Drake University
Drake University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Drake University Featured Rankings
- #1 Iowa's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #2 Best Private Colleges in Iowa 2026
- #2 Best Small Colleges in Iowa
- #3 Best Research Universities in Iowa
- #3 Iowa's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #3 Best Grad Schools Iowa
- #3 Best Online MBAs Iowa
- #4 Best Colleges in Iowa 2026
- #4 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #7 Best Online MBA in Business Analytics
- #19 Online Master’s in Communications
- #19 Online Bachelor’s in Communications
- #39 Online MBAs
- #47 Online Master’s in Education
About Drake University
According to Wikipedia, Drake University is a private university in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The University offers over 140 undergraduate and graduate programs, including professional programs in Business, Education, Law, and Pharmacy. Drake's Law School was founded in 1865, which makes it one of the 25 oldest law schools in the United States.
Drake University's Online Degrees
MA in Communication
Degree Concentrations
- Brand Communication
- Communication Leadership
- Public Affairs & Advocacy
- Required Credits: 33
- Completion Time: 1 year
- Format: Fully online
MS in Health Informatics and Analytics
- Required Credits: 30
- Format: Fully online
MPA in Public Administration
Degree Concentrations
- Executive Leadership Development
- Healthcare Management Individualized
- combine courses from MBA
- MPA and Master of Communication
- Required Credits: 36
- Format: Fully online
MEd in Education
Degree Concentrations
- Redading Specialist
- English as a Second Language
- Talented and Gifted
- Required Credits: 32
- Completion Time: 1 year
- Format: Fully online
MBA in Business Administration
Degree Concentrations
- Healthcare
- Business Analytics
- Individualized
- combine courses from MBA
- MPA and Master of Communication
- Required Credits: 39
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
MJ in Jurisprudence in Compliance and Risk Management
- Required Credits: 24
- Format: Fully online
BA in Journalism and Mass Communication
- Required Credits: 124
- Format: Fully online
MBA in Business Analytics
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
Drake University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7,741 | 64% | 84% | 71% | 1230 | 26 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Drake University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $52,130 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $28,458 |
| 30K - 48K | $25,119 |
| 48K - 75K | $25,416 |
| 75K - 110K | $28,365 |
| 110K+ | $32,318 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Drake University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Drake University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $78,855 a year, and 97% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Drake University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 4,999 | 2,813 | 2,186 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Drake University?
Drake University is located at 2507 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50311-4505.
How Safe is Drake University?
Relative to its enrollment, Drake University has a violent crime rate of 0.05% and a property crime rate of 0.18%. Des Moines has a violent crime rate of 0.71% and a property crime rate of 3.16%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Drake University Known For?
Drake University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Law
- Communications
- Biology
- Literature
- Political Science
- Business
- History
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Economics
- Mathematics
- Education
- Sociology
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Anthropology
- Computer Science
- Medical
- Religious Studies
Drake University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Drake University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Drake University ranks #217 in the U.S. and #677 worldwide for influence in Law.
Drake University ranks #270 in the U.S. and #969 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesDrake University ranks #285 in the U.S. and #1115 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesDrake University ranks #293 in the U.S. and #874 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesDrake University ranks #294 in the U.S. and #1169 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesDrake University ranks #298 in the U.S. and #1030 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesDrake University ranks #305 in the U.S. and #854 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesDrake University ranks #371 in the U.S. and #1641 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesDrake University ranks #379 in the U.S. and #1954 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesDrake University ranks #414 in the U.S. and #2505 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesDrake University ranks #422 in the U.S. and #1791 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesDrake University ranks #471 in the U.S. and #2078 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesDrake University ranks #471 in the U.S. and #1624 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesDrake University ranks #485 in the U.S. and #1602 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesDrake University ranks #588 in the U.S. and #1523 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesDrake University ranks #612 in the U.S. and #1933 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesDrake University ranks #633 in the U.S. and #2837 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesDrake University ranks #726 in the U.S. and #2581 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesDrake University ranks #769 in the U.S. and #3616 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesWho Are Drake University's Most Influential Alumni?
Drake University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Law, Literature, and Social Work. Here are some of Drake University's most famous alumni:
- Bill Bryson
- An American author.
- Susan Glaspell
- An American writer .
- Ira Levin
- An American novelist, playwright .
- Brian Wansink
- An American consumer behavior researcher.
- Jessie Taft
- An American social worker.
- Larry Zox
- An American painter .
- Mark Doty
- A Poet, memoirist.
- G. I. Williamson
- An American theologian .
- Goli Taraghi
- An Iranian writer.
- Mark W. Bennett
- A United States federal judge.
- Terry Branstad
- An American politician.
- Billy Cundiff
- An American football player, placekicker.
Who Are Drake University's Most Influential Faculty?
Drake University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Law, Literature, and Social Work. Here are some of Drake University's most famous faculty:
