Drake University: Rankings, Courses, Admissions, Tuition Fee, Cost of Attendance & Scholarships

Popular Courses and Fees at Drake University 2027

Drake University charges a flat annual undergraduate tuition of $52,988 (₹50.07 lakh) for 12 to 18 credits, protected across four years by the Tuition Guarantee. Graduate programmes bill per credit hour, with rates varying by school: business, arts and sciences, education, and the law and pharmacy professional tracks each carry their own schedule for the 2026-27 cycle.

The Drake University fees table below lists the ten postgraduate programmes Indian applicants most commonly enter, followed by the five undergraduate pathways with the strongest India-outbound demand.

[Source: Drake University Financial Aid Office 2026-27 tuition schedule]

Every undergraduate pathway below carries the same annual gross tuition of $52,988 (₹50.07 lakh), with the merit-based Presidential and Provost’s Scholarships reducing the net fee for qualifying international admits.

Insider note: Indian graduate applicants most often enter Drake University through the MBA, the Master of Jurisprudence, the Master of Science in Accounting, or the PharmD, where merit awards can offset 20 to 50 percent of the sticker fee for strong profiles.

Read More: Drake University Fees and Programmes Guide

Drake University Admission 2027

Drake University runs two intakes for international students: Fall in August and Spring in January. Most Indian graduate applicants target the Fall intake because financial aid packaging and F-1 visa scheduling are best aligned to that cycle.

[Source: Drake University International Admission Office]

Planning note: Submit under the 1 December 2026 Early Action window when possible, because I-20 issuance for Indian admits often needs six to eight weeks, and a US visa slot in Mumbai or Delhi frequently sits behind that.

Read More: Drake University Admissions Guide for Indian Students

Drake University Admission Requirements for Indian Applicants 2027

Drake University admission requirements for Indian students combine an academic threshold with a fixed English proficiency floor and, for graduate programmes, credential evaluation.

Postgraduate Indian applicants:

• Academic: Recognised bachelor’s degree with 55% or CGPA 5.5 out of 10 (recommended); some MBA and MJ streams prefer 60% or CGPA 6.0.
• English proficiency: TOEFL iBT 80 or IELTS 6.5 for graduate and law admits.
• Credential evaluation: WES or ECE report on request after committee review of the original transcripts.
• Test scores: GRE is optional for most Drake University graduate programmes; the MBA is test-optional and the LSAT is required for the JD.

Undergraduate Indian applicants:

• Academic: Class 12 completion from a recognised Indian board with 70% to 85% (recommended); CBSE, ISC and state boards are all accepted.
• English proficiency: TOEFL iBT 71, IELTS 6.0, Duolingo English Test 105 or PTE Academic 48.
• Standardised tests: SAT 500 in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing or ACT 19 in English also satisfies the language rule; IB HL English at 5 to 7 or grade A-B is exempt.

Key insight: Indian applicants who have studied CBSE or ISC in an English medium can request an English test waiver if they submit Class 10 and 12 mark sheets that document English as the language of instruction, and the committee reviews these on a case-by-case basis.

Drake University Acceptance Rate 2027

The Drake University acceptance rate is 64% (estimated) for the most recent published intake, reflecting a moderately selective admissions posture. The university does not publish an official India-specific rate, so this figure should be read as a general international-plus-domestic average.

Because the university reviews applications holistically, an Indian applicant with a strong Class 12 percentage or bachelor’s CGPA above the recommended threshold, plus an in-range English test score, is treated as a competitive file rather than a borderline one. The acceptance rate has stayed inside the 60% to 70% band for several recent cycles.

Reality check: A 64% acceptance rate does not mean an automatic offer. Drake University routinely rejects underprepared Indian applications when the English score sits below TOEFL 71 or when Class 12 marks are below 65%, so treat the recommended thresholds as floors and not targets.

Read More: Drake University Acceptance Rate

Drake University Fees and Cost of Living for Indian Students 2027

An Indian student’s total annual cost at Drake University for the 2026-27 cycle ranges from $67,000 to $73,000 (₹63.32 lakh to ₹68.99 lakh) for undergraduate programmes and from $35,000 to $55,000 (₹33.08 lakh to ₹51.98 lakh) for most master’s tracks, depending on credit load, housing choice and scholarship awarded.

Drake University Tuition Fees for Indian Students 2027

The table below summarises the gross tuition sticker cost for the 2026-27 academic year, before any scholarship reduction.

[Source: Drake University Financial Aid Office]

Drake University Cost of Living in Des Moines for Indian Students

Des Moines is one of the more affordable Midwest cities, and Drake University publishes room and board at $11,858 for on-campus students; the estimates below cover a typical off-campus Indian student’s monthly outgo.

