Iowa Wesleyan University vs Drake University
Iowa Wesleyan University and Drake University, both located in Iowa, offer distinct educational experiences. Iowa Wesleyan, a private liberal arts college, boasts a 90% acceptance rate, while Drake, a private research university, has a more selective 70% acceptance rate. Iowa Wesleyan's student body is predominantly female (60%), while Drake's is more evenly balanced (52% female, 48% male). Both institutions offer a wide range of undergraduate programs, with popular majors at Iowa Wesleyan including Business Administration, Elementary Education, and Psychology, and popular majors at Drake including Business Administration, Biology, and Psychology. With graduation rates of 45% and 75% respectively, Iowa Wesleyan and Drake provide varying levels of academic rigor and support. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
|
![]() Drake University |
![]() Iowa Wesleyan University |
---|---|---|
Overview |
||
Location | Des Moines, Iowa | Mount Pleasant, Iowa |
Campus setting | City: Midsize | Town: Remote |
College type | 4 year | 4 year |
Control/business model | Private (Non Profit) | Private (Non Profit) |
Calendar system | Semester | Semester |
Degrees offered | Undergraduate and Graduate | Undergraduate and Graduate |
Students retention rate | 84.0% | 51.0% |
![]() |
Yes | No |
Religious affiliation | Methodism | |
|
||
Admission |
||
Acceptance rate | 69.1% | 81.9% |
Application fees | $70 | |
SAT range | 1190 - 1410 | 820 - 1020 |
ACT range | 25 - 31 | 15 - 20 |
Students submitting SAT score | 14.0% | 9.0% |
Students submitting ACT score | 43.0% | 22.0% |
Total number of applicants | 7,932 | 3,934 |
Total number of admissions given out | 5,479 | 3,222 |
Admitted students who chose to enroll | 759 | 267 |
Yield rate | 13.9% | 8.3% |
Test scores (SAT/ACT) | N/A | N/A |
High school GPA | Required | Required |
Recommendation letters | Not required | Not required |
High school transcript | Not required | Not required |
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) | Required | Required |
|
||
Tuition and Fees |
||
Sticker price | $62,125 | $42,840 |
Average net price | $29,507 | $34,988 |
Tuition | $45,734 | $32,550 |
Room & board |
Room/dormitory:
$6,160
Meal plan:
$5,128
|
Room/dormitory:
$4,410
Meal plan:
$6,930
|
Available payment plans |
|
|
|
||
Financial Aid |
||
Students receiving financial aid
(Grants & scholarships) |
100.0%
Average amount $29,904 |
97.0%
Average amount $12,333 |
Students receiving federal student loan |
48.0%
Average amount $5,294 |
92.0%
Average amount $4,286 |
Students taking out private loans |
15.0%
Average amount $18,053 |
7.0%
Average amount $6,430 |
|
||
Students and Campus |
||
Undergraduate students |
2,902
Men 39.8% Women 60.2% |
758
Men 57.9% Women 42.1% |
Graduate students |
1,973
Men 33.4% Women 66.6% |
67
Men 52.2% Women 47.8% |
Racial/ethnic diversity |
Low
|
Moderate
|
Out-of-state students | 68.0% | N/A |
International students | 2.9% | 11.3% |
Campus local/setting | City: Midsize | Town: Remote |
Dormitory capacity | 1,758 | 568 |
First year students are required to live on campus? | No | No |
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from | Iowa Minnesota Illinois Wisconsin Texas | N/A |
|
||
Academics |
||
Popular study areas |
|
|
Students to faculty ratio | 11:1 | 12:1 |
Institutional accreditation | Higher Learning Commission | Higher Learning Commission |
|
||
Outcome |
||
Graduation rate | 78.2% | 22.5% |
Dropout rate | 20.2% | 32.5% |
Transferred out | N/A | 44.2% |
Alumni salary by major (Top 10) |
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
Law (First Professional Degrees)
|
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
|
Compare Similar Colleges
The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing
statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you
don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page.
There, you can search for the
specific colleges and initiate your comparison.


































































































































































































