Drake University
Des Moines, IA · Private · Midsize city · Drake
Private institution in Des Moines, IA · 2,669 undergraduates · 64% acceptance rate · $71,901 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 12%Graduation rate (4-year)
- Top 13%Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- Top 14%Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- Top 19%Median ACT
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $30,0421,730th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $49,9441,822nd cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $49,9441,819th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $62,4071,734th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $23,000997th lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $71,901250th highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $58,233280th highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 77.3%251st highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 83.9%489th highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 64.1%487th most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1288218th highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- 28177th highest of 954 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 2,669765th largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 10.0:1436th smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 20.9%1,671st highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 228 mi (MSP)
On 1 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- Free
- Personal essay
- Optional / not required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 44 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsBusiness | bachelors | $85,760 | $78,971 |
| Management Information Systems and ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $71,015 | $64,990 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralComputer Science | bachelors | $60,094 | $62,409 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $60,072 | $57,705 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $57,092 | $59,485 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $53,810 | $49,270 |
| MathematicsMathematics & Statistics | bachelors | $53,358 | $65,238 |
| MarketingBusiness | bachelors | $50,856 | $50,439 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationCommunications | bachelors | $47,260 | $41,870 |
| International Relations and National Security StudiesSocial Sciences | bachelors | $41,937 | $28,236 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsEducation | bachelors | $41,426 | $39,909 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasEducation | bachelors | $40,461 | $44,835 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1881source
- Motto: "Truth"source
- Athletic nickname: "Bulldogs"source
- Drake Stadium seats about 14,557source
- Competes in NCAA Division Isource
- School colors: Blue and Whitesource
- Campus size: about 150 acressource
- Athletic conference: FCSsource
- A [[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program institutionsource
- A Space-grant]]}} institutionsource
- Fight song: ""The 'D' Song""source
- Notable alum: Bill Brysonsource
- Notable alum: Ira Levinsource
- Notable alum: Michael Emersonsource
- Notable alum: Jeremy Pivensource
- Notable alum: Steve Allensource
Athletics — 9 sports
NCAA Division I-FCS · NCAA Division I
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $4,998,364 (M $1,687,380 · W $3,310,984)
- Basketball
- Football
- Golf
- Rowing
- Soccer
- Softball
- Tennis
- Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
- Volleyball
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Key links
- Official websitedrake.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 153269)
- Compare colleges in IARe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in IowaEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: Drake University vs Waldorf UniversityHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 9 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.