More selective than 89% of Iowa colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $64,835. College Scorecard.
Higher than 83% of Iowa colleges we cover and 84% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 100% of Iowa colleges we cover and 87% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Drake University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 7,741 applicants, Drake University admitted 4,964 and 639 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1110–1350 on the SAT or 24–29 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Drake University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Drake University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Drake University took 4.1 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Iowa. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $25,824 | $106,395 | 3.0 years |
| $30–48k | $23,275 | $95,893 | 2.7 years |
| $48–75k | $25,171 | $103,705 | 2.9 years |
| $75–110k | $27,408 | $112,921 | 3.2 years |
| $110k+ | $33,126 | $136,479 | 3.9 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (68% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($71,901) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $35,240 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Drake University majors, earnings & careers
Drake University offers 52 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 11
- Science & Math · 8
- Humanities & Languages · 7
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Health & Medicine · 6
- Arts & Design · 5
- Communications & Media · 4
- Education · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
Highest-earning majors at Drake University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Management Science / Analytics | $97,132 | $23,979 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $90,639 | $21,281 |
| Economics | $88,638 | — |
| Finance | $88,637 | $25,000 |
| Accounting | $87,582 | $20,500 |
| Management Information Systems | $87,551 | — |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | $75,867 | $23,000 |
| Business Administration | $73,523 | $20,485 |
Quick list of all 52 majors
- Accounting$87,582
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Anthropology—
- Astronomy and Astrophysics—
- Biochemistry$67,547
- Biology—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business—
- Business Administration$73,523
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other—
- Chemistry—
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences$90,639
- Data Analytics—
- Economics$88,638
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$49,289
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English$57,563
- Entrepreneurship—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Finance$88,637
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$58,834
- Health Administration—
- Health Sciences—
- History$42,256
- International Business—
- International Relations$49,764
- Journalism$62,969
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Legal Professions and Studies, Other$52,326
- Legal Studies / Paralegal—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Management Information Systems$87,551
- Management Science / Analytics$97,132
- Marketing$71,246
- Mathematics—
- Music$42,233
- Neuroscience—
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration$75,867
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$67,257
- Psychology$47,706
- Public Relations and Advertising$63,302
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Religious Studies—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre$54,950
- Visual and Performing Arts, Other—
- Writing$50,591
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Marketing → Marketing specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.0% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Public Relations and Advertising → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Des Moines
Overall prices in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,360. Housing costs 15% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 39 inches of rain a year, 37 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Polk County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Polk County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Drake University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Iowa by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drake University | 64% | $29,127 | 74% | $71,901 | This school |
| Dordt University | 68% | $25,807 | 70% | $52,559 | |
| Coe College | 64% | $18,745 | 66% | $57,125 | |
| Luther College | 72% | $23,097 | 71% | $59,850 | |
| Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary | 68% | $16,282 | 68% | $40,650 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Drake University would cost you $3,320 more per year than Dordt University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Drake University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$15,080).
- Drake University gives aided families $9,782 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Iowa resident | Drake University | Dordt University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $52,130 | $37,050 | +$15,080 |
| Books & supplies | $1,100 | $1,010 | +$90 |
| Housing & meals | $11,858 | $11,430 | +$428 |
| Personal & travel | $4,178 | $3,500 | +$678 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$4,431 | −$1,257 | −$3,174 |
| Sticker price | $64,835 | $51,733 | +$13,102 |
| Average grants | −$35,708 | −$25,926 | −$9,782 |
| You pay | $29,127 | $25,807 | +$3,320 |
“+” means Drake University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Drake University
What is the Drake University acceptance rate?
Drake University accepts 64% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 4,964 of 7,741 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1110–1350 on the SAT or 24–29 on the ACT.
How much does Drake University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $64,835 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $29,127 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $25,824 and families earning $110k+ pay $33,126.
How much do Drake University graduates earn?
Former Drake University students earn a median $71,901 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Drake University graduation rate?
74% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 84% return for their second year.
How long does a Drake University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Drake University costs about $103,705 after grants ($25,171 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $71,901 ten years after starting, $35,240 more than high school graduates in Iowa ($36,661), so the cost is repaid in 2.9 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is Drake University the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing Drake University with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Drake University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/drake-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).