Top Pharmacy Colleges in Chennai 2024

Pharmacy is the backbone of the medical industry. A pharmacists' job is to study the anatomy and physiology of a body and decide which mix of chemicals (formed into a balanced medicine) should be taken to cure the illnesses of the body. He or she is also responsible for the storage, transportation, and proper dosage of the drugs prescribed by a doctor to any patient. A pharmacist can also run his own pharmacy and prescribe over the counter drugs to patients at times. As a part of the profession, a pharmacist is expected to know how medicine is produced, what is its chemical composition, how will it affect the functioning of the body and what are its side effects.

To pursue the field of pharmacy, it is important for the aspirants to have basic knowledge in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and/or Mathematics. The students from both PCB and PCM discipline are allowed to sit in the various national and state-level competitive examinations. They have to score decent marks in those exams - above the cut-off set by the authority in order to score a seat in a college of their choice and of good reputation.

There are various colleges in Chennai that offer the course of BPharm and M Pharm to students qualifying the entrance examinations. The details of these colleges, along with the parameters according to which they are ranked and can be compared with another by the prospective students before making a choice, are listed below. 

Top Pharmacy Colleges in Chennai (NIRF Ranking)

NIRF or National Institutional Ranking Framework is an initiative of the Ministry of Human Resource Development to rank colleges according to various preset criterions such as teaching outcomes, learning outcomes, the performance of students in examinations, facilities and faculty provided in any college, etc. These rankings are updated on their website yearly based on the performances of the colleges. In order to help the students, make an intelligent choice regarding the colleges that they can take admissions in, here are the top pharmacy colleges in Chennai as per NIRF 2020 Ranking: - 

Top Pharmacy Colleges in Chennai (Careers360 ranking)

Careers360 rankings are available on the website for the prospective students to check their overall ranks and facilities and compare the colleges alongside one another so that they are able to make the right choice and enter into a college that suits them the most. The ranking of the Pharmacy colleges in Chennai is also uploaded and updated by the Careers360 website. This is primarily done to bring about clarity in the vision of candidates and their parents to help them decide where to take admissions. Given below is the list of the best Pharmacy colleges in Chennai along with their ratings as per the Careers360 website: - 

Top Pharmacy Colleges in Chennai (on the basis of fees)

Each Pharmacy college situated in the city of Chennai has a different fee structure. Students need to carefully go through the fee structure of every college before taking any decision regarding admission, as budget is a very important factor that needs to be taken under consideration. The fee structure of every college is basically dependent on many factors, such as their location, facilities, faculties, etc. These colleges also provide scholarships (full fee and in percentages) to meritorious students. Any Pharmacy aspirant in need of these scholarships must go through the eligibility criteria for the same carefully before applying. The following table shows the best Pharmacy colleges in Chennai, along with their respective fee structure.

Top Pharmacy Colleges in Chennai (Placements)

Each college in the city of Chennai helps its students get recruited in the top companies working in the field. This helps the students start a lucrative career as an incoming pharmacist with the expectation to grow leaps and bounds in the years to come. Having a clear picture of the records of these placements makes it easier to select the college. Placement is basically a recruitment process wherein the colleges and universities send an invitation to the top companies working in specific fields to come and choose their future workforce from amidst the student studying in their institutions. The colleges thus train the students accordingly to help them clear the examination and interview process. The students who register themselves voluntarily for the process are judged by the recruiters on the basis of their analytical skills, Intelligence Quotient, Emotional Quotient, etc. All those appearing for the placement drive are selected and shortlisted for the interview and are thereafter placed with the companies or job profile that they like. Therefore, it is imperative that the students take a proper look at the placement records of the college before making any decision. Here are the top pharmacy colleges in Chennai as per their placement performance: -

 
Top Pharmacy Colleges in Chennai (Salary packages)

Getting good placement packages is extremely important for the students as it gives them a head start in their career. Along with financial independence, the opportunity to work with the best corporates and organisations is a big benefit in itself. Thus, here are the top pharmacy colleges in Chennai as per the salary packages: -

Popular Pharmacy Streams at the top Pharmacy Colleges in Chennai

There is no specific specialisation in the field of pharmacy. However, the students have a scope of going forward in the field by getting admissions in MPharm (the postgraduate degree course) and pursuing a PhD after that.

Once, students complete MPharm, they learn about various aspects such as research methodologies, instrumental techniques, and other emerging areas in the field of pharmacy. They thus have greater knowledge about the dispensing of medicines and their usages.

