Drexel University
A good fit for students who want accessible admissions. no major red flags in the data. solid earnings of $78,000 within 10 years; strong 78% graduation rate.
About This School
Drexel University is a private nonprofit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with approximately 13,233 undergraduate students enrolled. Drexel University has an open or accessible admissions process, with an acceptance rate of 79%. The average net price after financial aid is $38,509 per year. The graduation rate is 78%, and the typical graduate earns $78,000 within 10 years of enrollment.
Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. 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. As of 2020, more than 24,000 students were enrolled in over 70 undergraduate programs and more than 100 master's, doctoral, and professional programs at the university. Drexel's cooperative education program (co-op) is a unique aspect of the school's degree programs, offering students the opportunity to gain up to 18 months of paid, full-time work experience in a field relevant to their undergraduate major or graduate degree program prior to graduation.
Worth considering if you're drawn to hands-on, career-focused education — Drexel's co-op program gives students real work experience before graduation, and a median salary of $78,000 ten years out suggests it pays off professionally. The 77% graduation rate is a mild concern given the 90% freshman retention, meaning some students start strong but don't finish, so ask hard questions about what drives that gap. At $38,428 per year net cost, it's not cheap, but the relatively modest median debt of $20,204 at graduation suggests many students find workable ways to manage the cost.
Popular Programs
Percentage of degrees awarded. Source: College Scorecard.
Notable Alumni
Source: Wikidata. Used for context only.
Admissions
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
What This School Looks For
From the school's most recent Common Data Set (2024-25). What the admissions office actually weighs:
Early vs. Regular Decision
Cost & Financial Aid
Net Price by Family Income
Average annual cost after grants/scholarships, by household income. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Financial Aid
Full Cost
After Graduation
Earnings 6 Years After Enrollment, by Gender
Gap: 7% less for female graduates. National avg ~16%.
What Each Major Actually Earns
Median earnings four years after graduation, by major, next to the national median for that same major at every college. The school-wide average hides this: at most schools the spread between the best- and worst-paying majors is far wider than the gap between schools.
Drexel University graduates earn most above the national rate in Health/Medical Preparatory Programs ($95,081 vs $61,911 nationally).
| Major | Grads | Here | National | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 470 | $100,646 | $88,910 | +$11,736 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 333 | $100,317 | $76,194 | +$24,123 |
| Computer Science | 209 | $113,610 | $107,009 | +$6,601 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 183 | $93,638 | $92,135 | +$1,503 |
| Biology, General | 152 | $72,197 | $57,214 | +$14,983 |
| Marketing | 148 | $89,486 | $69,303 | +$20,183 |
| Design and Applied Arts | 142 | $66,294 | $51,490 | +$14,804 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 109 | $84,040 | $68,257 | +$15,783 |
| Computer Engineering | 107 | $117,537 | $109,015 | +$8,522 |
| Health/Medical Preparatory Programs | 104 | $95,081 | $61,911 | +$33,170 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | 95 | $54,328 | $48,240 | +$6,088 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 87 | $101,362 | $93,451 | +$7,911 |
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data. Median earnings of graduates working and not enrolled four years after completing a bachelor's degreehere. Majors with too few graduates to report are omitted for privacy, so this is not the school's full program list.
Will This School Pay Off?
Strong return. Graduates earn well above their debt load.
Earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. These are means across all graduates, not specific to any major.
Student Body
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (13,233 undergraduates).
In the Classroom & On Campus
Class size distribution
Source: Drexel University Common Data Set (2024-25).
Contact & Location
Official Links
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See How Colleges Compare
Drexel University is one of thousands of colleges in our data studies, each built from the same U.S. Department of Education data shown on this page. Compare schools head to head:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Drexel University?
Drexel University has an acceptance rate of 79%, based on the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Is Drexel University hard to get into?
Not especially. Drexel University has an acceptance rate of 79%, so admissions are relatively accessible for applicants who meet the requirements.
How much does Drexel University cost?
The average net price at Drexel University is about $38,509 per year after grants and scholarships, based on federal data. Your actual cost depends on your family's finances and aid package.
What is the graduation rate at Drexel University?
Drexel University has a graduation rate of 78%, according to U.S. Department of Education data.
Sources & Methodology
Primary data source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Accessed via automated sync. Latest values may come from different reporting years depending on the metric.
School overview from Wikipedia. Used for context only, not as a primary data source for admissions, cost, or outcomes claims.
- Earnings figures are institution-level averages, not major-specific.
- Some metrics are based on Title IV financial aid recipients only.
- Some values may be privacy-suppressed or rolled up by the Department of Education.
- Contact the school directly for current admissions requirements and costs.
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