[Source: Drake University published room and board rate; off-campus figures estimated from Des Moines rental averages]

Insider note: Indian graduate students who share a two-bedroom apartment near the University Avenue corridor typically pay $500 to $600 (₹0.47 to ₹0.57 lakh) per head per month, well below the on-campus room rate of $7,048 (₹6.66 lakh) for the year.

Read More: Cost of Living in USA for Indian Students

Drake University Campus, Facilities and Student Life

The Drake University campus occupies 150 acres in central Des Moines, five minutes from downtown and served by the DART city bus network that connects to major grocery, retail and Indian community hubs.

• Location and transport: A 15-minute walk covers most academic buildings, and DART bus route 4 runs directly through campus for off-campus students.
• Housing: First-year students are guaranteed on-campus housing; annual room fee sits at $7,048 (₹6.66 lakh) and board at $5,828 (₹5.51 lakh).
• Signature facilities: The Harmon Fine Arts Center, the Bell Center recreation complex, and the Cowles Library, all networked with 24-hour study zones.
• Indian community: The Drake University Indian Student Association hosts Diwali, Holi and Republic Day events, and the Office of International Student Services runs an F-1 orientation each August and January.
• Career and internship access: Corporate partners such as Principal Financial Group and Wellmark run recruiting cycles directly on campus each fall.

What Indian students say: Des Moines is small enough to feel safe walking home after evening classes, groceries at the local Patel Brothers-style store keep monthly food bills under $350, and professors at Drake University routinely respond to email within a business day.

Drake University Scholarships 2027

Drake University awards more than $54 million in scholarships and grants each year, with 98% of full-time students receiving some form of aid; four merit-linked awards are open to international first-year applicants, and no application is required beyond the admission file.

[Source: Drake University Admissions and Financial Aid Office]

Planning note: Indian first-year applicants who submit the complete file by 1 December 2026 are auto-considered for every merit tier from Deans’ up to Presidential, and clearing this date is the single largest lever an applicant has over the final Drake University sticker cost.

Read More: Drake University Scholarships Guide

Drake University Rankings 2027

Drake University’s strongest ranking is US News Best Value, where it placed #69 nationally and #1 in Iowa in the 2026 edition; the university is not currently listed in the QS World University Rankings 2027, THE World University Rankings 2026, or ARWU Shanghai Rankings 2026, which is typical of US regional and mid-sized private institutions.

[Source: US News Best Colleges 2026; QS, THE and ARWU public listings 2026-27]

As per US News 2026 rankings, Drake University’s undergraduate business, computer science and psychology programmes are individually recognised, and the university also holds a national ranking for social mobility.

Key insight: For Indian applicants, US News National University status is enough to satisfy Indian education loan providers and most employer background checks in India, so the absence of a QS or THE rank is not a functional blocker for Drake University admits.

Read More: Drake University Rankings Analysis

Drake University Placements and Career Outcomes 2027

Drake University reports that 2025 bachelor’s graduates were employed, enrolled in advanced study or pursuing a professional goal within six months of graduation, with especially strong results out of the law and business schools.

• Drake Law employment (Class of 2024): 94% overall employment within 10 months of graduation, as per Drake University Career Services.
• Undergraduate outcomes: Six-month placement across business, actuarial science, pharmacy and journalism programmes tracks above the national private-college median.
• Named recruiters: Ernst & Young, Deloitte, Capital One, Microsoft, Bain & Company, Amazon, Accenture Federal Services and Principal Financial Group.
• Median starting salary: Not disclosed at university level; MBA and JD outcomes are the strongest by median, tracked programme-by-programme.
• Post-study work: Indian F-1 graduates qualify for 12 months of OPT, with a 24-month extension for STEM-designated programmes such as Data Analytics and Computer Science.

Insider note: Indian applicants targeting Wall Street or Chicago-area finance roles should note that Principal Financial Group, headquartered five minutes from campus, is the single largest employer of Drake University finance and actuarial science graduates each year.

Drake University vs Peer Universities

The peer set below covers mid-sized private universities in the Midwest with a similar profile to Drake University, plus one large in-state public benchmark, ranked by US News 2026 for a like-for-like read.

[Source: US News Best Colleges 2026]

Drake University stands out on Best Value (#69 nationally) and on its rare four-year tuition lock, which converts an unpredictable US sticker cost into a fixed four-year budget for Indian parents.

Drake University is the right fit for an Indian applicant who wants a mid-sized private-college experience in a low-cost Midwest city with a $17,988 to $25,988 (₹17.00 to ₹24.56 lakh) net tuition after merit aid, and who values the four-year Tuition Guarantee plus 94% law-school placement as a return-on-investment anchor for a US degree bought with an education loan of about ₹65 lakh.

Drake University is not the right fit for applicants targeting a top-50 US News brand for post-degree employer signalling in India, or for those who need a Big-Ten sports and research campus; a public flagship such as the University of Iowa or a US public research university is a more realistic alternative in that scenario.