Career orientation
highProfessional programs and Des Moines employers create pathways.
COLLEGE FIT GUIDE
Evidence checked · 2026-10-06
Drake University
Drake is a mid-sized private university known for business, pharmacy and health sciences, journalism, education, law-related preparation, and the liberal arts. Des Moines provides unusually direct access to insurance, finance, media, government, and political activity.
- Professional learning in a state capital
- Academic choices and structure
- Separate institutional opportunity from individual access
QUICK READ
- Location
- Des Moines, Iowa · Urban residential setting
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 2,543
- Aggregate admission rate
- 63.8%
- Average net price
- $29,127
FIT SNAPSHOT
How this environment may feel
These are directional interpretations of the college environment, not a score or universal verdict.
Urban access
highState government and regional employers are accessible.
Learning by doing
highInternships and clinical work connect study with practice.
Community closeness
moderateMid-sized residential scale supports repeated contact.
WHY IT MAY FIT
Consider Drake University if…
- You want business, journalism, or pharmacy.
- You want capital-city internships.
- You want a mid-sized residential campus.
- You want political and public-affairs access.
POSSIBLE TENSIONS
It may not fit if…
- You do not want a rural setting.
- You do not want a very large university.
- You do not want minimal career emphasis.
- You do not want a major coastal city.
WHAT STANDS OUT
The environment behind the name
Professional learning in a state capital
Internships, reporting, research, clinical work, and public affairs connect academic programs with Des Moines.
Source: Career Development
Academic choices and structure
A liberal-arts foundation supports specialized programs across undergraduate colleges.
Source: Academics
A setting that shapes the experience
Des Moines, Iowa gives students a distinct context for campus life, work, community, and recreation.
Source: Career Development
LOOK CLOSER
Questions worth asking before you decide
Use these prompts during a visit, an information session, or a conversation with a current student.
- 1
Separate institutional opportunity from individual access
Drake documents substantial opportunities, but availability can differ by program, timing, prerequisites, capacity, and student initiative.
Source: Career Development
- 2
Interpret scale and selectivity carefully
Federal data report 2,543 undergraduates and an aggregate admission rate of 63.8%. These figures describe the institution, not an individual applicant’s probability or a particular program’s experience.
- 3
Use the current price for your circumstances
Federal data report an average net price of $29,127. This historical average is not a quote; residency, income, housing, aid eligibility, and program costs can materially change what a family pays.
FEDERAL CLERY DATA
Campus safety statistics, with context
Federal Clery records describe reported incidents within defined campus geography. They are not a measure of crime prevalence or an overall safety rating.
2024 reported on-campus offenses:12
Per 1,000 enrolled:2.8
Reporting campuses:1
COMPARE THE TRADEOFFS
Schools that sharpen the question
A useful comparison for students evaluating Drake across academics, setting, scale, and student experience.
A useful comparison for students evaluating Drake across academics, setting, scale, and student experience.
A useful comparison for students evaluating Drake across academics, setting, scale, and student experience.
EVIDENCE
Sources and method
View the reviewed sources
- Career Development - Drake University (official, retrieved 2026-10-06)
- Academics - Drake University (official, retrieved 2026-10-06)
- Drake University institutional data - U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (federal, retrieved 2026-10-06)
Navastra interprets Drake’s documented academic environment, setting, opportunities, and federal reference fields through preference dimensions. The page describes documented structures, not every student’s experience. It does not calculate an individual fit score, predict admission, or estimate a financial-aid award. Read the methodology →
Programs, policies, costs, and campus life change. Verify current details with the college ↗
PERSONALIZE THE QUESTION