After the course is completed, the pass outs can be employed as Research Associate, Quality Assurance Inspector - Manufacturing, Medical Writer, Business Development Assistant, Medical Coder, Senior Research Associate, etc. in companies as well as in research laboratories.

Admission Process for Top Pharmacy Colleges in Chennai

The admission in the UG & PG courses is completed on the basis of different criterion as specified below: -

I.  For UG course: -

-   The foremost criterion for getting admissions in the course of BPharm is that the candidate must have qualified their 10+2 examination from a recognised board with the minimum desired aggregate. They need to have studied Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Mathematics as their main subjects.

-  They also must have passed the state, and national level entrance examinations held that year. These examinations are competitive, and the students need to get above a certain cut off to get admissions in courses and colleges of their choice.

For PG course: -

-  In order to get admission in MPharm, a student needs to have completed the undergraduate degree that is BPharm with a minimum specified aggregate from a recognised college or university.

-  After that, he or she needs to appear in the various national and state-level entrance tests. Their score also needs to be more than the minimum cut-off prescribed by the colleges to secure a seat.

How to Select the Best Pharmacy Colleges in Chennai

There are several things that any candidate needs to keep in mind before taking admission to the Pharmacy colleges located in Chennai. These factors include the faculty and facilities provided in the college, the atmosphere, and how conducive it is to the growth of the students. Only when the surroundings are comfortable can a student study and learn in peace. Given below are certain criteria that can help students in finding the right fit for themselves: -

-  The location of the college comes first, how far or near it is from the student's home, do they like to study in such a place or not is especially important to consider.

-  The fee structure of the college comes next. Since it is a four-year-long course, the students must make sure that they are able to pay the required amount of fee throughout the duration of the course.

-  The students also need to read the prospectus of the colleges with the utmost care and successfully compare them against one another to understand better the facilities provided by each of them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. 1. Are there any government-aided pharmacy colleges in Chennai?

Yes.

 Dr MGR Educational and Research Institute, Chennai and Madras Medical College, Chennai, both are government-aided colleges

Q. 2. What is the fee structure of Vel's Institute of Science Technology, and Advanced Studies, Chennai?

This institute offers both BPharm and MPharm and is considered as one of the best in the field. The fee structure of the entire course is 3.01 lakhs which can be paid in yearly instalments. Meritorious students are also given the facility to avail scholarship.

Q. 3. What is the minimum eligibility for BPharm?

The minimum eligibility for BPharm is the completion of 10+2 with the required minimum aggregate from a recognised board. The students need to study Physics, Chemistry, Biology and/or Mathematics as their primary subject.

Q. 4. Is there an availability of girl's hostels in the Pharmacy colleges of Chennai?

Yes, every college, whether private or government-aided, has the facility of a girls' hostel in order to host the female students along with the proper mess and other such requirements.

Q.5. What is the fee structure of MPharm in Pharmacy college?

The fee structure is different for different colleges. It depends on several factors such as the aid provided by the government, the facility given to students by the college, the laboratory, the infrastructure, etc.

Q. 6 Are there any specialisation that is offered in the MPharm course?

No. There is no bifurcation of specialisation in the postgraduate degree. The students are, however, taught research methodologies, instrumental techniques and other emerging areas in the field of pharmacy.

Q. 7. What facilities does Madras Medical College provide to its students?

There are many facilities that the college provides to its students such as separate hostels along with mess for both boys and girls, counselling centres, medical services, laboratories, sports, auditorium, WIFI, library, cafeteria, etc. The management of the college is extremely helpful and takes proper care to make the incoming students feel comfortable with the atmosphere.

Q. 8. What is the criterion for admission in MPharm in any college?

The students need to pass the undergraduate course BPharm with a minimum aggregate percentage (usually specified as 50%). After that, they need to sit in various competitive entrance examinations held at the national, state, and university level. Once they crack the examination, they can take admission in MPharm in a college of their choice.

Q. 9. What is the average salary that students can expect after passing out with a degree in BPharm?

Though the salary is flexible and depends to a large extent on the company that a student is placed in, the median salary that any graduate can expect is around 2 lakhs annually with the scope of increment according to their performances.

Q. 10. What is the scope for any student after earning an MPharm?

With the growth of the Indian pharmaceutical sector at an unprecedented rate, there is a huge scope of placement of students with various companies operating in the field. Apart from this, they can also enter research and develop new medicines. The graduates can also start their own pharmacy with permission from the government in the form of license.