Private Nonprofit Graduate Strong 71/100

Drew University

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Madison, New Jersey

About Drew University

Thinking about Drew University, a college in New Jersey where more students graduate in Theology than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Drew University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Madison, New Jersey. It enrolls 1,533 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
67.8%
Graduation
67.1%
Net Price
$24,280
Median Earnings (10yr)
$63,646
Enrollment
1,533
Student : Faculty
11:1

Accreditor Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Strong
71/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 79
Value 47
Affordability 36
Selectivity 66

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Drew University admits 67.8% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.

Acceptance Rate
67.8%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1103 – 1338
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
24 – 30
Cumulative composite
Test Policy Not Considered Standardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Drew University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Stable ↓ 2.0 pts since 2019
71.4%201973.2%202079.7%202172.7%202269.4%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $24,280 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$24,280
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
29%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
45%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees
$47,100
Room & Board (on-campus)
$17,640
Room & Board (off-campus)
$17,343
Books & Supplies
$2,035
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,460
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$7,086
Total Cost of Attendance
$65,301

Application fee: $40 (one-time, due at submission)


Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $15,224
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $15,697
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $20,916
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $24,947
  • Over $110,000
    $35,512

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$5,500
10% percentile
$10,500
25% percentile
$25,288
Median percentile
$27,000
75% percentile
$31,000
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $21,500 ↓ $3,788
No Pell $20,425 ↓ $4,863
Dependent students $21,250 ↓ $4,038
Independent students $16,500 ↓ $8,788
Female students $21,814 ↓ $3,474
Male students $20,300 ↓ $4,988
Pell recipients: 17.7% (4,464 students)No Pell: 16.8% (4,241 students)Dependent students: 17.4% (4,412 students)Independent students: 13.5% (3,426 students)Female students: 17.9% (4,529 students)Male students: 16.7% (4,215 students)Overall Median$25,288
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $10,500, less than completers ($25,288), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

67% of students who start here finish within six years, and 87% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
67%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
87%
Returning for their second year
What this means: High first-year retention. Students who arrive tend to stay.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $63,646 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$63,646
Earning > $25K
81%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$45,000$50,000$55,000$60,000$65,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$54,000

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$64,700

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$48,400

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$53,700

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$62,700

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $10,700, about 17% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 17.6 pts across 6 years
75.1%1yr80.6%3yr85.6%5yr92.7%7yr
What this signals: Excellent. 93% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,533 students, a mid-sized community.

Total Enrolled
1,533
Part-Time
1%
First-Generation
24%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 55.7% 854
Black 11.0% 169
International 10.7% 164
Hispanic 7.1% 109
Other 4.8% 74
Asian 3.8% 58
White: 55.7% (854 students)Black: 11.0% (169 students)International: 10.7% (164 students)Hispanic: 7.1% (109 students)Other: 4.8% (74 students)Asian: 3.8% (58 students)Total1,533

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Drew University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Large Suburb Madison, New Jersey
Housing
Strongly residential 1,554 beds for 1,533 students
Adult Learners
4% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Religiously affiliated

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Social Sciences graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Drew University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 46 distinct programs across 21 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

4 Programs
2 Programs
3 Programs
4 Programs
1 Program
3 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 11 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
11:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$142M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$85,306
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

146 instructional faculty across 4 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 56 38% $101,084
Associate Professors 46 32% $79,831
Assistant Professors 41 28% $71,547
Lecturers 3 2% $62,763

Pros & Cons of Drew University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Drew University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Above-average graduation rate
  • Strong first-year retention
  • Solid post-graduation earnings
CONS
  • Above-average net price
  • High published cost of attendance before aid

Frequently Asked Questions about Drew University

The questions families ask most about Drew University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Drew University hard to get into?
Admissions at Drew University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 67.8%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Drew University?
67.8% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Drew University?
Aim for 1338 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1103 and 1338 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Drew University?
Aim for 30 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 24 and 30 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Drew University cost?
Budget around $24,280 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Drew University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $63,646 a year against a net price of $24,280, about 2.6 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Drew University known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Theology, Theology. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Drew University graduates earn?
About $63,646 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Drew University accredited?
Yes. Drew University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Drew University?
1,533 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Drew University?
67% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Drew University a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Drew University located?
Drew University is located in Madison, New Jersey.
What programs does Drew University offer?
46 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Theology, Theology. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Drew University?
11 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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