NAPLEX Pass Rates: How to Compare Pharmacy School Outcomes
Co-Founder and Chief Data Scientist
A pharmacy school's NAPLEX pass rate can look decisive until you discover that schools report different years, examinee groups, and sample sizes. For prospective Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) students, those differences matter: the degree is a major investment, and the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) is one step toward becoming a licensed pharmacist. This guide shows you how to read published results, spot misleading comparisons, and weigh exam performance alongside accreditation, total cost, and your career plans.
Key Things You Should Know
- Compare first-time NAPLEX pass rates for the same testing year, then check examinee counts: an illustrative 18 passes among 20 candidates equals 90%, but two additional failures would lower that rate to 82%.
- Review at least three consecutive reporting years when available; one strong or weak year may reflect a small testing group rather than a lasting difference in preparation.
- A pass rate is not a licensing rate. Confirm ACPE professional-program accreditation and your intended state's remaining requirements before committing to a school.
What is a NAPLEX pass rate, and why does it matter?
A NAPLEX pass rate is the share of reported exam attempts that resulted in a passing outcome for a defined group and period. The NAPLEX assesses knowledge and skills relevant to entry-level pharmacy practice. Passing it is generally necessary for U.S. pharmacist licensure, but a pass does not itself grant a license.
For school selection, the rate is evidence about how a group of candidates performed - not a prediction of your result or a complete measure of teaching quality.
Check whether a figure describes first-time candidates or all attempts, which testing year it covers, and how many candidates took the exam. Students still comparing entry routes should separate pharmacy application eligibility pathways from the professional Pharm.D. education that precedes licensure testing.
How do you compare pharmacy school NAPLEX pass rates fairly?
Start with the same NABP reporting year and the same measure - preferably first-time attempts - for each school. Then examine several years of results and the number of examinees behind each rate. A large percentage-point swing at a small school may represent only a few people; a stable pattern across larger groups is more informative.
The following comparison separates the figures worth recording from the conclusions they can support. It helps prevent a single headline percentage from deciding your shortlist.
| Comparison field | School A | School B | Why it matters |
| Reporting year and source | Record published figure | Record published figure | Keeps the comparison current and like-for-like |
| First-time passes and attempts | Record counts and rate | Record counts and rate | Shows the size behind each percentage |
| Prior reporting years | Record available trend | Record available trend | Reveals consistency or volatility |
| Graduation and placement outcomes | Record definitions and dates | Record definitions and dates | Adds context beyond the licensing exam |
If a school has a high pass rate but a low or unclear graduation rate, ask how many students who entered the program reached the point of testing. Applicants comparing admissions selectivity can consult understanding pharmacy school admissions, but an easier admission route should not be mistaken for a stronger - or weaker - NAPLEX outcome.
What NAPLEX pass rate data should prospective students trust?
Use the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) school pass-rate reports as the starting point for comparable exam results. For a school's graduation, retention, and postgraduate placement claims, look for dated institutional disclosures that define the group measured.
A marketing claim without a reporting year, candidate count, or clear definition is a reason to ask for the underlying figures. Ask an admissions office whether its published rate uses the same testing period and attempt category as NABP's report, particularly if the numbers differ.
Also ask when its graduates typically test: exam-year groups do not necessarily match a single graduating class. If prior college work could change your time to completion, confirm directly with the receiving school how it evaluates transfer coursework toward pharmacy prerequisites; NAPLEX results cannot answer that question.
The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) accredits professional Pharm.D. programs. Check the program's current status in ACPE's official records, including any stated conditions or applicable dates. Accreditation establishes that a program meets professional education standards; it does not promise a particular pass rate or license an individual graduate.
Keep three approvals separate: ACPE professional-program accreditation, the institution's own accreditation, and authorization relevant to enrolling distance-learning students. None replaces the others or establishes eligibility for every state's license.
This distinction is especially important when reviewing Doctor of Pharmacy programs with online coursework: online classes may still involve in-person labs and clinical rotations, and location-specific rules can affect participation.
Students typically complete school-specific undergraduate prerequisites before entering the professional Pharm.D. curriculum. A bachelor's degree is not universally required for admission.
Within the Pharm.D., classroom and laboratory study is paired with supervised introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs) and advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs). These components build and apply knowledge relevant to the NAPLEX, although neither completing the degree nor passing the exam alone confers a license.
Compare a program's academic support, practice assessments, experiential sites, and policies for students who struggle - not merely whether it advertises "NAPLEX preparation." Applicants with strong science backgrounds can explore Pharm.D. programs for chemistry majors, while checking each school's actual prerequisite and laboratory rules rather than assuming a chemistry degree satisfies them.
A first-time pass rate describes candidates taking the NAPLEX for the first time during the reporting period. An overall or all-attempts rate includes repeat attempts as well, so it answers a different question. Neither figure tells you, by itself, what proportion of an entering class graduated and ultimately became licensed.
Use first-time rates for your primary school-to-school comparison, and examine all-attempts results for additional context about retesting. Do not subtract one rate from the other to estimate how many individual graduates eventually passed: attempts and people are not interchangeable.
