Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics maps to BLS occupations averaging about $129,353, with roughly 859,710 workers nationwide in those roles. Median in-state published tuition is about $12,102; common paths include Economists and Personal Financial Advisors.
Key Statistics
Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics: what the data shows
Common questions about pharmacoeconomics/pharmaceutical economics degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a pharmacoeconomics/pharmaceutical economics degree?
A Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics program is classified under NCES CIP 51.2007 in the Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration field family (51.20).
A program that focuses on the application of economics and policy analysis to the study of the relationship of pharmacy services and pharmaceutical processes and products to the health care system and their impact on health care organizations. Includes instruction in health economics, pharmacoeconomics, health care systems, health care organization and management, statistics and biostatistics, outcomes research, health care policy, pharmacy services, and pharmaceutical industry operations
Types of pharmacoeconomics/pharmaceutical economics degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 51.20 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Clinical and Industrial Drug Development (CIP 51.2006)
- Clinical, Hospital, and Managed Care Pharmacy (CIP 51.2008)
- Industrial and Physical Pharmacy and Cosmetic Sciences (CIP 51.2009)
- Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry (CIP 51.2004)
- Natural Products Chemistry and Pharmacognosy (CIP 51.2005)
- Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management (CIP 51.2011)
- Pharmaceutical Sciences (CIP 51.2010)
- Pharmaceutics and Drug Design (CIP 51.2003)
- Pharmacy (CIP 51.2001)
- Pharmacy Administration and Pharmacy Policy and Regulatory Affairs (CIP 51.2002)
How long does it take to get a pharmacoeconomics/pharmaceutical economics degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 51.2007 in our file:
- 105 Master's (98.1% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
- 2 Doctorate (1.9% of IPEDS total)—varies by program
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What degree do you need?
For Economists (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a pharmacoeconomics/pharmaceutical economics degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Economists | 15,880 | $115,440 |
| Personal Financial Advisors | 270,480 | $102,140 |
| Financial Analysts | 340,580 | $101,350 |
| Economics Teachers, Postsecondary | 12,420 | $119,980 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 182,320 | $60,990 |
| New Accounts Clerks | 38,030 | $46,610 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a pharmacoeconomics/pharmaceutical economics degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration bachelor's program family: median debt $34,505, median earnings $116,539 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 0.70.
About 6.5% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $12,102 and median net price is $19,216.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$12,102 Median In-State Public
$41,475 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics majors are, on average, $12,102 for in-state public colleges, and $41,475 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
100,000 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,615 |
| 2 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,615 |
| 3 | Ivy Tech Community College | IN | 58,267 |
| 4 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | 45,638 |
| 5 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | 45,638 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durham Technical Community College | NC | $1,986 |
| 2 | Durham Technical Community College | NC | $1,986 |
| 3 | South Plains College | TX | $2,731 |
| 4 | North Idaho College | ID | $3,396 |
| 5 | Butler Community College | KS | $3,541 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durham Technical Community College | NC | $1,664 |
| 2 | Durham Technical Community College | NC | $1,664 |
| 3 | CUNY York College | NY | $4,456 |
| 4 | East Mississippi Community College | MS | $4,608 |
| 5 | Brightpoint Community College | VA | $5,490 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics programs.
Graduation Rates
Graduation rate data is not available for this degree program.
Graduation/completion rates for Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics programs across institutions.
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 51.20 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Clinical and Industrial Drug Development CIP 51.2006
- Clinical, Hospital, and Managed Care Pharmacy CIP 51.2008
- Industrial and Physical Pharmacy and Cosmetic Sciences CIP 51.2009
- Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry CIP 51.2004
- Natural Products Chemistry and Pharmacognosy CIP 51.2005
- Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management CIP 51.2011
- Pharmaceutical Sciences CIP 51.2010
- Pharmaceutics and Drug Design CIP 51.2003
- Pharmacy CIP 51.2001
- Pharmacy Administration and Pharmacy Policy and Regulatory Affairs CIP 51.2002
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 51.2007 in the survey year used in our extract (107 total across levels below).
- 105 Master's (98.1% of IPEDS total)
- 2 Doctorate (1.9% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $129,353. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Economists | $128,983 | 15,880 |
| Personal Financial Advisors | $173,641 | 270,480 |
| Financial Analysts | $131,249 | 340,580 |
| Economics Teachers, Postsecondary | $155,412 | 12,420 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | $73,379 | 182,320 |
| New Accounts Clerks | $57,370 | 38,030 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration CIP family (16 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics graduate.
- $34,505 median federal loan debt among completers
- $116,539 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 0.70 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 6.5% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$129,353 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics majors is $129,353.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics majors.
Occupations by Share
859,710 2023 Workforce
The number of Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics.
Age distribution for Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
150 Total Degrees Awarded
52 Male (34.67%)
98 Female (65.33%)
Gender distribution of Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
35 White (23.33%)
25 Asian (16.67%)
6 Hispanic or Latino (4.00%)
5 Black or African American (3.33%)
1 Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (0.67%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics majors.
About
A program that focuses on the application of economics and policy analysis to the study of the relationship of pharmacy services and pharmaceutical processes and products to the health care system and their impact on health care organizations. Includes instruction in health economics, pharmacoeconomics, health care systems, health care organization and management, statistics and biostatistics, outcomes research, health care policy, pharmacy services, and pharmaceutical industry operations
In 2023, 100,000 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics.
CIP Code
51.2007 - Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $34,505 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $116,539, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.70. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics graduate.
Women earned 65.3% of 150 Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $129,353. The largest mapped role by headcount is Economists (15,880 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $12,102 in-state at public colleges and $41,475 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.