Drexel University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It enrolls 13,233 students (a large 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.
AccreditorMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
Academic CalendarQuarter
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.
Good
67/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes87
Value28
Affordability20
Selectivity64
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Drexel University admits 79.4% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
79.4%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1240 – 1440
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
27 – 32
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized 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 Drexel University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↑
2.8 pts
since 2019
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 $38,509 a year on average, it sits above what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That is a serious number, so the earnings further down matter more here than usual. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$62,412
Room & Board (on-campus)
$18,096
Room & Board (off-campus)
$19,428
Books & Supplies
$1,700
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$1,500
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$1,500
Total Cost of Attendance
$76,835
Application fee: $50 (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
$28,055
$30,001 – $48,000
$29,435
$48,001 – $75,000
$34,970
$75,001 – $110,000
$37,842
Over $110,000
$48,089
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.
$5,15710%percentile
$9,80025%percentile
$25,325Medianpercentile
$30,12575%percentile
$33,99890%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 $23,549
↓ $1,776
No Pell $18,348
↓ $6,977
Dependent students $21,500
↓ $3,825
Independent students $16,559
↓ $8,766
Female students $19,039
↓ $6,286
Male students $22,476
↓ $2,849
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,750, less than completers ($25,325), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
62% of students who start here finish within six years, and 90% 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
62%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
90%
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 $84,648 a year, well above the national median. Strong earnings, though the field studied drives much of that. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$84,648
Earning > $25K
89%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
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
$72,000
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$83,100
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$94,200
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$72,800
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$72,700
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $11,100, about 13% 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 ↑
7.5 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 92% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 13,233 students, a large student community.
Total Enrolled
13,233
Part-Time
7%
First-Generation
29%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 40.4%5,351
Asian 24.3%3,214
Black 10.2%1,350
Hispanic 9.1%1,204
International 9.1%1,198
Other 4.7%625
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Drexel University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Drexel University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
242 distinct programs across
29 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.
There are 9 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.
Student : Faculty
9:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$1.4B
Strong financial cushion supports aid and stability
Avg Faculty Salary
$111,753
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
1,199 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
265
22%
$167,663
Associate Professors
208
17%
$128,248
Assistant Professors
142
12%
$102,101
Instructors
584
49%
$80,717
Pros & Cons of Drexel University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Drexel University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Very high published cost of attendance (full-pay families pay much more than the net-price average)
Best for:
Based on the data, Drexel University is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students prioritizing post-graduation earnings.
Frequently Asked Questions about Drexel University
The questions families ask most about Drexel University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Drexel University hard to get into?
Not especially. Drexel University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 79.4%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Drexel University?
79.4% 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 Drexel University?
Aim for 1440 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1240 and 1440 (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 Drexel University?
Aim for 32 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 27 and 32 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Drexel University cost?
Budget around $38,509 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 Drexel University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $84,648 a year against a net price of $38,509, about 2.2 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 Drexel University known for?
Mostly Nursing, Accounting, Nursing. 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 Drexel University graduates earn?
About $84,648 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 Drexel University accredited?
Yes. Drexel University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Drexel University?
13,233 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Drexel University?
62% 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 Drexel 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 Drexel University located?
Drexel University is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
What programs does Drexel University offer?
242 different programs, most commonly Nursing, Accounting, Nursing. 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 Drexel University?
9 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Pennsylvania
Other colleges in Pennsylvania share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
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