
20 best online courses for pharmaceutical analysts
Advertising disclosure
1. Drug Development Product Management
Pharmaceutical and biotech companies are spending years and millions of dollars developing drugs or promising new biologics, all with the hopes of saving or enhancing patients’ lives. This specialization will provide you with a 30,000 feet view of the entire process of drug discovery and development. In the first course you will begin with learning how scientists go from selecting a drug discovery target to filing an Initial New Drug application. In the second course you will learn the...
2. Drug Development
The University of California San Diego, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Drug Development course brings you lectures from both faculty and industry experts. With this course, recorded on campus at UCSD, we seek to share our access to top people in the field who bring an unprecedented range of expertise on drug development. In this course you will learn the different stages of clinical development as well as the regulatory including but not limited to, an Investigational New...
3. Pharmaceutical Industry Drug Regulatory Affairs (DRA)
Empowering Professionals in the Pharmaceutical Industry: A Comprehensive Online Course in Drug Regulatory Affairs...
4. Practical Pharmaceutical Supply Management: LMIC Focus
Pharmaceutical Supply Mastery: From Procurement to Efficient Distribution...
5. Drug Discovery
The University of California San Diego, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Drug Discovery course brings you lectures from both faculty and industry experts. With this course, recorded on campus at UCSD, we seek to share our access to top people in the field who bring an unprecedented range of expertise on drug discovery. In this course you will learn the drug discovery process up to the filing of an Initial New Drug Application or IND. Each week you will learn the steps that...
6. Drug Commercialization
The University of California San Diego, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Drug Commercialization course brings you lectures from both faculty and industry experts. With this course, recorded on campus at UCSD, we seek to share our access to top people in the field who bring an unprecedented range of expertise on drug commercialization. This course will cover pharmacoeconomic, marketing strategy, intellectual property strategy, portfolio management, managed markets and...
7. Certificate Course in Drug Regulatory Affairs (DRA)
Pharma course (NDA, ANDA, CTD, DMF, USFDA, Regulatory strategy, GMP, Clinical Research, Orange Book, Pharmaceuticals)...
8. Certificate Course in Clinical Research (CCCR)
A Clinical Research Course-ICH-GCP E6(R2), Clinical Trials, Essential Documents, Sponsor, Investigator, Pharmaceuticals...
9. IBM Data Analyst Capstone Project
By completing this final capstone project you will apply various Data Analytics skills and techniques that you have learned as part of the previous courses in the IBM Data Analyst Professional Certificate. You will assume the role of an Associate Data Analyst who has recently joined the organization and be presented with a business challenge that requires data analysis to be performed on real-world datasets. You will perform the various tasks that professional data analysts do as part of their...
10. The Pharmaceutical R & D Process in Healthcare
Learn about clinical trials, drug regulations, biotech products, generics, marketing and more. *Biotech Update! 1/22*...
11. Your Guide to the Pharmaceutical Industry
Learn about the pharma industry quickly - current trends, medicines, healthcare, pharmacy markets & major developments...
12. Pharma Drug Regulatory Affairs Certificate Course - DRA 2023
DRA, Orange book, USFDA, e CTD, CTD, INDA, NDA, ANDA, DMF, ICH, Software Demo, RA Jobs, Quiz, Pharma Skills, Updated 2023...
13. The Simplest Guide to Clinical Trials Data Analysis with SAS
Step into the world of Pharmaceutical industry Clinical Trials Clinical Research Biostatistics Clinical SAS SAS...
14. Certificate Course in Pharmacovigilance
Drug safety, Drug development and discovery, ICSR , Adverse events, Global guidelines, Med DRA, PV Audits...
15. Become a Data Analyst - (Python, Excel, SQL, Power BI )
Get Real World Data Analyst Skills with Hands-on Practice...
16. The Data Analyst Course: Complete Data Analyst Bootcamp
Complete Data Analyst Training: Python, Num Py, Pandas, Data Collection, Preprocessing, Data Types, Data Visualization...
17. Production for Management Consultants and Business Analysts
Practical guide on how to improve production and operations in a firm and analyze potential savings in Excel...
18. Basic Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
Learn the good practices that applies to the pharmaceutical industry...
19. Tableau Certified Data Analyst: Top Exam Prep Course
3 Practice Tests Tableau Data Analyst Tableau Certification Tableau BI Data Analysis Data Visualization...
20. Practical SQL Bootcamp for Data Analysts and Data Scientists
Master One of the Most In-Demand Skills for Data Analysts in 2020!...
Top 10 most affordable universities for pharmaceutical analysts
The most affordable schools for pharmaceutical analysts are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for pharmaceutical analysts 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 pharmaceutical analysts.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for pharmaceutical analysts
The hardest universities for pharmaceutical analysts to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Duke University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for pharmaceutical analysts 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 pharmaceutical analysts 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for pharmaceutical analysts
The easiest schools for pharmaceutical analysts to get into are D'Youville College, barry university, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a pharmaceutical analyst 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 pharmaceutical analysts.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
5. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
8. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. Notre Dame of Maryland University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,069
10. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
Average pharmaceutical analyst salary by education level
| Pharmaceutical analyst education level | Pharmaceutical analyst salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $84,557 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $61,818 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $74,464 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $59,908 |
Pharmaceutical analyst education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025