Are you considering a career as a professional pharmacist? Not sure what university would best fit your study abroad experience? There are several lists featuring the best universities for studying Pharmacy, Pharmacology, and Toxicology, created by the top international university rankings in the world.
Times Higher Education Rankings, QS Rankings, US News Rankings, and Shanghai Rankings all offer lists with the best pharmacy schools in the world. Check them out and have your pick.
If studying at the best pharmacy universities in the world is a hard pill to swallow because of high tuition fees, the far-away location, the language barrier or limited scholarships, rest assured you can still find a lot of great university options by checking out Mastersportal.com.
QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021: Pharmacy & Pharmacology
- University of Oxford, UK
- Monash University, Australia
- Harvard University, US
- University of Cambridge, UK
- University of Nottingham, UK
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, US
- University College London (UCL), UK
- University of California, San Francisco, US
- Johns Hopkins University, US
- University of Toronto, Canada
See the full pharmacy schools ranking on TopUniversties.com.
Best Global Universities for Pharmacology and Toxicology 2022
- Harvard University, US
- Monash University, Australia
- University College London (UCL), UK
- Johns Hopkins University, US
- University of Nottingham, UK
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, US
- University of California, San Diego, US
- University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- Karolinska Institute, Sweden
- Stanford University, US
Explore other ranked pharmacy schools on the U.S. News website.
ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2021 - Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Harvard University, US
- University of California, San Francisco, US
- University of California, San Diego, US
- University of Oxford, UK
- University College London (UCL), UK
- University of Cambridge, UK
- Karolinska Institute, Sweden
- University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, US
- University of Toronto, Canada
Discover the remaining ranked universities on ShanghaiRanking.com.
Academic Influence Rankings – Real-time objective rankings
- University of Cambridge, UK
- Saint Petersburg State University, Russia
- Harvard University, US
- Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany
- University of Edinburgh, UK
- Johns Hopkins University, US
- University of Washington, US
- University of Oxford, UK
- University of Tartu, Estonia
- DePauw University, US
The complete ranking is available on AcademicInfluence.com.
Here are other pharmacy schools we recommend:
- The University of Western Australia, Australia
- University of Bristol, UK
- University of Nicosia, Cyprus
You can also study an online Bachelor's or Master's in Pharmacy from the comfort of your home.
What to expect from studying at a great pharmacy school?
- You’ll have to learn a lot of information and even reinvent the way you’ve been learning up to now.
- Classes almost always include patient case studies.
- Tests are more focused on patient cases as opposed to raw theory and memorising information.
- Study groups are a great way to learn for exams and understand complex concepts.
- There are many great student organisations to join that will help you to establish connections and offer you extra-curricular experience.
- Most learning and exams happen on your personal laptop, so you’ll have to get used to using apps and digital tools.
Read more about the first-year study experience at pharmacy school.
Find Pharmacy Bachelors abroad
How to know if pharmacy school is right for you?
Consider the following factors:
- Are you passionate about Chemistry, chemical substances and patient care?
- Do your grades and previous experience fit the university requirements?
- Can you afford it? Are there any scholarship opportunities?
- Consider an internship or take some time as an assistant in a pharmacy to see if it’s something you’d like to do.
- Ask practising pharmacists how they like their job and if they would do anything differently in their career.
- Do you like research and have an analytical mind? There will be plenty of research, so you’d better!
- If you can afford the trip and the time, try visiting the school before applying. You’ll get a feel of the atmosphere on campus, the city life and your future colleagues.
- How far the school is from your home country and how ok are you with being very far or too close to home?
The answers to these questions can be different for everyone. Don’t take other people’s answers for granted and do your best to find your own. If you decide pharmacy school is for you, that’s great. If not, that’s alright as well. There are plenty of other degrees and future careers to consider and we’re here to help you find them.