It was an eventful first week for 234 members of the Pharm.D. class of 2026, who arrived at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy for orientation activities on Aug. 15. The new Gator pharmacy students spent their first days meeting classmates, acclimating to campus and the curriculum and enjoying social events — including a welcome dinner at the historic Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
The incoming class features a record 51 out-of-state students from 15 states, Puerto Rico and four international countries. Many of these students were attracted to the UF College of Pharmacy because of its top-5 national ranking and excellent reputation for training pharmacy students.
“The University of Florida is one of the best pharmacy educations you can get in the nation,” said Kierra Weber, a first-year pharmacy student from Missouri who is studying at the Jacksonville campus. “The conversations I had with faculty and staff during my interview process really sold me on the culture and excellence of UF.”
Weber is one of 39 students attending the Jacksonville campus this fall. Another 128 students will attend in Gainesville, with 67 studying in Orlando. Students from all three campuses spent their first day of orientation together before returning to their respective campuses for the remainder of the week. A highlight of the opening day was a welcome dinner in the Champions Club at UF’s football stadium, which included a lesson in learning the university’s cheers, alma mater and popular Gator Chomp.
The diversity amongst the class of 2026 was evident at every event. Nearly two-thirds of the Pharm.D. class self-identifies with a race/ethnicity other than white. In addition, 22% of the students are the first generation in their family to attend college and another 5% served in the U.S. armed forces or is a child of military personnel.
“We are proud to welcome such a diverse and successful group of Gator pharmacy students to campus this fall,” said John Gums, Pharm.D., interim dean of the UF College of Pharmacy. “They have chosen a career path that will present many different career options and provide ample opportunities to improve the health and well-being of those they serve. We can’t wait to see all they accomplish in the next four years.”
Meanwhile, interest in the pharmaceutical sciences continues to grow, as the UF College of Pharmacy’s graduate program enrolled one of its largest classes ever. The fall class features 35 Ph.D. and 3 residential master’s students. Most of the new students will study at the Gainesville campus, with nine students in the department of pharmaceutics attending the Orlando campus.
Pharm.D. Class of 2026 Profile
234 students
128 Gainesville
67 Orlando
39 Jacksonville
Mean Science GPA = 3.41
Race/Ethnicity
36% White
29% Hispanic
19% Asian
10% Black
3% Multiracial
2% Not Reported
1% American Indian
Gender
69% Female
31% Male
79% of students have a B.S./B.A. degree
23% of students attended UF as an undergraduate
22% of students are first generation
Â
Graduate Program Profile
38 students
35 Ph.D.
3 residential master’s
Campus
29 Gainesville
9 Orlando
Gender
66% Female
34% Male
Nationality
23 International
15 United States
Race/Ethnicity (U.S. Students)
60% White
13% Hispanic
7% Asian
13% Black
7% Multiracial
International Countries Represented
Bangladesh
Brazil
China
Egypt
France
India
Iran
South Korea
Saudi Arabia
Taiwan