11,386 PharmD graduates in 2024

[CNJ_Anon]

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AACP released Sept 2024 data, showing that the number of PharmD graduates dropped below 12000 after twelve straight years above the 12000 mark. It looks like next year's report will show it dropped below 11000. This 9.9% year over year decline is larger than the previous two years' declines (5.1% and 6.3%). The data is always a year behind. See this link for the full AACP reports:

Student Applications, Enrollments and Degrees Conferred Reports | AACP

www.aacp.org

The number of PharmD grads peaked in 2018 at 14905. The year with the highest total enrollment was 2014 at 63927. The 2024 enrollment stands at 42312. In 2023, it was 44403. The attrition rate (19.7%) set another new high for this century. Compare it to the 2004 low of 1.3% and to 2023 when it was 15.3%.

Actual number of degrees awarded:
2015 13994
2016 14556
2017 14502
2018 14905
2019 14800
2020 14320
2021 14223
2022 13323
2023 12639
2024 11386

Size of class of 202X (as of Sept 2024):
2025 11033
2026 9893
2027 9798

The number of applications to PharmD programs by year:
2017 72941
2018 60042
2019 50842
2020 40392
2021 40552
2022 35749
2023 33922
2024 36833

These data pertain to applications (and not to applicants). Each applicant usually submits 2 or 3 applications. So it would be inappropriate to declare a trend reversal based off the 9.8% increase in applications.

In tandem with the drop in PharmD degrees, is a drop in NAPLEX first attempts (Source: NABP):
2022 13371
2023 12229
2024 10466

 

[lord999]

Thanks for reporting again @CNJ_Anon . It's going to be a hard drop off with the 27 admission year. Many states are cutting subsidies that fund both medical and allied health training (I expect nurses, RDH's, and the pharmacy, rad, and dental techs to be quite adversely affected). As far as residency sites, at least VA is going off the cliff with the revised OAA numbers due next year.

 

[clarkbar]

AACP released Sept 2024 data, showing that the number of PharmD graduates dropped below 12000 after twelve straight years above the 12000 mark. It looks like next year's report will show it dropped below 11000. This 9.9% year over year decline is larger than the previous two years' declines (5.1% and 6.3%). The data is always a year behind. See this link for the full AACP reports:

Student Applications, Enrollments and Degrees Conferred Reports | AACP

www.aacp.org

The number of PharmD grads peaked in 2018 at 14905. The year with the highest total enrollment was 2014 at 63927. The 2024 enrollment stands at 42312. In 2023, it was 44403. The attrition rate (19.7%) set another new high for this century. Compare it to the 2004 low of 1.3% and to 2023 when it was 15.3%.

Actual number of degrees awarded:
2015 13994
2016 14556
2017 14502
2018 14905
2019 14800
2020 14320
2021 14223
2022 13323
2023 12639
2024 11386

Size of class of 202X (as of Sept 2024):
2025 11033
2026 9893
2027 9798

The number of applications to PharmD programs by year:
2017 72941
2018 60042
2019 50842
2020 40392
2021 40552
2022 35749
2023 33922
2024 36833

These data pertain to applications (and not to applicants). Each applicant usually submits 2 or 3 applications. So it would be inappropriate to declare a trend reversal based off the 9.8% increase in applications.

In tandem with the drop in PharmD degrees, is a drop in NAPLEX first attempts (Source: NABP):
2022 13371
2023 12229
2024 10466

Outsidethelawschoolscam.com is an excellent documenter on how schools, in this case law, can play accreditation games. My past school where I taught is not in as bad shape as some, but with the new dean, he has adopted the sub-profitable admissions numbers (but more academically able) cohort one year (with resultant good Naplex scores), followed by open admissions, interspersed between the two extremes. Accreditation agency may issue an out-of-compliance, but when the good scores come in, the compliance is met, causing a continuous cycle.
Given the gutting of retail, even if we got back to 2008 numbers of graduates, it may not be enough.