GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida College of Pharmacy has attained its highest-ever ranking in the U.S. News & World Report list of America’s best pharmacy colleges, climbing to No. 4 in the rankings released April 9.

U.S. News & World Report ranked more than 140 accredited pharmacy colleges this year. It is the second time in a row the UF College of Pharmacy has secured a top 5 national ranking.

“Our elevation to No. 4 in the U.S. News rankings reflects the strides made by our college to train the next generation of health care leaders while establishing one of the nation’s best research and patient care programs in academic pharmacy,” said Peter W. Swaan, Ph.D., M.Pharm., dean and professor of the UF College of Pharmacy. “The entire Gator pharmacy community celebrates this achievement, as our new national ranking demonstrates the commitment to excellence shared by our faculty, staff, students, trainees and alumni.”

Under the leadership of Dean Swaan, the UF College of Pharmacy enjoyed a record-setting year in 2023 and has carried the momentum into 2024. The college’s major milestones include:

• Securing a record $38 million in annual research funding, which places the college at No. 3 nationally in the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research rankings
• Matching a record 154 students and recent graduates in the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists residency match, the most of any pharmacy college in the nation
• Expanding the role of artificial intelligence across pharmacy education, research and patient care, while promoting collaboration among data scientists in the new, state-of-the-art Malachowsky Hall for Data Science & Information Technology
• Celebrating the college’s centennial year as the oldest health college at UF

U.S. News & World Report ranks the best pharmacy colleges every four years. The UF College of Pharmacy has made notable strides in its rankings over the years. In 2012, the college ranked No. 14. Four years later, it secured a No. 9 ranking before cracking the top 5 for the first time in 2020.

“It has been impressive to track the trajectory of the UF College of Pharmacy over the past decade when it comes to the national rankings,” said David R. Nelson, M.D., senior vice president for health affairs and president of UF Health, the university’s academic health center. “As a world-class health care system, we need elite programs focused on ensuring every individual receives the exceptional care they deserve, and the UF College of Pharmacy stands at the forefront of pharmacy practice, research and education.”

The UF College of Pharmacy remains the only program in Florida ranked in the top 50 of the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings.