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Washington State University

Student Costs & Budgeting

Investing in your future is an important decision. The WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences wants to ensure that you have the resources, information, and support you need so that you can get the best return on your investment.

Annual Costs (PY1-PY4)

 AmountExpense OccursPay to
Tuition for 2023-24
(Service & Activities Fee included in tuition)
Resident: $12,730 per semester
Non-Resident: $15,343 per semester
Beginning of fall and spring semestersMyWSU
Health Fee
Yakima Coverage
Spokane Coverage
$100
Beginning of each semester you are enrolled in courses forMyWSU
International Student Health Insurance
(applicable only to international students)
Fall: $733
Spring: $1021
Beginning of fall and spring semesters respectivelyMyWSU
Pharmacy Fee
(includes access to PharmLibrary, annual HIPAA/OSHA and 1 national background check, and Experiential Learning Management System)

**Please watch this video on how to apply your financial aid to the pharmacy fee.
$150Beginning of fall semesterMyWSU
Professional Liability Insurance$15Month of AugustVia CPPS portal
TB testNo cost if student Health Fee is used at specified partner
Yakima Coverage
Spokane Coverage
Spring semesterNo cost if student Health Fee is used at specified partner
Yakima Coverage
Spokane Coverage
Washington Intern License*
(renewed every two years)
$90After admissions, before start of program. Renew every two years.Washington State Department of Health
Other State Intern Licensing*
(optional)
Varies by stateSpring semester, only if the student has an IPPE or APPE placement outside of Washington, e.g. Idaho, California, OregonState licensing boards
Flu Shot*No cost if student Health Fee is used at specified partner
Yakima Coverage
Spokane Coverage
Fall semesterNo cost if student Health Fee is used at specified partner
Yakima Coverage
Spokane Coverage

*Costs not billed by WSU

Please note costs listed on this page are estimates for budgeting purposes only. This is not a bill. For additional budgeting information, refer to the Financial Services figures. Washington State University reserves the right to increase or modify tuition and fees without prior notice, upon approval by the State of Washington and Washington State University Board of Regents and to make such modifications applicable to students enrolled at WSU at the time as well as to incoming students. In addition, all tuition and mandatory fees are subject to change at any time for correction of errors. 

Over $300,000 awarded in scholarships each year

Scholarship Funds

There are an array of scholarships available to student pharmacists and a strong alumni network who are invested in your success. Whether you are passionate about public health, obstetric pharmacotherapy or academia, there are a number of scholarship programs that want to ensure that the next generation of Cougar pharmacists succeeds!

WSU PharmD scholarships WSU Spokane scholarships

Additional Costs by Year

Incoming Student & PY1 Costs

Amount

Expense Occurs

Pay to

Pharmacy Prep Week$50 registration
$30 primers (optional)
Before program startsVia CPPS portal
Name Badge Fee$10Beginning of the fall semesterMyWSU
Course Fee
Sterile Products/Compounding
$38Beginning of the semester when you are enrolled for this courseMyWSU as PharmDSci 519
Certiphi background check*
(post acceptance)
$70After acceptance to the program and before program startsCertiphi
Equipment*
(scrubs, blood pressure cuff, stethoscope)
~$140Pharmacy Prep Week if purchasing one of eachProfessional Pharmacy Student Organization
CastleBranch (CB) Account*
(lifetime membership)
$43After admissions, before program startsCastleBranch
Immunizations*$0-$200After admissions, before program startsPays directly to health care provider, expenses will depend on students’ insurance
American Heart Association Basic Life Support CPR*
(for Healthcare providers)
~$60Prior to/beginning of the fall semesterTraining facility student selects
Additional Onboarding Expenses*
(varies, depending on sites’ requirement(s) i.e. additional background check, fingerprinting, additional TB screenings, CPNW, drug screening, training expenses possible, etc.)
IPPE Community: $0-$506-8 weeks prior to the start of your rotationVaries, depending on sites’ requirement(s)
Washington State Pharmacy Association Annual Membership (WSPA)*
(optional)
$20Dependent on when/if student joinsWSPA
WSPA Tobacco Cessation Certificate*
(optional)
$30 WSPA Member
$60 Non-WSPA Member
Dependent on studentWSPA

*Costs not billed by WSU

PY2 Costs

Amount

Expense Occurs

Pay to

Course fee: MTM (Medication Therapy Management) training$100Beginning of semester when enrolled for this courseMyWSU as Pharm541
Additional Onboarding Expenses*
(varies, depending on sites’ requirement(s) i.e. additional background check, fingerprinting, additional TB screenings, CPNW, drug screening, training expenses possible, etc.)
IPPE Community: $0-$506-8 weeks prior to the start of your rotationVaries, depending on sites’ requirement(s)
Washington State Pharmacy Association Annual Membership (WSPA)*
(optional)
$20Dependent on when/if student joinsWSPA
WSPA Clinical Community Pharmacist Certificate*
(optional)
$75 WSPA Member
$95 Non-WSPA Member
Dependent on studentWSPA
WSPA TB Skin Test Certificate*
(optional)
$25 WSPA Member
$50 Non-WSPA Member
Dependent on studentWSPA

*Costs not billed by WSU

PY3 Costs

Amount

Expense Occurs

Pay to

Course fee: EHR-GO
(mock-electronic health record for classroom study)
$65 per semesterBeginning of fall and spring semesters when enrolled for the courseMyWSU as Pharm 551 & 561
Course fee: Mental Health
(optional elective)
$17Beginning of semester when enrolled for this courseMyWSU as Pharm 592
WSU Graduation Application$50Summer semester of PY3 year OR during PY4 yearWSU Registrar via MyWSU
American Heart Association Basic Life Support CPR*
(for
Healthcare Providers)
~$60Renewed every 2 yearsTraining facility student selects
Additional Onboarding Expenses*
(varies, depending on sites’ requirement(s) i.e. additional background check, fingerprinting, additional TB screenings, CPNW, drug screening, training expenses possible, etc.)
APPE’s: $100-$500 total for all experiences, not per experience.Beginning spring of PY3 year into PY4 year as you onboard for each APPE

6-8 weeks prior to the start of each rotation
Varies, depending on sites’ requirement(s)
Washington State Pharmacy Association Annual Membership (WSPA)*
(optional)
$20Dependent on when/if student joinsWSPA

*Costs not billed by WSU

PY4 Costs

Amount

Expense Occurs

Pay to

WSU Graduation Application*See item listed in PY3 costs
WSU Graduation Regalia Rental
(optional)
$86Spring semesterWSU Bookie
WSU Transcripts
(required for licensing or PhorCAS application)
$10 per transcriptFall, spring and/or postgraduation depending on your and postgraduation plansWSU transcript orders
Specialty Rotations*
(possibly additional costs, i.e. international rotations)
Varies based on experience.Depends on the experience, as early as spring of PY3 year – spring of PY4Depends on the experience
Additional Onboarding Expenses*
(varies, depending on sites’ requirement(s) i.e. additional background check, fingerprinting, additional TB screenings, CPNW, drug screening, training expenses possible, etc.)
APPE’s: $100-$500 total for all experiences, not per experience.Beginning spring of PY3 year into PY4 year as you onboard for each APPE

6-8 weeks prior to the start of each rotation.
Varies, depending on sites’ requirement(s)
RxPrep NAPLEX Review*
(optional – includes book, online question bank, online videos, and 3-day live review prior to spring commencement)
$428July through January payment window. First payment may be made between July and October; final payment due in January.CPPS specific link
NAPLEX Review Book*~$160Depends upon student’s orderDependent on student choice
Pre-NAPLEX Practice Exam*$65Student’s discretionNABP
NAPLEX Cost*$575Post-graduationNABP
State Specific Law Test*MPJE: $250Post-graduationDepends on licensure state, pay directly to the testing agency
Pharmacist Licensing*Washington:

$400 DOH licensing fee

$20-$50 fingerprinting

$34.35 fingerprint background check

$10 passport style photos

$25 certification of internship hours
After successfully passing NAPLEX and any other required testing for your state of licensure (e.g. MPJE)Directly to State Board where applying for licensure
Washington State Pharmacy Association Annual Membership (WSPA)*
(optional)
$20Dependent on when/if student joinsWSPA

*Costs not billed by WSU

Tips for Out-of-State Students

Did you know? Students can apply for in-state tuition after one year of residence in Washington state. Learn more about establishing residency

Quick tip: Prospective students living in Alaska, Nevada, or the Northern Mariana Islands are eligible to apply for Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), which reduces your cost to in-state tuition.

Personal Budgeting

Below is a list of other potential costs you may wish to factor into your budgeting.

  • Rent during the academic year and for IPPE/APPE
  • Transportation
  • Utilities (gas, electric, garbage, water, internet)
  • Cell phone plan
  • Computer
  • Food
  • Parking pass
  • Any optional association/membership expenses (including Registered Student Organizations and fraternities)
  • Conference travel (airfare, lodging, registration expenses, e.g. ASHP Midyear) ~$800-$1,000 per conference
  • US immigration visa for international students
  • Graduation lodging expenses
  • Post-graduation residency application fees
    $110 first group of 4 applications
    $43 per application after the 4th
  • Post-graduate interview travel expenses
  • Remote proctoring expenses

“I believe in this generation of students. The scholarships and fellowships I received in school were critical to achieving my educational goals and career success. It’s a privilege to pay it forward. “

 

-Gerry Danquist, ’65, Former executive at Eli Lilly, established the Gerald A. Danquist Scholarship in 2013