by our College Data Analytics TeamA major in Pharmaceutics and Drug Design explores Pharmaceutics And Drug Design. A Program That Focuses On The Scientific Study Of The Formulation Of Medicinal Substances Into Product Vehicles Capable Of Being Stored, Transported, And Then Introduced Into The Patient And Behaving In Ways Optimal To Therapeutic Interaction. Includes Instruction In Statistics, Biopharmaceutics, Drug Metabolism, Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, Physical Pharmacy, Pharmacological Analysis, Drug Design And Development, Pharmacological Biotechnology, Chemical Separations, Spectroscopy, Drug-Host Interactions, Immunology, Quantitative Drug Measurement, Enzymatic Transformations, And Metabolic Excretion. Examples: [Pharmaceutics And Drug Design (Ms)], [Pharmaceutics And Drug Design (Phd)]. Read on to learn the key facts every pharmaceutics and drug design student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering pharmaceutics and drug design programs.
Nationwide, pharmaceutics and drug design is a widely-pursued major, with 603 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Pharmaceutics and Drug Design Schools ranking analyzes these 36 schools to determine the best overall colleges for pharmaceutics and drug design students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of pharmaceutics and drug design programs later in this article.
Coursework for Pharmaceutics and Drug Design emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations pharmaceutics and drug design graduates commonly enter.
Skills developed in a pharmaceutics and drug design program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Based on O*NET data, a pharmaceutics and drug design major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several pharmaceutics and drug design degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 180 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 248 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 175 |
People currently working in careers related to pharmaceutics and drug design tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s degree | 32.7% |
| Doctoral degree | 25.8% |
| Post-doctoral training | 21.0% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 12.9% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 4.0% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 2.5% |
| First professional degree | 0.7% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.6% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in pharmaceutics and drug design careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
A degree in pharmaceutics and drug design prepares you for a variety of career paths. Below are some of the most common occupations related to pharmaceutics and drug design.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to pharmaceutics and drug design.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,335,407 | 10.7% |
| Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | 125,815 | 8.9% |
| Biochemists and Biophysicists | 95,666 | 3.7% |
Federal data tracks median earnings of pharmaceutics and drug design graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $100,486 |
| 4 years | $129,383 |
| 5 years | $140,029 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for pharmaceutics and drug design graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers pharmaceutics and drug design grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | $111,314 |
| Biochemists and Biophysicists | $107,979 |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $46,663 |
With 36 different pharmaceutics and drug design programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased pharmaceutics and drug design school rankings to help you.
If you are interested in pharmaceutics and drug design, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
