ULM College of Pharmacy leads with top ROI, high licensure pass rate, and 100% job placement
Published April 21, 2026

MONROE, La. 鈥 It is no secret that the 91精品福利一区二区三区 has taken an aggressive approach to aligning with the workforce needs of Louisiana, evidenced by a strong commitment to bolstering industry advisory boards within academic programs, reviewing curriculum relevance to ensure students are day-one ready, and engaging more broadly with executive workforce leaders to understand the true needs on the 鈥渙ther side鈥 of a degree.听听
A new study published by the听听(PEER), which was featured in several national media outlets,听including the听Washington Post听and听Inside Higher Ed, highlighted the ROI of certain graduate degrees across fields within the state of Texas. This study showed that a pharmacy degree (Pharm.D.) is one of the highest in earnings after graduation,听with average annual earnings of $132,520.听听听
鈥淭he highest returns among the 18 degrees come from pharmacy (Pharm.D.) programs, medicine (M.D.) programs, and law (J.D.) programs, which increase the earnings of students by 114 percent, 110 percent, and 59 percent, respectively,鈥 the report states. The average earnings for pharmacy ranked second only to the M.D. degree.听
Dr. Michael Cockerham, President of the Louisiana Pharmacists Association,听indicates听that Louisiana pharmacists serve as the state鈥檚 most accessible frontline providers, offering a critical lifeline for patient care across our rural and underserved parishes.听听
鈥淭he impact is reinforced by the high return on investment of the Pharm.D. degree, second only to an M.D. This ensures Louisiana can attract and听retain听the talent necessary to drive pharmaceutical excellence and quality patient care for our citizens,鈥 said Cockerham.听
ULM is proud to be the leader in training Louisiana鈥檚 pharmacy workforce through its College of Pharmacy鈥攖he听state鈥檚听only听publicly supported听comprehensive center for pharmaceutical education, research, and service. Founded in 1956, ULM鈥檚 College of Pharmacy celebrates 70 years of training pharmacists听who听have been employed all over the state of Louisiana. Additionally, the College offers a Ph.D.听program that is more research-focused, and the research of faculty鈥攕uch as cancer, neuroscience, drug development, drug delivery, and nanotechnology鈥攊s听literally changing听lives.听
鈥淚n a state with a high burden of chronic disease, accessibility creates meaningful opportunities for preventive care, chronic disease management, medication counseling, and ongoing patient support,鈥 said Dr. Gina Craft, Dean of ULM鈥檚 College of Pharmacy. 鈥淎t ULM, the College of Pharmacy is uniquely positioned to contribute to that work as Louisiana鈥檚 only publicly supported college of pharmacy, educating approximately 70 to 75 percent of the state鈥檚 pharmacists.鈥听
ULM鈥檚 College of Pharmacy job placement rate is 100%, with a 5-year residency match rate of 80% as compared to 78% nationally. The licensure outcomes of the program are equally noteworthy:听
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The College鈥檚 recent North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) results show an听89% first鈥time pass rate, which places ULM above the national average of听86%听and within the top third of all ACPE鈥accredited听pharmacy听programs听nationwide.听听
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The College鈥檚 5-year听NAPLEX pass rate is 84%, compared to a national rate of 81%.听
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The College鈥檚 5-year Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MJPE) pass rate is 90%, compared to a national rate of 78%.听
These statistics underscore the competitive advantage of graduates of the听program,听but the real beneficiaries here are the people and communities that receive the care of the pharmacy graduates. As the value of a college degree is questioned, ULM鈥檚 pharmacy graduates听provide听the answer鈥攐n the frontlines, improving lives across Louisiana every day.听
To learn more about ULM鈥檚 College of Pharmacy including information on how to apply, visit听/pharmacy/.听
