ETSU Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy’s licensure test results ranked 1st in the Southeast; 2nd in nation among accredited schools.

East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy ranked among the top accredited pharmacy schools in the country with the latest results from the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX), which graduating pharmacists must pass to receive their license to practice.

ETSU Gatton College of Pharmacy’s Class of 2023 achieved an incredible 95.4% first attempt pass rate on their NAPLEX exam, placing the college at No. 2 in the country for accredited pharmacy schools. Nationally, the Class of 2023 averaged a 78.6% pass rate. 

ETSU ranked No. 1 in Tennessee and our region and was the top-performing school in the Southeast. ETSU Gatton College of Pharmacy’s NAPLEX pass rate was also higher than each of the 27 schools named in U.S. News and World Report’s pharmacy school rankings. 

“These scores are phenomenal and a testament to the quality of education that our student pharmacists are receiving at ETSU Gatton College of Pharmacy,” said Dr. Debbie Byrd, dean of the college and interim dean of ETSU College of Nursing. “I am so proud of our Class of 2023, as well as our faculty and staff, who all worked so hard for these results.” 

ETSU Gatton College of Pharmacy has made significant changes to its curriculum and to the support services that it offers students, including a revamped NAPLEX exam preparation process; faculty mentorship; new student success coordinators; and a director of student success. 

To help future pharmacists learn more about the profession, ETSU Gatton College of Pharmacy is offering a free Pharmacy Career Exploration Day with lunch on Saturday, Feb. 24, to help students learn more about pharmacy careers, as well as the flexible pathways to pursue pharmacy at ETSU. Learn more and register at etsu.edu/pharmacy.  

The deadline to apply for the college’s Early Admission Pathway, which allows high school seniors and first-year students at ETSU to apply directly to pharmacy school, is March 31.

Visit etsu.edu/RxEarlyAdmit to learn more and apply. In addition, admission for the college’s Class of 2028 is open. Learn more about these pathways at etsu.edu/pharmacy or contact pharmacy@etsu.edu or (423) 439-6300.  

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