The Gamecock Pharmacy Class of 2025 achieved a 98.8% first-time NAPLEX pass rate, placing USC among the top four programs in the nation.
The USC College of Pharmacy is celebrating an exceptional milestone as the Class of 2025 posted one of the strongest performances on the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination in the nation.
According to data released by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, the class achieved a 98.8% first-time NAPLEX pass rate, placing USC among the top four programs nationally. The national first-time pass rate for the Class of 2025 was 86.8%.
Dean Stephen Cutler called the results a reflection of the college’s shared commitment to excellence. “This exceptional outcome is a testament to the collective efforts of our community,” he says, “emphasizing the impact of faculty and staff whose dedication to teaching, mentoring, advising and student support continues to elevate student performance.
Cutler also credits the graduates for their discipline and professionalism. “Their success reflects not only strong curricular foundations, but also their personal commitment to professional excellence,” Cutler said, noting that the results affirm ongoing curricular review and improvement efforts.
This exceptional outcome is a testament to the collective efforts of our community ... Their success reflects not only strong curricular foundations, but also their personal commitment to professional excellence.
For graduate Anne Abrams, real-world learning was key to her readiness for the exam with case-based instruction and clinical rotations across diverse practice settings.
“Faculty were encouraging and supportive both in and out of the classroom and consistently provided mentorship and guidance during my time at USC,” she says. She encourages future students to take advantage of clinical rotations and maintain a consistent study routine, including daily calculation practice.
Fellow graduate Kendall Kerr said years of didactic work gave her the skills she needed, and studying made clear how intentionally faculty designed instruction with the licensing exam and clinical readiness in mind.
“I prepared by creating my own study schedule that outlined which chapters I should be completing each day,” she adds. “Treat studying like a full-time job, and don’t forget to build in breaks where you physically leave your work area, walk around, eat some food, and do something non-NAPLEX related!"
Topics: Pharm.D. Program, Alumni, Outcomes