When assessing accelerated pharmacy education options, apply the same reporting definitions and review enough years to see whether a compressed schedule has a consistent record.
Curriculum sequencing, feedback on clinical reasoning, access to academic support, and the quality of supervised experiences can all affect how prepared a student feels for licensure testing. Admissions characteristics and the number of students who remain enrolled can also influence a school-level rate. A published result cannot isolate the effect of any one factor.
Before accepting a school's explanation for its scores, ask how it identifies students needing support, when practice assessments occur, and what help follows an unsuccessful assessment.
Ask who coordinates IPPE and APPE placements and whether travel may be required. Be careful with lists of pharmacy degree programs with accelerated schedules: a short pharmacy-related credential is not necessarily a professional Pharm.D. and may not qualify its holder for pharmacist licensure.
Compare the cost of reaching licensure readiness, not just advertised tuition. Request each school's current cost-of-attendance estimate and identify mandatory fees, prerequisite coursework, supplies, required technology, rotation travel or housing, and exam-related expenses. Compare equivalent periods and residency classifications; a per-credit price and a full-program estimate are not directly comparable.
A modest NAPLEX-rate advantage may not justify substantially higher borrowing, particularly when the difference rests on a small testing group. Conversely, a lower sticker price may come with travel or scheduling costs.
Use affordable Doctor of Pharmacy options to build a shortlist, then verify each program's current charges and outcomes. Federal borrowing rules changed for many new graduate and professional borrowers beginning July 1, 2026, so obtain an aid estimate for your own start date rather than relying on an older loan-limit example.
Licensure requirements depend on the jurisdiction where you intend to practice. In addition to a qualifying education and the NAPLEX, a board may require supervised experience, background checks, fees, and a jurisprudence examination covering pharmacy law.
Do not assume every jurisdiction uses the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE): some began transitioning to the Uniform Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (UMPJE) in 2026, while requirements elsewhere differ.
Before enrolling, check the intended state board's current education, intern-registration, examination, and application rules. That is particularly important if you expect to study or complete rotations across state lines. Marketing for doctoral study with a shorter time commitment should not be read as evidence that a non-Pharm.D. doctorate meets pharmacist licensing requirements.
How do pharmacy school outcomes relate to pharmacist careers?
A strong first-time NAPLEX record supports confidence in exam preparation, but it does not establish job placement, residency admission, or earnings for an individual. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports median annual pay of $140,910 in May 2025 for pharmacists and projects 5% job growth for 2025-2035, with about 12,500 openings per year. Those occupation-wide figures provide career context, not a return-on-investment estimate for a particular school.
Compare schools' clearly defined graduation and placement information with your goal: community practice, a hospital position, or another setting may involve different employer preferences. A residency or fellowship is postgraduate training, not a license; board certification is a separate specialty credential and is not universally required.
If your goal is a pharmacy-adjacent role rather than pharmacist practice, consider whether pharmacy education with shorter completion time meets it without the cost and time of a Pharm.D. For pharmacist applicants, the best next step is to shortlist accredited programs, compare matched NAPLEX results and total costs, and confirm licensure eligibility with the relevant board.
Other Things You Should Know About PharmD
It may not yet have graduates who have taken the exam. An unavailable rate is not a 0% rate. Check its current ACPE status and ask when its first reportable results are expected.
No. Public school-level reports do not identify individual candidates. Ask schools for aggregate, dated outcomes rather than personal exam records.
Yes. Testing and graduation dates need not fall in the same reporting year. That is why a school's graduating-class claim should not automatically be equated with NABP's exam-year figure.
Not directly. Their eligibility may involve the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee (FPGEC) certification process and jurisdiction-specific requirements rather than graduation from a U.S. Pharm.D. program. Check NABP and the intended state board for the applicable route.
- Association Between NAPLEX Preparation Program... - PMC https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10159439/
- PharmD Program Quality Indicators | buffalo.edu https://pharmacy.buffalo.edu/about-us/pharmd-program-quality-indicators.html
- Student Success Metrics | llu.edu https://pharmacy.llu.edu/about-us/student-success-metrics
- Falling NAPLEX pass rates are cause for concern | sciencedirect.com https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1877129723003040
- PharmD Graduation & Career Outcomes | Presbyterian College https://www.presby.edu/graduate-programs/pharmacy/outcomes/
- Accreditation - Texas A&M College of Pharmacy https://pharmacy.tamu.edu/about/acpe-self-study.html
- NAPLEX Scoring and Results - The Complete Guide (2026) | UWorld RxPrep Pharmacy https://pharmacy.uworld.com/naplex/scoring-guide/
- Pharmacy Residency Programs | NAPLEX Pass Rate https://nabp.pharmacy/news/blog/preceptors-and-residency-directors-can-help-pharmacy-students-pass-the-naplex/
- Impact of pharmacy school characteristics on NAPLEX first-time pass rates - Oregon Health & Science University https://ohsu.elsevierpure.com/en/publications/impact-of-pharmacy-school-characteristics-on-naplex-first-time-pa
