Private nonprofit · University

Drake University

Des Moines, Iowa · Midsize city

#1 for grad earnings in Iowa#3 most selective in Iowa#5 graduation rate in Iowa
63.8%
Admit rate
$29,127
Avg net price
74%
Graduation rate
$71,901
Median earnings

Drake University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Des Moines, Iowa (midsize city setting), enrolling 2,543 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 2,543 undergradsMidsize cityAccessible · 64% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · Pioneer Football LeagueCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Drake University's admitted students.

Admit rate
63.8%
SAT (mid 50%)
1110–1350
Avg GPA (est.)
3.64

Enter a test score to see where you land against Drake University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Drake University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Des Moines, Iowa

Des Moines is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. Des Moines takes its name from Fort Des Moines (1843–46), which was named for the Des Moines River. This was adopted from the name given by French colonists. The City of Des Moines is a cultural center for Iowa and home to several art and history museums and performing arts groups. The Des Moines Performing Arts routinely hosts touring Broadway shows and other live professional theater. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Midsize city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To Great Lakes shore
303 miles
Nearest airport
5 miles to Des Moines (DSM) · major hub

How Drake University compares

Selectivity63.8%

More selective than 72% · #3 most selective of 28 in Iowa

SAT average1292

Higher than 78%

Graduation rate74%

Higher than 84% · #5 of 30 in Iowa

First-year retention84%

Higher than 74%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$71,901

Higher than 85% · #1 of 31 in Iowa

Average net price$29,127

Cheaper than 18% · #27 cheapest of 29 in Iowa

Median debt at graduation$23,000

Lower than 53%

Student–faculty ratio11 : 1

Lower than 68%

Undergraduate enrollment2,543

Larger than 64%

Percentiles compare Drake University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Iowa.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

4,303students
  • Undergraduate2,54359%
  • Graduate1,76041%

Undergraduates by gender

2,543undergrads
  • Women1,55161%
  • Men99239%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White68%
  • Black7.8%
  • Hispanic9.5%
  • Asian4.6%
  • Other or multiracial9.9%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,543
Graduate enrollment
1,760
Student–faculty ratio
11 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
22%
First-generation students
15%
Students over 25
3%
Median family income
$89,603
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$93,879
Endowment
$306,208,560

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 638 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Iowa41%
  • Other U.S. states56%
  • International3.3%

A national draw — only 41% of first-years come from Iowa; 56% arrive from other states.

3% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
63.8%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1110–1350
SAT average
1292
SAT reading
580–680
SAT math
530–670
ACT composite
24–29
Average GPA (estimated)
3.64

Cost

In-state tuition
$52,130
Room & board
$12,452
Books & supplies
$510
Total cost of attendance
$64,835
Average net price
$29,127

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
74%
Graduated on time (4 years)
66%
First-year retention
84%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$58,233
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$71,901
Median debt at graduation
$23,000
Students with federal loans
44%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
79%

About 8% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
66%
Low-income (Pell)
59%
First-generation
57%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
1,758
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
69%
Housing charge (year)
$6,470
Meal plan (year)
$5,388
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
Pioneer Football League
Varsity athletes
480 (245 men · 235 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (9)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)158
Football110
Soccer61
Basketball45
Rowing32
Softball23
Volleyball20
Golf16
Tennis15

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.8 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
19
Property offenses (2022–2024)
18

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (4,345 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

12reported offenses a year
6.3 violent a year6.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
3.0
Fondling
2.7
Motor vehicle theft
2.7
Rape
2.3
Robbery
1.0
Aggravated assault
0.3
Arson
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$25,824
$30–48k
$23,275
$48–75k
$25,171
$75–110k
$27,408
$110k+
$33,126

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$104,963

$25,171/year × about 4.2 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$28,667
average award, among those who get one

Drake University discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $28,667. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 731 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$71,901
Typical debt at graduation
$23,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
32%
Out-earn a HS grad
81%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.2 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$68,674
Men
$76,490

Men out-earn women by $7,816 (11%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
86°F
Winter low
14°F
Annual rain
36.5″
Annual snow
36.5″

Average temperature

HighLow
0°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.65.3JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Des Moines Intl AP, IA US station (4.7 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Drake University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Drake University side by side →

Colleges near Drake University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.