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 logo

Drake University

Iowa Wesleyan University logo

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%
Common app member 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
  • Guaranteed tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

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
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Legal Profession
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Education
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Health Professions
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)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $113,335
  • Year 3: $126,268
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $93,514
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,552
  • Year 2: $78,971
  • Year 3: $92,797
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $65,238
  • Year 3: $80,038
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,587
  • Year 2: $71,255
  • Year 3: $78,000
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,903
  • Year 2: $62,409
  • Year 3: $72,353
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,700
  • Year 2: $57,705
  • Year 3: $71,750
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,167
  • Year 2: $60,623
  • Year 3: $70,579
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,063
  • Year 2: $59,485
  • Year 3: $67,788
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,460
  • Year 2: $57,318
  • Year 3: $65,013
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $35,594
  • Year 3: N/A
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,581
  • Year 2: $49,840
  • Year 3: N/A
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,362
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A

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