Drexel University
Drexel 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
Drexel University Featured Rankings
- #1 Accelerated Online Bachelor's of Psychology
- #2 Best Online Bachelor's in Cybersecurity in Pennsylvania
- #2 Best Online MBAs Pennsylvania
- #3 Pennsylvania's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #4 Pennsylvania's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #4 20 Most Affordable Online Master's of Nursing Degree Programs
- #4 Best PhD Programs for Forensic Psychologists
- #4 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #5 Best Online Degree Completion Programs
- #6 Military Friendly Online Colleges
- #6 Research Universities in Pennsylvania
- #7 Private Colleges in Pennsylvania
- #7 Grad Schools in Pennsylvania 2026
- #9 Best Colleges in Pennsylvania
- #15 Criminal Justice Research Universities
- #20 The 50 Best No GRE Online PhD Degree Programs
- #25 Education Research Universities
- #25 Nursing Research Universities
- #50 Best Private Grad Schools 2026
About Drexel University
According to Wikipedia, Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry, it was renamed Drexel Institute of Technology in 1936, before assuming its current name in 1970.
Drexel University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40,204 | 79% | 90% | 78% | 1340 | 29 |
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 Drexel University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $64,212 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $28,843 |
| 30K - 48K | $28,147 |
| 48K - 75K | $31,498 |
| 75K - 110K | $38,569 |
| 110K+ | $46,936 |
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 Drexel University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Drexel University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $92,338 a year, and 94% 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.
Drexel 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 24,590 | 14,938 | 9,652 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Drexel University?
Drexel University is located at 3141 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
How Safe is Drexel University?
Relative to its enrollment, Drexel University has a violent crime rate of 0.04% and a property crime rate of 0.13%. Philadelphia has a violent crime rate of 0.92% and a property crime rate of 4.62%. 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 Drexel University Known For?
Drexel University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Nursing
- Engineering
- Computer Science
- Business
- Medical
- Economics
- Education
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
- Criminal Justice
- Biology
- Law
- Communications
- History
- Physics
- Sociology
- Earth Sciences
- Literature
- Psychology
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Anthropology
- Social Work
Drexel University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Drexel 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
Drexel University ranks #36 in the U.S. and #66 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesDrexel University ranks #56 in the U.S. and #198 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesDrexel University ranks #77 in the U.S. and #234 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesDrexel University ranks #91 in the U.S. and #229 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesDrexel University ranks #96 in the U.S. and #277 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesDrexel University ranks #96 in the U.S. and #357 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesDrexel University ranks #119 in the U.S. and #417 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesDrexel University ranks #124 in the U.S. and #572 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesDrexel University ranks #134 in the U.S. and #490 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesDrexel University ranks #149 in the U.S. and #243 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesDrexel University ranks #157 in the U.S. and #539 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesDrexel University ranks #180 in the U.S. and #545 worldwide for influence in Law.
Drexel University ranks #185 in the U.S. and #643 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesDrexel University ranks #188 in the U.S. and #547 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesDrexel University ranks #189 in the U.S. and #792 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesDrexel University ranks #214 in the U.S. and #788 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesDrexel University ranks #220 in the U.S. and #945 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesDrexel University ranks #233 in the U.S. and #675 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesDrexel University ranks #249 in the U.S. and #589 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesDrexel University ranks #268 in the U.S. and #868 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesDrexel University ranks #270 in the U.S. and #1079 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesDrexel University ranks #326 in the U.S. and #987 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesDrexel University ranks #369 in the U.S. and #933 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesWho Are Drexel University's Most Influential Alumni?
Drexel University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Nursing, Engineering, and Business. Here are some of Drexel University's most famous alumni:
- Stuart Hameroff
- An American anesthesiologist.
- Michael Behe
- An American biochemist, author, and intelligent design advocate.
- Norman Joseph Woodland
- An Inventor of the barcode.
- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- A Nigerian writer.
- Lex Fridman
- A Research scientist at MIT, working on human-centered AI.
- Chuck Barris
- An American game show creator, producer, and host .
- Lisa Anthony
- An American computer scientist.
- Jon Hall
- A Programmer and major contributor to the Linux project.
- A. Raymond Randolph
- An American judge.
- Alassane Ouattara
- A President of Ivory Coast .
- Albert Carnesale
- An American academic administrator.
- Violet Oakley
- An American artist .
Who Are Drexel University's Most Influential Faculty?
Drexel University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Nursing, Engineering, and Business. Here are some of Drexel University's most famous faculty:
- Lex Fridman
- A Research scientist at MIT, working on human-centered AI.
- Alia Sabur
- An American mathematician.
- Jean-Claude Bradley
- A Chemist. Jean-Claude Bradley is open science advocate.
- Volker Presser
- A Researcher.
- Sharrona Pearl
- A Canadian-American scholar and writer.
- George Ciccariello-Maher
- An American scholar.
- Gina Lovasi
- A Researcher.
