Drake University

Private · Moderately Selective · IA

Photo: Limitingflame1 of English Wikipedia (Public domain)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationIA · Midwest

SettingUrban

Undergrads2,543

Student:faculty11:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate65.6%

6-yr grad rate74%

Drop-out rate15.9%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$52k

Out-of-state tuition$52k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity31.8%

Gender diversity60.8%

International4.2%

Identity—

Overview

Drake University is a private university in Des Moines, Iowa, that pairs a liberal-arts core with a set of genuinely distinctive professional programs. It is a mid-sized university that punches above its size in name recognition for a handful of specific fields, and its capital-city location is an integral part of the student experience rather than incidental.

Academics

Pharmacy, actuarial science, journalism and mass communication, and law are Drake's signature strengths, each with reputations that extend well beyond Iowa. The actuarial science program in particular has one of the stronger reputations in the country, and journalism, including sports journalism and broadcast, sends graduates into national media careers. Undergraduate teaching across the college of arts and sciences is generally personal, with research and internship opportunities aided by the university's connections in the capital.

Campus & student life

Being in Des Moines gives Drake students access to Iowa's insurance and financial-services industry, state government, and — every four years — a front-row seat to the presidential caucuses, which regularly draw campus visits from candidates and national media. The Drake Relays, one of the oldest and most prominent collegiate track and field meets in the country, is a signature spring tradition that brings elite athletes and a large public audience to campus.

Getting in

Drake's admissions process is holistic, with particular attention paid to fit for the specific college or program a student is applying into, since pharmacy, actuarial science, and journalism admissions can differ somewhat from the general liberal-arts track. Merit scholarships are a significant part of how the university competes for strong students against larger flagship universities.

After graduation

Actuarial science, pharmacy, and law graduates place well into Midwest insurance, health-care, and legal employers, and journalism graduates have an unusually strong track record moving into national newsrooms and sports media relative to the university's size. Des Moines's concentration of insurance and financial-services headquarters gives business and actuarial students a dense local internship and hiring pipeline.

Worth knowing

Caucus season is a genuine, recurring part of campus life in presidential election years, drawing candidates, journalists, and national attention directly to campus. Merit aid is a significant lever Drake uses to recruit strong students, so cost outcomes for admitted students can vary considerably from the sticker price.

drake.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate63.8%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1110–1350 · ACT 24–29

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Early actionDec 1

Regular decisionMar 1

AdmissionRolling

Applying