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The number of people in the UK accepted on to the MPharm degree has jumped by nearly 15% this year, according to data from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
The figures, published on 10 December 2025, show there were 5,240 were people accepted to begin their pharmacy degree in autumn 2025 — a 14.7% increase on the 4,570 acceptances in 2024.
It represents a big jump from the previous annual cycle — between 2023 and 2024 — when the number of acceptances reduced by 4.8%.
More than two-thirds (68%; n=3,575) of those accepted in 2025 were female, while 100 (1.9%) of the accepted applicants were aged 30 years or over.
The UCAS data includes almost all applications and acceptances in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and around two-thirds of those in Scotland.
Claire Anderson, president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, commented: “The rise in successful pharmacy student applications is encouraging and reflects growing recognition of the ever-expanding clinical role of pharmacists.
“This increase will support the future workforce but must be matched with sustained investment in high-quality education and training, and opportunity for experiential learning across all sectors. We also need appropriate infrastructure and equitable access to resources for universities, employers and pharmacists providing supervision and professional development.
“As all newly qualified pharmacists are set to become independent prescribers, sustained investment in education and training will be essential to ensure they have the clinical skills and support they need.”
In November 2025, the Pharmacy Schools’ Council called on the government to create a joint ministerial taskforce to expand student recruitment and increase clinical placement capacity, saying that the NHS workforce plan needed to “secure a reliable flow of well-trained, highly skilled professionals to meet future demand”.
In January 2025, UCAS data showed applications to study pharmacy increased by 51.4% between 2021 and 2024.
In September 2025, the University of Suffolk confirmed that it will launch an MPharm degree from September 2026.
