Private nonprofit · University

Drexel University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Large city

79.4%
Admit rate
$38,509
Avg net price
78%
Graduation rate
$84,648
Median earnings

Drexel University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (large city setting), enrolling 13,233 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 13,233 undergradsLarge cityAccessible · 79% admitNCAA Division I without footballCold wintersNear the coast

Will you get in?

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

Admit rate
79.4%
SAT (mid 50%)
1240–1440
Avg GPA
3.75

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

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

About Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, colloquially referred to as Philly, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the sixth-most populous city in the United States. Before the arrival of Europeans in the early 17th century, the Lenape, an Indian tribe also known as the Delaware Indians, lived in the village of Shackamaxon in present-day Philadelphia and the surrounding area. Philadelphia is home to many national historical sites that relate to the founding of the United States. Independence National Historical Park is the center of these historical landmarks and one of the country's 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
3 miles
Nearest airport
6 miles to Philadelphia (PHL) · major hub

How Drexel University compares

Selectivity79.4%

More selective than 46% · #46 most selective of 111 in Pennsylvania

SAT average1345

Higher than 84%

Graduation rate78%

Higher than 87% · #21 of 116 in Pennsylvania

First-year retention90%

Higher than 85%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$84,648

Higher than 93% · #9 of 116 in Pennsylvania

Average net price$38,509

Cheaper than 6% · #108 cheapest of 112 in Pennsylvania

Median debt at graduation$25,325

Lower than 29%

Student–faculty ratio9 : 1

Lower than 83%

Undergraduate enrollment13,233

Larger than 91%

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

Drexel University campus

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

21,077students
  • Undergraduate13,23363%
  • Graduate7,84437%

Undergraduates by gender

13,233undergrads
  • Women7,51657%
  • Men5,71743%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White40%
  • Black10%
  • Hispanic9.1%
  • Asian24%
  • Other or multiracial16%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
13,233
Graduate enrollment
7,844
Student–faculty ratio
9 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
27%
First-generation students
29%
Students over 25
7%
Median family income
$52,511
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$111,420
Endowment
$1,069,294,000

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 2,882 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Pennsylvania48%
  • Other U.S. states44%
  • International8.0%

A regional draw: about 48% of first-years come from Pennsylvania, the rest from elsewhere.

8% 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
79.4%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1240–1440
SAT average
1345
SAT reading
620–700
SAT math
620–740
ACT composite
27–32
Average GPA
3.75

Cost

In-state tuition
$62,412
Room & board
$18,096
Books & supplies
$1,700
Total cost of attendance
$76,835
Average net price
$38,509

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)
78%
Graduated on time (4 years)
30%
First-year retention
90%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$69,063
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$84,648
Median debt at graduation
$25,325
Students with federal loans
49%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
73%

About 48% 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
30%
Low-income (Pell)
65%
First-generation
65%

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
3,361
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
25%
Housing charge (year)
$10,950
Meal plan (year)
$6,600
Application fee
$50
Athletics
NCAA Division I without football
Varsity athletes
463 (247 men · 216 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 (12)

Rowing95
Lacrosse89
Soccer57
Basketball38
Wrestling37
Squash28
Field Hockey27
Swimming and Diving (combined)24
Swimming21
Softball19
Tennis17
Golf11

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.7 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
50
Property offenses (2022–2024)
56

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 5 campuses (21,153 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.

35reported offenses a year
17 violent a year19 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
14
Rape
7.7
Fondling
5.3
Burglary
4.3
Aggravated assault
2.0
Robbery
1.7
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
$28,055
$30–48k
$29,435
$48–75k
$34,970
$75–110k
$37,842
$110k+
$48,089

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
$171,893

$34,970/year × about 4.9 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.

99%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$31,109
average award, among those who get one

Drexel University discounts heavily: 99% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $31,109. 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 2,914 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)
$84,648
Typical debt at graduation
$25,325
Debt vs. one year's pay
30%
Out-earn a HS grad
81%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.0 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

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
$78,331
Men
$90,797

Men out-earn women by $12,466 (16%) 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
89°F
Winter low
28°F
Annual rain
50.7″
Annual snow
16.1″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.55.0JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Phila Franklin Inst, PA US station (0.9 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 Drexel University

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

Colleges near Drexel 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.